SAN DIEGO and PENNINGTON, N.J., Dec.
18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OncoSec Medical Incorporated
(OncoSec) (NASDAQ:ONCS), a company developing novel cancer
immunotherapies, today announced the publication of new research in
the journal Immunity that finds that IL-12 producing dendritic
cells play an essential role in enabling tumor responses to
anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. The study was conducted by researchers
from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard
Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and OncoSec,
among others. As noted in the study, OncoSec's lead compound, TAVO™
(tavokinogene telseplasmid; plasmid plasmid IL-12), which delivers
IL-12 directly into tumors, was found to play in important role in
enhancing the expression of cytolytic genes within tumors that are
associated with anti-tumor responses. The paper, titled "Successful
Anti-PD-1 Cancer Immunotherapy Requires T Cell-Dendritic Cell
Crosstalk Involving the Cytokines IFN-γ and IL-12" appears in the
December 18, 2018 issue of
Immunity.
"The evidence continues to build that IL-12 plays an important
role in eliciting anti-tumor responses with anti-PD-1
immunotherapies. We've seen this in our own pre-clinical data and
in our clinical programs to date," said Christopher G. Twitty, Ph.D., Chief Scientific
Officer of OncoSec. "This study elegantly demonstrated that a
critical subset of IL-12-producing dendritic cells in concert with
IFN-g+ T cells are necessary for an effective anti-PD-1
therapy. Additionally, it was reported that intratumoral delivery
of IL-12 with our TAVO system dramatically enhanced the tumor's
immunogenicity as well as cytolytic signature, further supporting
this important mechanism of action."
The study explored the transcriptional effects of TAVO™
monotherapy in melanoma patients and found that IL-12 activates a
cytolytic gene signature in tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL).
Furthermore, this TAVO™-related anti-tumor immune signature was
more pronounced in patients with better clinical responses compared
to those patients with progressive disease. This publication
continues to elucidate the power of IL-12 to activate
CD8+ TIL in patient's tumor.
The full manuscript is available on the journal's website at
https://www.cell.com/immunity/pdfExtended/S1074-7613(18)30439-4 and
will be posted to the OncoSec website at www.oncosec.com.
About OncoSec Medical Incorporated
OncoSec is a
clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing
cytokine-based intratumoral immunotherapies to stimulate the body's
immune system to target and attack cancer. OncoSec's
lead immunotherapy platform – TAVO™ (tavokinogene telseplasmid) –
enables the intratumoral delivery of DNA-based interleukin-12
(IL-12), a naturally occurring protein with immune-stimulating
functions. The technology, which employs electroporation, is
designed to produce a controlled, localized expression of IL-12 in
the tumor microenvironment, enabling the immune system to target
and attack tumors throughout the body. OncoSec has built a
deep and diverse clinical pipeline utilizing TAVO™ as a potential
treatment for multiple cancer indications either as a monotherapy
or in combination with leading checkpoint inhibitors; with the
latter potentially enabling OncoSec to address a great unmet
medical need in oncology: anti-PD-1 non-responders.
Results from recently completed clinical studies of TAVO™
have demonstrated a local immune response, and subsequently, a
systemic effect as either a monotherapy or combination treatment
approach. In addition to TAVO™, OncoSec is identifying
and developing new DNA-encoded therapeutic candidates and tumor
indications for use with its ImmunoPulse® platform. For more
information, please visit www.oncosec.com.
CONTACT
Investor Relations:
Stern Investor Relations
Will O'Connor
Phone: (212) 362-1200
will@sternir.com
Media Relations:
Scient Public Relations, Inc.
Michael Lampe
Phone: (484) 575-5040
michael@scientpr.com
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SOURCE OncoSec Medical Incorporated