Cancer Research UK

LONDON and MONTREAL, Oct. 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer Research UK, one of the world's largest funders of cancer research, and KisoJi Biotechnology Inc., a company focussed on the discovery and development of antibody therapeutics, have signed a landmark agreement to bring KisoJi's lead asset, KJ-103, into a first-in-human clinical trial. KJ-103 is a naked anti-TROP2 antibody that has been created by KisoJi using its proprietary antibody technology. Continue Reading Cancer Research UK Logo Under the agreement, Cancer Research UK's Centre for Drug Development (CDD) will sponsor, design and deliver a Phase 1/2a clinical trial of KJ-103, in selected TROP2 expressing solid tumours. KisoJi will supply the antibody for the clinical trial and work with CDD to complete the preclinical package. Cancer Research Horizons, Cancer Research UK's innovation arm, will manage the commercial relationship. Unlike antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), KJ-103 does not require a cytotoxic payload but instead functions by recruiting immune cells to kill tumour cells. KJ-103 binds to TROP2 in a location distinct from where current TROP2 ADCs bind. It uses TROP2 as a way of directing macrophage activation and phagocytosis of the tumour cells expressing it, leading to tumour cell death. KJ-103 may provide an alternative treatment option for TROP2-expressing cancers in which TROP2 ADCs have proven ineffective or are not suitable due to their toxicity profile. Tumour types expressing TROP2 include: colorectal, head and neck, ovarian, breast, bladder and lung cancers. Lars Erwig, Director of the CDD, said: "We are excited to collaborate with KisoJi to bring KJ-103 into clinical development. This partnership aligns with our mission to explore innovative therapeutic approaches for hard-to-treat cancers. With KJ-103's unique mechanism of action, which harnesses the body's immune system without the potential toxicity of a drug conjugate, we hope to offer new treatment options for patients with TROP2-expressing solid tumours." David Young, co-founder and CEO of KisoJi said: "We are thrilled to be advancing KJ-103 into the clinic in partnership with Cancer Research UK. As the first naked antibody to target TROP2 cancers, KJ-103 is the first of a new wave of antibodies to come from our modernised technology platform that leverages AI grounded in biology to create transformative antibody therapeutics." About Cancer Research UK's Centre for Drug Development Cancer Research UK has an impressive record of developing novel treatments for cancer. The Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development has been pioneering the development of new cancer treatments for 30 years, taking over 160 potential new anti-cancer agents into clinical trials in patients. Six of these new agents have made it to market, including temozolomide for brain cancer, abiraterone for prostate cancer and rucaparib for ovarian cancer. Two other drugs are in late development Phase 3 trials. Thirteen agents remain in active development with the potential to reach the market. It currently has a portfolio of 16 projects in preclinical development, Phase 1 or early Phase 2 clinical trials. About KisoJi Biotechnology KisoJi is a Canadian biotechnology company that deploys the latest scientific and AI tools to conduct therapeutic antibody discovery in a fundamentally new way. KisoJi has developed a multi-species transgenic mouse to generate highly diverse single domain antibodies, as well as a modular multi-specific antibody scaffold with high stability and productivity. Most recently, KisoJi has used advanced AI tools to visualise the universe of all antibodies against a target in order to uncover novel biology and new therapeutic antibody capabilities for its partners and its own pipeline. About KJ-103 KJ-103 is a single domain antibody that binds to a unique epitope on TROP2. It acts via effector cell mechanisms, including the activation of macrophages, to kill tumour cells. KJ-103 has been shown to have significant anti-tumour potency with no evidence of toxicity or resistance across a number of preclinical solid tumor models. KJ-103 was humanised by LifeArc. Cancer Research UK Contact: Tim Bodicoat [email protected] +44 203 469 8300 +44 203 469 8301 (out of hours) KisoJi Biotechnology Contact: Investors and Media Argot Partners Sam Martin/Cameron Willis [email protected] +1 212 600 1902 SOURCE KisoJi Biotechnology Inc.; Cancer Research UK WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Oct. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Astex Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, UK, dedicated to the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics for oncology and diseases of the central nervous system, announced today that it will make five key data presentations at the 36th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on molecular targets and cancer therapeutics, 23rd-25th October 2024, Barcelona, Spain. The Astex presentations will focus on its novel small-molecule CBP/p300 HAT domain inhibitor, ASTX528 in preclinical development and its Phase II-ready MDM2 antagonist, ASTX295. Astex data presentations at 36th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium, 23rd-25th October 2024, Barcelona TitlePresentationDate/Time/Session Title/PresenterPresentation numberA Novel Small-Molecule CBP/p300 HAT Domain Inhibitor Demonstrates PotentIn VivoActivity and a Favourable Safety Profile in Preclinical SpeciesPosterDate: Wed, 23rdOct 2024Time: 12:00 - 19:00Session Title: Molecular Targeted AgentsPresenter: Gianni Chessari, Astex Pharmaceuticals, UKCatalog #42Presentation #PB030Targeting the Catalytic HAT Domain of CBP/p300 for the Treatment of Hormone-Dependent Breast and Prostate CancersPosterDate: Wed, 23rdOct 2024Time: 12:00 - 19:00Session Title: Molecular Targeted AgentsPresenter: John Lyons, Astex Pharmaceuticals, UKCatalog #73Presentation #PB061From a Preclinical Therapeutic Concept to the Clinic. ASTX295: Discovery of a bone marrow sparing MDM2 antagonistOralDate: Wed, 23rdOct 2024Time: 16:55 -17:15Session Title:Optimising of preclinical models for drug developmentPresenter: Maria Ahn, Astex Pharmaceuticals, UKWorkshop 2Room 113+114Identification of Biomarkers Predictive of Response to ASTX295, a Next-Generation MDM2 Antagonist, in Solid Tumors Carrying Wild-type p53PosterDate: Wed, 23rdOct 2024Time: 12:00 - 19:00Session Title: Molecular Targeted AgentsPresenter: Maria Ahn, Astex Pharmaceuticals, UKCatalog #28Presentation #PB016Pulsatile Induction of the p53 Pathway by MDM2 Antagonist ASTX295 Shows an Enhanced Therapeutic Indexin vivoPosterDate: Thu, 24thOct 2024Time: 9:00 - 17:30Session Title: Translational StudiesPresenter: Andrea Biondo, Astex Pharmaceuticals, UKCatalog #289Presentation #PB277 ASTX528 - CBP/p300 HAT Domain Inhibitor - Preclinical ASTX528 is a novel small molecule CBP/p300 HAT domain inhibitor with potent in vivo activity and a favourable safety profile in preclinical species that was discovered by Astex using its proprietary fragment-based drug discovery approach. CREB binding protein (CBP) and its paralog, EP300 (p300), are lysine acetyltransferases and transcriptional cofactors implicated in human cancers. Dose-limiting tolerability issues have been observed with dual CBP/p300 bromodomain (BRD) inhibitors, which may limit their clinical utility. We hypothesised that a dual inhibitor targeting the histone acetyltransferase (HAT) domain may improve the therapeutic window. Our presentations will describe the effects of CBP/p300 HAT domain inhibition in preclinical models of AR- and ER-driven cancers and the characterisation of ASTX528, a potent, fragment-derived CBP/p300 HAT domain inhibitor with a low predicted human dose and promising preliminary toxicity evaluation. Astex is interested in discussing the further development of ASTX528 with potential partners. ASTX295 – Bone Marrow-Sparing MDM2 Antagonist, Phase II-ready ASTX295 is an oral, potent inhibitor of the p53-MDM2 protein-protein interaction that was discovered by Astex using its proprietary structure-based drug design approach. The compound was specifically designed to overcome the on-target toxicity seen in the first generation MDM2 antagonist compounds which have shown dose-limiting haematological toxicities in the clinic. In contrast, ASTX295 is a potent MDM2 antagonist with a clean CYP/hERG profile and a shorter human half-life allowing for pulsatile pathway modulation while avoiding myelosuppression. ASTX295 therefore has bone-marrow sparing characteristics which permit a differentiated safety profile. ASTX295 was discovered by Astex in collaboration with the Cancer Research UK Drug Discovery Unit at Newcastle University. Astex has an exclusive license to research, develop and commercialise ASTX295 under its drug discovery alliance agreement with Newcastle University and Cancer Research Technology Limited. About Astex Pharmaceuticals Astex is a leader in innovative drug discovery and development, committed to the fight against cancer and diseases of the central nervous system. Astex is developing a proprietary pipeline of novel therapies and has several partnered products being developed under collaborations with leading pharmaceutical companies. Astex is a wholly owned subsidiary of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., based in Tokyo, Japan. For more information about Astex Pharmaceuticals, please visit: http://www.astx.com For more information about Otsuka Pharmaceutical, please visit: https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/ Contact At the Company:Jeremy CarmichaelSVP Corporate DevelopmentHead of Business DevelopmentTel: +44(0)1223 226289Email: jeremy.carmichael@astx.comFor Media Enquiries:Sue CharlesCharles ConsultantsTel : +44(0)7968 726585Email: sue@charles-consultants.com

PRESS RELEASE IMU Biosciences joins ground-breaking UK research consortium investigating patient response to cancer immunotherapies Consortium includes leading research institutions, NHS Trusts and industry members and aims to make pioneering immunotherapies safer and more effective London, UK, 7 October 2024 – IMU Biosciences (or “the Company”), a biotechnology company pioneering systems-level immune profiling with AI to drive breakthroughs in precision medicine, is pleased to announce its participation in MANIFEST (Multiomic ANalysis of Immunotherapy Features Evidencing Success and Toxicity), a new UK-wide platform to understand immunotherapy response and side effects in patients with cancer. The MANIFEST consortium, led by the Francis Crick Institute and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, has been awarded £9 million in funding from the UK government's Medical Research Council and Office for Life Sciences, with an additional £12.9 million in matched funds from industry partners. This four-year project aims to evaluate the many barriers to the success of immunotherapy and develop predictive biomarkers related to patient response, resistance, and immune-related adverse events following immuno-oncology treatments. IMU Biosciences will play a crucial role in this nationwide effort by analysing thousands of blood samples from patients undergoing immunotherapy. The Company's cutting-edge technology platform, which incorporates high-resolution spectral cytometry integrated with AI-powered analytics, can identify and analyse over 2,000 immune cell subsets, to develop novel systems-level immune signatures and insights. IMU’s technology will be instrumental in the study to help identify and understand how an individual’s immune system influences the responsiveness to immuno-therapy treatments. Using its AI and machine learning analytics, IMU is developing predictive models to improve treatment selection and patient outcomes. The research will initially focus on melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, bladder cancer, and triple-negative breast cancer, involving 6,000 patients across the UK. The consortium's findings aim to help understand which patients are most likely to benefit from immunotherapy and provide insights for potential new treatments, such as vaccines and cell therapies. Adam Laing, President and CSO of IMU Biosciences commented: “The IMU team is thrilled to contribute our cutting-edge, AI-driven immune profiling platform to this groundbreaking UK consortium, helping to deepen the understanding of the immune system’s role in cancer therapy and response, with the ultimate goal of improving clinical outcomes for patients. This collaboration with world-class institutions and industry partners underscores IMU Biosciences' commitment to driving innovation in precision medicine and showcases our potential to make a real impact in healthcare." The MANIFEST consortium brings together 15 academic institutions, including The Francis Crick Institute and the Cancer Research UK National Biomarker Centre, alongside six NHS Trusts, 11 industry collaborators including IMU Biosciences, as well as patient advocacy groups and other networks. -ENDS- Contacts: Adam Laing, CSO and Co-founder, IMU Biosciencesmedia@imubiosciences.com ICR Consilium Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5700Sukaina Virji/Lucy Featherstone/Jonathan EdwardsIMUBiosciences@consilium-comms.com About IMU Biosciences IMU Biosciences has developed proprietary platform technologies that generate and translate vast system-level immune data into actionable insights and tools to drive the development of precision medicines across a variety of diseases. Built on over a decade of research at King’s College London and the Francis Crick Institute, IMU leverages advanced immune profiling with proprietary AI and machine learning analytics to uncover novel clinical immune signatures. IMU continues to establish partnerships with leading Pharma and Biotech companies to advance disease diagnosis, optimise product selection, and improve patient stratification and monitoring—while also building its own pipeline of innovative products. To learn more please visit https://www.imubiosciences.com/. Follow us on LinkedIn.