Chimeric Therapeutics reports positive in vitro data for CHM 1301 on pancreatic and ovarian cancers
Chimeric Therapeutics (ASX: CHM) has announced positive data for next generation off-the-shelf cell therapy CHM 1301 in the treatment of ovarian and pancreatic cancers.
The asset was used in pre-clinical in vitro models of both cancers and demonstrated “highly promising” efficacy.
In the ovarian model, cell killing was shown to have increased by up to 260% compared to first generation CHM 0201 cells, while the pancreatic model showed an increase of up to 300%.
Chimeric will now advance the CHM 1301 program to the next stage of pre-clinical development using recently-developed armoured NK cell platform CHM 0301.
The company aims to further enhance cell potency and resistance against the immuno-suppressive solid tumour micro-environment.
New disease areas
Chief executive officer Jennifer Chow said an expansion into new disease areas demonstrates the potential of CLTX CAR therapies to address solid tumour types with high unmet needs beyond glioblastoma.
“We are very pleased with the rapid success being shown with our next generation CHM 1301 platform [and] we believe this work is highly impactful as it demonstrates the synergy of our current assets and our ability to expand into new disease areas,” she said.
“We have achieved these results through a cost-effective academic collaboration with Case Western Reserve University [in Ohio]… it has enabled us to build out a promising next-generation pipeline while focusing resources on our current clinical-stage assets.”
Combining assets
CHM 1301 demonstrates the synergies of assets in the Chimeric portfolio, combining the efficacy of CLTX (chlorotoxin) CAR T cell therapy CHM 1101 with the convenience of NK (natural killer) cell platform CHM 0201 to create a next generation CLTX CAR NK asset.
It is manufactured by combining CHM 1101 with a healthy donors’ NK cells to provide an off-the-shelf option for patients.
CHM 1101 is a first-in-class, autologous CLTX CAR T therapy developed for the treatment of patients with solid tumours.
Earlier this month, Chimeric confirmed CHM 1101 had been administered to the first patient in a Phase 1B clinical trial into recurrent or progressive glioblastoma multiforme.
The asset was used as a second line therapy.