Kymab Outlines Positive New Findings for its KY1044 Anti-ICOS Program at the CICON 2019 Annual Meeting
- KY1044 increases the ratio of intratumoral cytotoxic-to-regulatory T cells and induces tumor regression
- Expanding data set continues to provide evidence for a dual mechanism-of-action of KY1044
- Phase 1/2, open-label, multicenter study ongoing to evaluate KY1044 as a single agent and in combination with anti-PD-L1 (atezolizumab) in adult patients with advanced malignancies
Cambridge, UK; September 27, 2019: Kymab, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing antibody-based therapeutics, will present a poster today that details an expanding body of evidence for the dual mechanism-of-action of the company’s anti-ICOS program, KY1044. The poster will be presented at the Fifth CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference (CICON), being held at the Espace Grande Arche in Paris September 25-28, 2019.
KY1044 is a novel fully-human antibody that binds ICOS and is designed to both deplete intratumoral regulatory T cells and stimulate effector T cells to promote the immune response against tumors.
Data presented in the CICON poster demonstrates that KY1044 kills ICOShigh regulatory T cells via Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity (ADCC) in a dose-dependent manner which preserves ICOSlow effector T cells. By depleting ICOShigh regulatory T cells, KY1044 strongly inhibits tumor growth as monotherapy and in combination with anti-PD‑L1. KY1044 also acts as a co-stimulatory agonist antibody on ICOSlow effector T cells and induces an increase of inflammatory cytokine expression by effector T cells in vitro and in vivo. These data demonstrate that KY1044 improves the ratio of effector-to-regulatory T cells.
“Our preclinical studies show that targeting ICOS with KY1044 is a valid approach for inducing a strong anti-tumor immune response,” said Sonia Quaratino, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Kymab. “Our team is now investigating the significance of these results in a clinical setting, working together with world-renowned experts from leading cancer centers, who are currently treating patients with KY1044 as single agents and in combination with atezolizumab.”
A Phase 1/2, open-label, multicenter study assessing the safety and efficacy of KY1044 as single agent and in combination with anti-PD-L1 (atezolizumab) in adult patients with selected advanced malignancies is ongoing (NCT03829501) in the U.S., the U.K. and Italy.
The poster can be viewed during CICON in the following session:
Title: A novel antibody targeting ICOS increases intratumoral cytotoxic to regulatory T cells ratio and induces tumor regression
Presenter: Richard C.A. Sainson Ph.D., Senior Director, Translational Medicine
Session Title: Poster Session B
Location: Hall B
Poster board #: B040
Date and Time: Friday September 27, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. CET
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Notes to Editors
About the Study
NCT03829501 is a Phase 1/2, open-label, multicenter study to evaluate the safety, efficacy and tolerability of KY1044 as single agent and in combination with anti-PD-L1 (atezolizumab) in adult patients with advanced malignancies. The dose escalation of KY1044 as a single agent commenced in February 2019 and in combination in June 2019.
For more information visit www.clinicaltrials.gov
About KY1044
KY1044 is a fully human monoclonal antibody discovered by Kymab’s IntelliSelect® Transgenics platforms. KY1044 has now been tested in a number of highly illustrative syngeneic models, in which KY1044 was observed to strongly inhibit tumor growth in cancers both as a monotherapy and in combination with other immunotherapies.
Inducible T Cell Co Stimulator (ICOS), is expressed upon activation on T cells and at high levels on the majority of FOXP3+ regulatory CD4+ T cells. Available data suggest that depletion of these immunosuppressive cells from the tumor microenvironment may enhance the patient’s anti-tumor immune response.
About Kymab
Kymab is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a deep pipeline of novel antibody-based therapies in a broad range of indications. The Company generates its product candidates using its proprietary, integrated platforms collectively called IntelliSelect®. Kymab’s platforms have been designed to maximize the diversity of human antibodies produced in response to immunization with antigens. Selecting from a broad diversity of fully human antibodies allows for the identification of antibodies with optimal drug-like properties.
About IntelliSelect®
The IntelliSelect® Transgenics platforms are designed to generate fully-human monoclonal antibodies from several highly-engineered strains of mice that have the complete constellation of human antibody building blocks in their genome.
The IntelliSelect® Screening technology combines single cell sequencing, genomics and proprietary bioinformatic algorithms to prioritize and select antibodies generated by IntelliSelect® Transgenics platforms that have the most desirable drug-like properties.
For more information please see http://www.kymab.com. Darwin is a trademark, and IntelliSelect® and Kymab are registered trademarks, of Kymab Limited.
Forward-looking statements
This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of our control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning our plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance and/or other information that is not historical information. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law.
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