On November 3, 2023 SQZ Biotechnologies Company (OTC: SQZB), focused on unlocking the full potential of cell therapies, reported clinical data for three programs focused on the treatment of Human Papillomavirus 16 positive (HB16+) driven cancers at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2023 (Press release, SQZ Biotech, NOV 3, 2023, View Source [SID1234636928]).
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"Our programs have shown a favorable safety profile and the ability to effect clinical benefit for patients," said Howard Bernstein, M.D., Ph.D., Interim Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors. "While these results are early, the management team and the board of directors are encouraged by the potential of Cell Squeeze based therapeutics and are committed to exploring strategic alternatives for the company and its proprietary technology."
Key findings:
SQZ Activating Antigen Carriers ("AAC") Platform in Oncology
Poster# 693: SQZ-AAC-HPV-101: Initial data from a phase I dose escalation/expansion study of SQZ-AAC-HPV, a red blood cell-based therapeutic cancer vaccine for HPV16+ solid tumors
Of the five patients treated, one patient experienced a confirmed complete response and two patients experienced stable disease
SQZ-AAC-HPV monotherapy is considered generally safe and well-tolerated at all dose levels
SQZ Enhanced Antigen Presenting Cell ("eAPC") Platform in Oncology
Poster# 692: COMMANDER-001: Safety data from a phase I/II dose escalation/expansion study of SQZ-eAPC-HPV, a cell-based mRNA therapeutic cancer vaccine for HPV16+ solid tumors
Completed enrollment for highest-dose cohort of monotherapy dose escalation trial
Observed BOR of Stable Disease in 40 Percent (8 of 20) of Treated Patients
SQZ-eAPC-HPV monotherapy is considered generally safe and well-tolerated at all dose levels
SQZ Antigen Presenting Cell ("APC") Platform in Oncology:
Poster# 594: SQZ-PBMC-HPV-101: Increased overall survival in a subset of patients with recurrent, locally advanced, or metastatic HPV16+ tumors treated with cell-based vaccine, SQZ-PBMC-HPV
A subset of patients with paired biopsies (6 of 18) showed increased CD8 T cell infiltration when compared to baseline
These patients with increased CD8 T cell infiltration demonstrated an improved overall survival ("OS") when compared to patients with decreased CD8 T cell infiltration
Median OS [95% CI) for Increase in CD8: 606.5 days [314.0, 713.0] compared to median OS [95% CI) for Decrease in CD8: 170.0 days [54.0, 220.0]
SQZ-PBMC-HPV monotherapy is considered generally safe and well-tolerated at all dose levels
About Human Papillomavirus Positive Cancers
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common viruses worldwide and certain strains persist for many years, often leading to cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in the United States HPV+ tumors represent 3% of all cancers in women and 2% of all cancers in men, resulting in over 39,000 new cases of HPV+ tumors every year. HPV infection is larger outside of the U.S., and according to the International Journal of Cancer, HPV+ tumors account for 4.5% of all cancers worldwide resulting in approximately 630,000 new cases every year. According to the CDC, HPV infection plays a significant role in the formation of more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers, and most cases of vaginal (75%), oropharyngeal (70%), vulval (70%) and penile (60%) cancers.