On September 16, 2015 OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:OMED), a clinical-stage company developing novel anti-cancer stem cell and immuno-oncology therapeutics, reported preclinical data for the company’s proprietary, wholly owned GITRL-Fc agent during the afternoon poster session of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference (CIMT) (Free CIMT Whitepaper) (Press release, OncoMed, SEP 16, 2015, View Source [SID:1234507482]).
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GITRL is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family of ligands and functions to activate the co-stimulatory receptor GITR (glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor receptors) to enhance T-cell modulated immune responses. OncoMed’s GITRL-Fc agent is engineered using a novel single-gene linkerless GITRL trimer which enables effective GITR activation and robust anti-tumor immune response.
"The single-gene linkerless trimer technology we have created provides a flexible platform for the design of additional immuno-oncology agents, including bispecific agents," said Austin Gurney, PhD, Senior Vice President of Molecular and Cellular Biology. "We observed improved activation of GITR and highly potent single-agent activity using our GITRL fusion protein, and also noted that GITRL-Fc shows strong additivity with other immune checkpoint blockers. These data demonstrate a powerful new class of immunotherapeutic agent."
In a series of preclinical studies presented today, OncoMed’s GITRL-Fc agent activated GITR signaling more effectively than an agonist GITR antibody and promoted robust anti-tumor immune responses, including the potentiation of antigen-specific T-cell Th1 type immunity and a reduction of regulatory T-cell (Treg) immune suppressive activity. In multiple murine tumor graft models GITRL-Fc enabled complete eradication of some tumors as a single agent. The combination of GITRL-Fc with anti-PD1 or anti-PDL1 checkpoint inhibitors demonstrated enhanced anti-tumor activity compared to either agent alone.
"We are pleased to have presented research highlighting one of our proprietary immuno-oncology therapeutic agents," said John Lewicki, Chief Scientific Officer of OncoMed. "OncoMed is actively advancing GITRL-Fc with a goal of filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application in 2016. This program further demonstrates our commitment to the ongoing discovery of innovative and next-generation anti-cancer therapies."
Fumiko Axelrod, Senior Scientist II, of OncoMed presented these data in a poster titled "GITRL-Fc, an immunotherapeutic agent that stimulates T-cell-mediated anti-tumor immune response" (Abstract number A058) during Poster Session A.