AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 18, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aeglea BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGLE), a biotechnology company committed to the discovery and development of engineered human enzyme therapeutics for patients with rare genetic diseases and cancer, today announced that it will present a poster on how arginine depletion with pegzilarginase (AEB1102) enhanced the anti-tumor activity of anti-PD-L1 at the 2018 Keystone Symposia Tumor Metabolism Conference at Snowbird Resort in Snowbird, Utah on January 22.
“These findings build on our initial observations that pegzilarginase enhances the anti-tumor activity of immune checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical models,” said James Wooldridge, M.D., chief medical officer of Aeglea. “The increase in T cells in the tumor and enhanced serum interferon gamma with combination therapy provides additional mechanistic evidence supporting our results, and speaks to the complexity of the role of arginine in immune cell signaling and cancer biology. The data further strengthens the rationale for our planned Phase 1/2 clinical trial of pegzilarginase in combination with pembrolizumab in previously-treated advanced small-cell lung cancer.”
Title: Depletion of Blood Arginine with Pegzilarginase (AEB1102) in Combination with anti-PD-L1 Enhances Anti-Tumor Activity
Session: Poster Session 1
Poster Number: 1076
Presentation Date and Time: Monday, January 22, 2018 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. MT
Location: Snowbird Resort, Snowbird, Utah, Cliff Lodge, Level B
An electronic version of the poster will be available for download on the “Presentations & Events” section of the Company’s investor relations website after the conference.
About Pegzilarginase (AEB1102) in Cancer
Pegzilarginase is an engineered human arginase which enzymatically degrades the amino acid arginine. Aeglea is developing pegzilarginase to treat cancers that have a metabolic dependency on extracellular arginine. Dysregulation of amino acid metabolism has been shown to be a key event in tumor growth and development. In some cancers, tumors cells stop producing specific amino acids, making them vulnerable to starvation through depletion of that amino acid in the blood. Pegzilarginase is intended to address an unmet need for the treatment of arginine dependent cancers by depleting arginine in the blood, reducing its level below the normal range to starve the tumor. Aeglea recently completed a Phase 1 dose escalation in cancer patients with advanced solid tumors to evaluate safety and tolerability. Data from our Phase 1 trial demonstrated that pegzilarginase reduces blood arginine levels, providing human proof of mechanism.
The company plans to initiate Phase 1b expansion arms of the advanced solid tumor trial in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), uveal melanoma and cutaneous melanoma in the first quarter of 2018. An additional trial of pegzilarginase combined with pembrolizumab in advanced SCLC is also expected to initiate in early 2018.
About Aeglea BioTherapeutics
Aeglea is a biotechnology company committed to the discovery and development of engineered human enzyme therapeutics for patients with rare genetic diseases and cancer. The company’s engineered human enzymes are designed to modulate the extremes of amino acid metabolism in the blood to reduce toxic levels of amino acids in inborn errors of metabolism or target tumor metabolism for cancer treatment. Pegzilarginase (AEB1102), Aeglea’s lead product candidate, recently completed dose escalation in a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with advanced solid tumors, and the company plans to initiate expansion arms of the advanced solid tumor trial in small cell lung cancer (SCLC), uveal melanoma and cutaneous melanoma in the first quarter of 2018. Pegzilarginase will also be combined with pembrolizumab in a Phase 1/2 trial that is expected to initiate in early 2018. Additionally, Aeglea is recruiting patients into its ongoing Phase 1/2 trial of pegzilarginase for the treatment of patients with Arginase 1 Deficiency. The company is building a pipeline of additional product candidates targeting key amino acids.
Safe Harbor / Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar references to future periods. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what we expect. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding the timing and success of our current and future preclinical and clinical trials, and the potential therapeutic benefits and economic value of our lead product candidate or other product candidates. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect our business and its financial results are detailed in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other reports as filed with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
For more information, please visit: http://aegleabio.com.
Investor Contact:
Charles N. York II
Chief Financial Officer
Aeglea BioTherapeutics
investors@aegleabio.com