Genocea’s Proprietary ATLAS™ Technology Identifies Unique Candidate Antigens for Potential Personalized Cancer Vaccines
November 11 2016 - 7:00AM
- ATLAS discovers neoantigens, through functional
T cell responses, which were not identified by predictive
algorithms -
Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNCA), a company developing T
cell-directed vaccines and immunotherapies, today presented new
findings supporting the potential of ATLASTM, the Company’s
proprietary rapid antigen identification screening system, to
identify clinically meaningful personalized neoantigens that could
guide development of neoantigen vaccines. This study, conducted in
collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK),
analyzed neoantigens in one non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
patient successfully treated with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®) and
will be presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s
(SITC) 31st Annual Meeting & Associated Programs in National
Harbor, Maryland on Saturday, November 12, 2016.
Genocea’s ATLAS technology screened 103 patient-specific tumor
mutations with the patient’s own T cells to determine which were
true neoantigens and potentially contributing to their anti-tumor
immune response. Specifically, ATLAS discovered several neoantigens
as biologically relevant T cell targets associated with significant
cytotoxic T cell responses. Many of the neoantigens were not
identified by commonly used predictive computer algorithms.
Furthermore, the majority of neoantigens that were identified by
those algorithms were not associated with meaningful T cell
responses in ATLAS. Additionally, multiple neoantigens were
identified by ATLAS that were associated with a downregulation of
immune response. (Poster #374: Genome-scale neoantigen using
ATLASTM prioritizes candidates for immunotherapy in a non-small
cell lung cancer patient). As part of this ongoing collaboration,
further analysis of multiple additional patient tumor samples will
be conducted.
“These data are the first evidence that personalized neoantigens
can be comprehensively identified using functional evidence of T
cell responses through ATLAS,” said Jessica Baker Flechtner, Ph.D.,
chief scientific officer at Genocea. “The differences between
neoantigens identified by ATLAS and those noted by standard
predictive algorithms reinforces the weaknesses of these algorithms
and the potential for ATLAS to find better neoantigens. We believe
that by improving antigen selection we can develop more effective
cancer vaccines.”
Genocea’s proprietary ATLAS technology comprehensively
re-creates a patient’s actual T cell immune response to cancer ex
vivo. This means ATLAS can potentially identify – not just predict
– targets to which patient T cells are responding to kill a tumor.
It may also allow ATLAS to distinguish between neoantigen
candidates that stimulate productive T cell responses and those
that are irrelevant or are associated with inhibitory
responses.
“For the immune system’s T cells to effectively activate tumor
destruction, they must first recognize antigens that direct them to
specific, impactful targets at the site of the tumor. If this
system fails, disease can progress,” said Timothy A. Chan, M.D.,
Ph.D., Vice Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology at MSK. “These
findings support the hypothesis that next-generation personalized T
cell immunotherapies with biologically evidenced neoantigens may
improve outcomes for patients for whom current therapies are
ineffective.”
The collaboration between Genocea and Timothy A. Chan, M.D.,
Ph.D., Vice Chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, and Jedd D.
Wolchok, M.D., Ph.D., Chief of Melanoma and Immunotherapeutics
Service, Department of Medicine and Ludwig Center at Memorial Sloan
Kettering Cancer Center, will seek to further validate these
findings in ongoing studies and continue to provide a meaningfully
different picture of relevant – and potentially inhibitory –
antigens than traditional methods currently produce.
About ATLAS ATLAS is a first of its kind
proprietary rapid antigen identification screening system that is
designed to find targets of protective T cell responses. The
technology solves challenges to date associated with finding
targets of T cell responses. ATLAS can examine T cell responses
from large, diverse human populations, and comprehensively screen
every potential antigen from a pathogen or target indication in a
rapid, high-throughput manner, taking weeks versus years to find
relevant antigens. Because targets identified by ATLAS are based on
actual human immune responses to all potential antigens, with no
guesswork or predictions, by the time these candidates reach
clinical trials there may be a greater likelihood of success in
clinical development. This approach provides the ability to
identify smarter targets for use in developing vaccines and
immunotherapies to treat infectious disease, cancer and
autoimmunity.
About Genocea Genocea is harnessing the power
of T cell immunity to develop life-changing vaccines and
immunotherapies. T cells are increasingly recognized as a critical
element of protective immune responses to a wide range of diseases,
but traditional discovery methods have proven unable to identify
the targets of such protective immunity. Using ATLASTM, its
proprietary technology platform, Genocea identifies these targets
to potentially enable the rapid development of medicines to address
critical patient needs. Genocea’s pipeline includes GEN-003, a
novel T cell-enabled immunotherapy for genital herpes in Phase 2
clinical development, and earlier-stage investments in
immuno-oncology. For more information, please visit the company's
website at www.genocea.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Statements herein
relating to future business performance, conditions or strategies
and other financial and business matters, including expectations
regarding clinical developments, are forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act.
Genocea cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject
to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over
time. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially
from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements or
historical experience include risks and uncertainties, including
Genocea's ability to progress any product candidates in preclinical
or clinical trials; the ability of ATLAS to identify promising
product candidates in oncology; the scope, rate and progress of its
preclinical studies and clinical trials and other research and
development activities; anticipated clinical trial results; current
results may not be predictive of future results; even if the data
from preclinical studies or clinical trials is positive, regulatory
authorities may require additional studies for approval and the
product may not prove to be safe and efficacious; Genocea's ability
to enter into future collaborations with industry partners and the
government and the terms, timing and success of any such
collaboration; risks associated with the manufacture and supply of
clinical and commercial product; the cost of filing, prosecuting,
defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual
property rights; Genocea's ability to obtain rights to technology;
competition for clinical resources and patient enrollment from drug
candidates in development by other companies with greater resources
and visibility; the rate of cash utilized by Genocea in its
business and the period for which existing cash will be able to
fund such operation; Genocea's ability to obtain adequate financing
in the future through product licensing, co-promotional
arrangements, public or private equity or debt financing or
otherwise; general business conditions; competition; business
abilities and judgment of personnel; the availability of qualified
personnel and other factors set forth under "Risk Factors" in
Genocea's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2015 and other filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Further information on the factors
and risks that could affect Genocea's business, financial
conditions and results of operations is contained in Genocea's
filings with the SEC, which are available at www.sec.gov. These
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press
release and Genocea assumes no duty to update forward-looking
statements.
For media:
Liz Bryan
Spectrum Science Communications
O: 202-955-6222
lbryan@spectrumscience.com
For investors:
Jonathan Poole
Genocea Biosciences
O: 617-876-8191
jonathan.poole@genocea.com
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