Chimeric Therapeutics highlights key cell therapy targets in treatment of various cancers
Chimeric Therapeutics (ASX: CHM) has reported strong progress for the 12 months to end December and highlighted key cell therapy targets for the coming year.
Managing director Jennifer Chow cited positive Phase 1A data from a CHM 1101 trial into glioblastoma, clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for CHM 2101 to treat cancers and the initiation of the ADVENT Phase 1B trial into acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) as having paved the way for the delivery of key clinical catalysts in 2024.
“Last year, we made incredible progress advancing our mission to bring the promise of cell therapy to more patients and setting up the foundation to achieve multiple targets in the coming months,” she said.
“We are proud to have treated over 30 patients across all of our clinical programs and remain focused on further advancing [those programs] to create value realisation for patients and shareholders.”
Multiple milestones
In 2023, Chimeric achieved multiple milestones in the advancement of the CHM 1101 clinical program to treat recurrent and progressive glioblastoma, including positive preliminary dose escalation data from a Phase 1A trial at California’s City of Hope medical centre.
The trial demonstrated safety and a highly-promising efficacy signal, with heavily pre-treated patients across all dose levels achieving a disease control rate of 55% to exceed historical rates of up to 37%.
Notably, two patients demonstrated a 14-month overall survival rate, with one of them participating in ongoing follow-ups.
Chimeric also initiated a Phase 1B trial with the first patient treated in November at the St David’s South Austin Medical Centre clinical site in Texas.
The company plans to advance to a dose expansion cohort this year and anticipates milestones including US Food and Drug Administration clearance and early clinical data from the cohort.
CHM 2101 submission
During 2023, Chimeric focused on completing technical operations and pre-clinical requirements to support an investigational new drug (IND) submission for CHM 2101, following pre-clinical data which demonstrated it could completely eradicate seven types of cancer.
In October, the company received IND clearance for the therapy to be studied in colorectal and gastric cancer and neuroendocrine tumours under a multi-site Phase 1A clinical trial.
This year, the trial will be initiated at leading US institutions and Chimeric expects to provide a clinical update on patients treated at the initial dose level prior to year end.
MD Anderson collaboration
In September, Chimeric announced a collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Centre at the University of Texas in support of its ADVENT Phase 1B clinical trial investigating CHM 0201 NK cells in combination with current standard of care therapy for patients with newly-diagnosed AML.
It is believed to be the first clinical trial to evaluate NK cell therapy in combination with standard-of-care drugs Azacitidine and Venetoclax.
The study will recruit up to 20 patients with newly-diagnosed AML who are not eligible for intensive chemotherapy or allogeneic stem cell transplant.
The first patient was treated in February and Chimeric anticipates completion of the patient cohort this year with preliminary clinical data available before year end.