Autolus Therapeutics Announces an Additional Nature Publication for AUTO1
May 25 2021 - 7:00AM
Autolus Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: AUTL), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation programmed T
cell therapies, today announced a publication in Nature Cancer that
gives new insight into the mechanism of long-term durability of
effect in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients treated with
AUTO1.
AUTO1 CAR T cells from pediatric ALL patients
who still had CAR T cells detectable in the blood more than two
years after their treatment were compared with patients who had
lost their AUTO1 CAR T cells one to two months post treatment. The
study shows that a subset of AUTO1 CAR T cells called Stem Cell
Memory T-cells (TSCM) appear critical in both the initial
anti-leukemic response and for long term immune surveillance. This
suggests that this sub-group of AUTO1 CAR T cells contribute to the
long-term durability of effect that AUTO1 has in these
patients.
“AUTO1 has been designed to have an optimized
interaction between its chimeric antigen receptor and the CD19
target on cancer cells,” said Dr Martin Pule, Founder and Chief
Scientific Officer of Autolus. “This means AUTO1 can efficiently
deliver a kill and disengage rapidly like a normal T cell, leading
to less exhaustion and less T cell differentiation. This unique
property of AUTO1 potentially contributes to the enrichment and
maintenance of this stem cell memory subset that appears to be
critical to the long-term durability observed in pediatric ALL
patients treated with AUTO1.”
About Autolus Therapeutics
plcAutolus is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
developing next-generation, programmed T cell therapies for the
treatment of cancer. Using a broad suite of proprietary and modular
T cell programming technologies, the company is engineering
precisely targeted, controlled and highly active T cell therapies
that are designed to better recognize cancer cells, break down
their defense mechanisms and eliminate these cells. Autolus has a
pipeline of product candidates in development for the treatment of
hematological malignancies and solid tumors. For more information,
please visit www.autolus.com.
About T Cell SubsetsEffector
memory T (TEM) cells are terminally differentiated and acquire
effector or cell killing function immediately after re-stimulation,
whereas central memory T (TCM) cells have a longer lifespan and can
differentiate into TEM cells following challenge with their target
antigen. T memory stem cells (TSCM), exhibits stem cell
properties, are self-renewing, and have an improved and long-term
therapeutic potential compared with TCM and TEM cells.
About AUTO1 AUTO1 is a
CD19 CAR T cell investigational therapy designed to overcome the
limitations in clinical activity and safety compared to current
CD19 CAR T cell therapies. Designed to have a fast target
binding off-rate to minimize excessive activation of the programmed
T cells, AUTO1 may reduce toxicity and be less prone to T cell
exhaustion, which could enhance persistence and improve the ability
of the programmed T cells to engage in serial killing of target
cancer cells. In collaboration with our academic partner, UCL,
AUTO1 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial in
adult ALL and B-NHL. The company has also progressed AUTO1 to the
FELIX study, a potential pivotal study.
Forward-Looking StatementsThis
press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are
statements that are not historical facts, and in some cases can be
identified by terms such as "may," "will," "could," "expects,"
"plans," "anticipates," and "believes." These statements include,
but are not limited to, statements regarding the future clinical
development, efficacy, safety and therapeutic potential of AUTO1,
including progress, expectations as to the reporting of data,
conduct and timing and potential future clinical activity and
milestones; expectations regarding the initiation, design and
reporting of data from clinical trials. Any forward-looking
statements are based on management's current views and assumptions
and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual
results, performance, or events to differ materially from those
expressed or implied in such statements. These risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks that
Autolus’ preclinical or clinical programs do not advance or result
in approved products on a timely or cost effective basis or at all;
the results of early clinical trials are not always being
predictive of future results; the cost, timing and results of
clinical trials; that many product candidates do not become
approved drugs on a timely or cost effective basis or at all; the
ability to enroll patients in clinical trials; possible safety and
efficacy concerns; and the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
on Autolus’ business. For a discussion of other risks and
uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could
cause Autolus’ actual results to differ from those contained in the
forward-looking statements, see the section titled "Risk Factors"
in Autolus' Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on March 4, 2021, as well as discussions of
potential risks, uncertainties, and other important factors in
Autolus' subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date
of the release, and Autolus undertakes no obligation to publicly
update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new
information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by
law.
Contact:
Julia Wilson+44 (0) 7818
430877j.wilson@autolus.com
Susan A. NoonanS.A. Noonan
Communications+1-212-966-3650susan@sanoonan.com
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