- Biomarker data, from Tessa’s Phase II trial of lead candidate TT10, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), 2017
- The biomarkers are predictive of patient survival and response to CTL therapy, with exciting potential to drive more effective and better designed treatments
Date: 02 Jun 2017 | Download Press Release (PDF)
SINGAPORE – 02 June 2017 – Tessa Therapeutics (Tessa) presented biomarker data from its Phase II trial for its lead candidate TT10, Epstein-Barr virus specific autologous cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) therapy targeting advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma, at ASCO’s annual meeting, 2017.
Based on Tessa’s Phase II trial on 35 patients with Stage 4 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which indicated two- and three-year overall survival rates of 62.9 percent and 37.1 percent respectively, Tessa conducted a comprehensive analysis of cell surface receptors, expressed genes and secreted cytokines to identify markers which correlated with greater than two-year survival.
The best predictive success (84 percent correctly classified) was shown by using a combination of markers that were associated with immune regulation, together with markers of anti-cancer activity. Cellular analysis further revealed that successful CTL therapy correlated with lower amounts of circulating monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (mMDSCs) following chemotherapy. The predictive success of these biomarkers for patient stratification can lead to improvements in cellular immunotherapy and potential new combination therapies.
John E. Connolly, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Tessa Therapeutics, said, “Currently, there are few reliable biomarkers in cellular immunotherapy that can accurately stratify patient outcomes. The determination of biomarkers that can predict the efficacy of immunotherapy can rationally guide clinical treatment and radically improve patient care and ultimately outcomes. Not only could such markers dramatically change the way cancer is assessed and treated in the future, real value also lies in helping us really understand why patients are not responding to treatments, and designing better therapies as a result.”
Andrew Khoo, co-founder and CEO of Tessa Therapeutics, said, “The discovery of these biomarkers is a testament of the rigor and application of Tessa’s science team. It is also indicative of our drug development philosophy, based on fundamental study and understanding of not only the mechanisms of action, but also of resistance, to cancer treatments in order to design more effective, safer therapies”
About Tessa Therapeutics
Tessa Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company with the scientific vision of revolutionizing the treatment of cancer by redirecting the body’s potent anti-viral immune response to recognize and kill cancer cells. Tessa’s core virus-specific T cell (VST) platform has shown compelling results in the treatment of solid tumors, and the company is building a portfolio of therapies addressing a wide range of tumors by combining the qualities of its T cell platform with complementary technologies. Tessa’s lead Phase III trial for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the world’s largest Phase III T cell immunotherapy trial for any cancer indication. The company has built up robust operational and supply chain capabilities to successfully deliver autologous T cell therapy treatments to a large patient pool across five countries. The combination of technologies from its academic, clinical, and commercial research partners have enabled the company to create a fully-integrated approach to the treatment of cancer with immunotherapy.
For more information on Tessa, please visit www.tessacell.com.
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