PALO ALTO, CA, USA I April 19, 2023 I Vincerx Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: VINC), a biopharmaceutical company aspiring to address the unmet medical needs of patients with cancer through paradigm-shifting therapeutics, today presented a poster of VIP924 preclinical data at the 2023 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting. VIP924 consists of an anti-CXCR5 humanized monoclonal antibody with a novel linker containing a unique peptide sequence specifically cleaved by legumain—a tumor-associated lysosomal protease. Inside the tumor cell, upon legumain cleavage, the active payload, VIP716, is released. VIP716 is a novel highly potent and selective kinesin spindle protein inhibitor (KSPi), which has been modified with a hydrophilic CellTrapper™ moiety to reduce membrane permeability without having a negative impact on efficient target binding. This modification allows for intracellular accumulation of VIP716 in CXCR5+ tumor cells, providing greater efficacy, and prevents cellular penetration into healthy tissues, reducing toxicity. “We are thrilled to continue advancing our bioconjugation platform with our newest ADC, VIP924,” said Ahmed Hamdy M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Vincerx. “At AACR, VIP924 showed meaningful preclinical activity in a panel of lymphoma cell lines and in cell line-derived and patient-derived lymphoma mouse models. Most notably, mouse models implanted with tumor cells from lymphoma patients demonstrated significant tumor growth inhibition and prolonged survival after VIP924 treatment. Showing activity in mouse models implanted with tumor cells from patients, also known as PDX models, is particularly meaningful because PDX models are more representative of the complexity of human cancer than results seen with cell lines.” Dr. Hamdy continued, “Despite progress in the treatment of B-cell malignancies, there is still an unmet medical need, especially for patients with relapsed or refractory disease. The results presented at AACR, together with our previous efficacy findings of durable complete tumor regression in CXCR5-positive, ibrutinibibrutinib-refractory lymphoma models, suggest that VIP924 has the potential to be a treatment option for relapsed and refractory patients. Looking at the totality of preclinical data we’ve generated, including the data we presented at ASH that showed how our next generation linker, payload, and CellTrapper™ technology significantly improved the safety and efficacy of the approved ADC, Mylotarg™, we can’t help but be excited about the future of our ADC programs. We look forward to filing the IND for VIP924 in mid-2024.” Key Presentation Highlights:
Poster presentation, titled, CXCR5 is a very promising drug target for the development of antibody-drug conjugates to treat patients with lymphoma, presented by Tibor Schomber, Ph.D., Vincerx Pharma GmbH, Monheim, Germany, include: The poster can be accessed on the presentations section of the Vincerx website. Vincerx Pharma, Inc. (Vincerx) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing differentiated and novel therapies to address the unmet medical needs of patients with cancer. Vincerx has assembled a seasoned management team with a proven track record of successful oncology drug development, approvals, and value creation. The company’s diverse pipeline consists of enitociclib, currently in Phase 1, and a proprietary modular bioconjugation platform, which includes a small molecule drug-conjugate, VIP236, in Phase 1, and preclinical next-generation antibody drug conjugates, VIP943 and VIP924. Vincerx is based in Palo Alto, Calif., and has a research facility in Monheim, Germany. For more information, please visit www.vincerx.com.