Nature Publication Co-Authored by Robert H. Pierce, Chief Scientific Officer, OncoSec Medical
November 26 2014 - 1:43PM
Business Wire
Data Support Expanding the Application of
Checkpoint Inhibitors with OncoSec’s ImmunoPulse Therapy
Research conducted by Robert H. Pierce, MD, Chief Scientific
Officer at OncoSec Medical Inc. (OTCQB: ONCS), a company developing
DNA-based intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, was published in the
November 27, 2014 issue of the journal Nature. The publication,
titled “PD-1 blockade induces responses by inhibiting adaptive
immune resistance,” presents research led by Drs. Paul Tumeh, MD
and Antoni Ribas, MD at the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA), with studies conducted by Dr. Pierce and colleagues at
Merck Research Labs, during his previous tenure as Executive
Director at Merck. The results provide OncoSec with supporting
evidence that response to anti-PD-1 drugs such as Merck’s
breakthrough drug KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) is dependent on the
presence of PD-L1 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the
tumor.
The study cohort consisted of 46 patients with advanced melanoma
treated with pembrolizumab between December 2011 and October 2013
at UCLA. Patients underwent tumor biopsies before and during
treatment. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was performed on the
tissue samples for the presence of cytotoxic lymphocytes (CD8+ T
cells) before and during PD-1 blockade. Pre-treatment samples of
patients who responded to pembrolizumab (responders) showed higher
numbers of CD8+ T-cells at the invasive margin of the tumor when
compared to samples from patients who progressed during therapy
(non-responders).
Based on results of this study, investigators postulate that the
presence of PD-L1 in tumors alongside tumor-infiltrating CD8+
lymphocytes (TILs) – a phenomenon that has been termed “adaptive
immune resistance”— is a potential biomarker for predicting
response to anti-PD-1 drugs. Moreover, they suggest that combining
anti-PD-1 drugs such as pembrolizumab with therapies that can
induce a type-1 interferon-gamma response should be further
investigated.
“These data make an important contribution to our understanding
of PD-1 inhibition,” said Dr. Pierce. “Importantly, the correlation
of low TILs with a lack of response to pembrolizumab drives home
the need for new therapies that amplify TIL response in those
low-TIL patients. We know that IL-12 drives a type 1
interferon-mediated immune response and augments TIL generation,
supporting that the combination of ImmunoPulse IL-12 of and PD1
blockade will lead to enhanced responses in melanoma.”
OncoSec recently announced a combination Phase 2b trial in
collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco, and
supported by Merck, that will evaluate the combination of
ImmunoPulse (intratumoral IL-12) with pembrolizumab. A link to this
release, which was issued on November 25, 2014, can be found
here.
Punit Dhillon, President and CEO of OncoSec Medical, commented,
“Building on the pioneering work of Dr. Pierce while at Merck, we
have focused the potential of ImmunoPulse therapy with IL-12 to
enhance TILs in tumors to treat the larger population of cancer
patients who are not responsive to anti-PD1 or other checkpoint
inhibitors. We are very excited about the potential implications of
a successful combination Phase 2b trial of pembrolizumab and
ImmunoPulse.”
“PD-1 blockade induces responses by inhibiting adaptive immune
resistance” was published in the November 27, 2014 issue of Nature,
vol.515: pp. 568-571. To view or purchase the article, please click
here.
About OncoSec Medical
OncoSec Medical Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing
its investigational ImmunoPulse intratumoral cancer immunotherapy.
OncoSec Medical's core technology is designed to
enhance the local delivery and uptake of DNA IL-12 and
other DNA-based immune-targeting agents. Clinical studies of
ImmunoPulse have demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and
preliminary evidence of anti-tumor activity in the treatment of
various skin cancers, as well as the potential to initiate a
systemic immune response without the systemic toxicities associated
with other treatments. OncoSec's lead program evaluating
ImmunoPulse for the treatment of metastatic melanoma is currently
in Phase 2 development, and is being conducted in collaboration
with several prominent academic medical centers. As the company
continues to evaluate ImmunoPulse in its current indications, it is
also focused on identifying and developing new immune-targeting
agents, investigating additional tumor indications, and evaluating
combination-based immunotherapy approaches. For more information,
please visit www.oncosec.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Any statements in this release that are not historical facts
may be considered such “forward-looking statements.”
Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current
preliminary expectations and are subject to risks and
uncertainties, which may cause our results to differ materially and
adversely from the statements contained herein. Some of the
potential risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ from those predicted include our ability to raise
additional funding, our ability to acquire, develop or
commercialize new products, uncertainties inherent in pre-clinical
studies and clinical trials, unexpected new data, safety and
technical issues, competition, and market conditions. These and
additional risks and uncertainties are more fully described in
OncoSec Medical’s filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking
statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. OncoSec
Medical disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking
statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances
after the date they are made, or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events.
Investor Relations:OncoSec Medical Inc.Jordyn Kopin,
855-662-6732investors@oncosec.comorPublic Relations:Dian Griesel
Int’l.Laura Radocaj, 212-825-3210lradocaj@dgicomm.com
OncoSec Medical (NASDAQ:ONCS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
OncoSec Medical (NASDAQ:ONCS)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024