On December 2, 2021 Innate Pharma SA (Euronext Paris: IPH; Nasdaq: IPHA) ("Innate" or the "Company") reported that it will present new data from the Phase 2 expansion cohort (‘cohort 3’) exploring the triplet combination of monalizumab, cetuximab and durvalumab, in first-line IO and chemo-naïve patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell cancer (R/M SCCHN) at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Immuno-oncology Congress 2021, being held virtually from December 8-11 2021 (Press release, Innate Pharma, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234596396]).

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Monalizumab, Innate’s lead partnered asset, is a potentially first-in-class immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting NKG2A receptors expressed on tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and NK cells.

Additionally, Pr. Eric Vivier, Ph.D., DVM, Chief Scientific Officer at Innate Pharma, will present in the NK cell biology educational session. Details can be found below.

Presentation Details:

Monalizumab: The oral presentation (#123MO) entitled, "Monalizumab, cetuximab and durvalumab in first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (R/M SCCHN): a phase 2 trial," will be presented from 12:15-12:20 pm CET on December 9, 2021.
NK cells: Prof. Vivier will discuss Innate’s multi-specific NK cell engager platform, ANKETTM (Antibody-based NK cell Engager Therapeutics), in the educational session entitled, "NK cells biology and therapeutic opportunities, innate immunity, adaptive immunity" from 11:40 – 12 pm CET on December 9, 2021.
About Monalizumab:

Monalizumab is a potentially first-in-class immune checkpoint inhibitor targeting NKG2A receptors expressed on tumor-infiltrating cytotoxic CD8+ T cells and NK cells.

NKG2A is an inhibitory checkpoint receptor for HLA-E. By expressing HLA-E, cancer cells can protect themselves from killing by NKG2A+ immune cells. HLA-E is frequently overexpressed in the cancer cells of many solid tumors and hematological malignancies. Monalizumab may re-establish a broad anti-tumor response mediated by NK and T cells and may enhance the cytotoxic potential of other therapeutic antibodies1.

AstraZeneca obtained full oncology rights to monalizumab in October 2018 through a co-development and commercialization agreement initiated in 2015. The ongoing development for monalizumab is focused on investigating monalizumab in various combination strategies in different malignancies.

About ANKETTM:

ANKETTM (Antibody-based NK cell Engager Therapeutics) is Innate’s proprietary platform for developing next-generation, multi-specific natural killer (NK) cell engagers to treat certain types of cancer. The Company’s latest innovation, its tetra-specific ANKETTM molecule, is the first NK cell engager technology to engage two NK cell-activating receptors (NKp46 and CD16), a tumor antigen and the interleukin-2 receptor (by an IL-2 variant, IL-2v), via a single molecule. This molecule leverages the advantages of harnessing NK cell effector functions against cancer cells and also provides proliferation and activation signals targeted to NK cells.

In pre-clinical studies, Innate’s tri-2 and tetra-specific ANKETTM technologies promote potent NK cell activation, cytotoxicity and efficient control of tumor growth in pre-clinical models. This versatile fit-for-purpose technology is creating an entirely new class of molecules to induce synthetic immunity against cancer.