Inoviq Announces Rapid Tumour-Killing Activity in Study of CAR-Exosomes on Ovarian Cancer Cells

Inoviq (ASX: IIQ) has announced positive proof-of-concept data from a study demonstrating rapid tumour-killing activity by its chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-exosomes platform in three ovarian cancer cell lines.

The study evaluated the in vitro efficacy of CAR-exosomes — which are derived from genetically-engineered immune cells — on the OVCAR-3, Caov-3, and SK-OV-3 lines commonly used in drug development.

The results demonstrated rapid kill rates, with CA125-targeting CAR-exosomes achieving more than 90% killing in the OVCAR-3 and Caov-3 lines within 48 hours.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting CAR-exosomes eliminated over 80% of tumour cells in the same models, while both CAR-exosome approaches achieved approximately 50% kill rates in the highly-aggressive and treatment-resistant SK-OV-3 cell line.

The data reinforced the broad potential of Inoviq’s CAR-exosome platform, which has to-date demonstrated positive in vitro tumour killing activity across multiple hard-to-treat cancers including triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and ovarian cancer.

First-in-Human Studies

Inoviq is now focused on advancing a next-generation CAR-exosome product with enhanced anti-tumour activity and scalable manufacturing capabilities to support progression toward first-in-human studies targeted for 2028.

Key workstreams include GMP-compliant cell sourcing, selection of manufacturing partners, and the optimisation of dual-action CAR-exosomes designed to target tumour cells and overcome the hostile tumour micro-environment.

Chief executive officer Dr Leearne Hinch said the findings support the potential of CAR-exosomes as next-generation, off-the-shelf, cell-free therapeutics for hard-to-treat solid tumours.

“Our CAR-exosome platform continues to generate promising pre-clinical proof-of-concept data across multiple tumour types, supporting its potential as therapeutic platform for treatment-resistant tumours,” she said.

“These new CAR-exosome results, together with our EXO-OC blood test for the detection of ovarian cancer, reinforce Inoviq’s integrated approach to combining earlier ovarian cancer detection with more effective treatment options to improve patient outcomes and help save women’s lives.”

Next-Gen Cell-Free Therapy

Exosomes are nano-scale extra-cellular vesicles secreted by cells and play key roles in inter-cellular communication, immune regulation, and disease modulation.

Inoviq is developing CAR-exosomes as a next-generation cell-free therapy derived from modified immune cells to target and kill solid tumours.

CAR-exosomes inherit the tumour-targeting and cytotoxic capabilities of their parent cells with potential manufacturing, safety, and efficacy advantages over autologous cell therapies.

Dr Hinch said the company was shaping the future of cancer care, targeting aggressive solid tumours with an off-the-shelf, cell-free therapeutic platform.

Global Health Challenge

Ovarian cancer remains a major global health challenge, with more than 320,000 women diagnosed worldwide each year.

Like TNBC, it is often aggressive and difficult to treat, particularly as most patients are diagnosed at a late stage when options are limited.

Current standard-of-care typically involves cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy, however high rates of recurrence and treatment resistance continue to drive the need for new therapeutic approaches.

Inoviq expects new in vitro tumour-killing data from a study of dual-action CAR-exosomes on TNBC before year end.