On September 4, 2018 Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PIRS), a biotechnology company advancing novel biotherapeutics through its proprietary Anticalin technology platform for cancer, respiratory and other diseases, reported that it has dosed the first patient in the Company’s Phase 1 combination clinical trial of PRS-343, its lead proprietary immuno-oncology drug candidate targeting HER2 and 4-1BB, plus atezolizumab (Tecentriq), an approved PD-L1 inhibitor (Press release, Pieris Pharmaceuticals, SEP 4, 2018, View Source [SID1234529394]).

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The trial, a multicenter, open-label, Phase 1 dose escalation study, is designed to determine the safety, tolerability, and potential synergistic anti-tumor effects of PRS-343 plus anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy in patients with advanced or metastatic HER2-positive solid tumors. Elevated HER2 expression is associated with multiple cancers, including gastroesophageal, bladder, breast, and a range of other tumor types. The trial is fully funded and sponsored by Pieris, while Roche is supplying atezolizumab.

"The initiation of the combination trial of PRS-343 with an anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy marks the beginning of Pieris’ investigation into the potential synergistic effects of its 4-1BB-targeted therapy with PD-1/L1 blockade," said Louis Matis, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer of Pieris. "Given evidence from multiple preclinical studies demonstrating synergistic anti-tumor activity from concurrent 4-1BB activation and PD-(L)1 pathway blockade, we believe that combination therapy with PRS-343 and atezolizumab has the potential to provide significant clinical benefit for patients. We are enthusiastic to be initiating this trial and look forward to reporting our findings from this combination study next year."

About PRS-343

PRS-343 is a bispecific monoclonal antibody-Anticalin fusion protein comprised of a HER2 tumor-targeting antibody genetically linked to a potent Anticalin specific for the immune costimulatory TNF family receptor 4-1BB (CD137). PRS-343 is being developed as the first 4-1BB based bispecific therapeutic to mediate the activation of tumor-specific T lymphocytes selectively within the tumor microenvironment (TME). 4-1BB is a potent costimulatory immunoreceptor and an established marker for tumor-specific infiltrating T lymphocytes, and is, therefore, an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. In in vivo preclinical tumor models, PRS-343 has demonstrated potent T lymphocyte activation localized to the TME of established HER2-positive tumors, indicating the potential for both enhanced safety and efficacy.

About HER2-Positive Malignancies

HER2 is a tyrosine kinase receptor growth-promoting protein found on the surface of some cancer cells and is associated with aggressive disease progression. Multiple tumor types can express HER2 including breast, gastroesophageal, bladder, biliary (cholangiocarcinoma), colorectal, endometrial, ovarian, non-small cell lung, pancreatic, head and neck, and other cancers.