BriaCell CEO Letter to Shareholders
January 24 2023 - 09:07AM
GlobeNewswire Inc.
BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (Nasdaq: BCTX, BCTXW) (TSX: BCT)
(“BriaCell” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biotechnology
company specializing in targeted immunotherapies for cancer, today
issues a letter to shareholders from Dr. William V. Williams,
BriaCell’s President and CEO.
Dear BriaCell Shareholders,
I am writing this letter to share our tremendous
excitement with our recent Bria-IMT™ FDA milestone, and to provide
insights into our upcoming Bria-OTS™ personalized treatment
program. We strongly believe our novel immunotherapy candidates
will transform the way we treat cancer patients.
Our Lead Program and Value Driver:
Bria-IMT™
Last week, we received positive feedback from
the FDA and are progressing towards our pivotal study initiation
for Bria-IMT™ in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor in
advanced metastatic breast cancer (under Fast Track designation).
Rather than working through multi-year Phase II and Phase III
trials, successful completion of the pivotal study would allow us
to subsequently submit a Biologics License Application and greatly
accelerate the path to commercialization.
The FDA agreed on the eligible patient
population for the study: breast cancer patients who have failed
the available approved therapies. These are women in desperate need
of therapy to extend their lives. The FDA also agreed on our
preferred primary endpoint of survival improvement in comparison to
the patient physician’s choice of treatment. Note that the average
survival in this very sick patient population is under one year and
as little as weeks in women who have progressed through multiple
regimes. These women need help!
We are speeding up clinical preparations in
parallel as we finalize the pivotal study protocol with the FDA in
the coming months. We have boosted our Bria-IMT™ production batches
and testing capabilities required for larger scale patient dosing.
Frequent and responsive FDA communication under our Fast Track
status has greatly accelerated protocol review and feedback
timelines. We could initiate patient dosing as early as the second
quarter of 2023.
Our recently reported cash position is US$37
million. Subject to finalizing the pivotal study protocol and
associated costs, we are in the enviable position of being able to
drive this program forward without the need to raise additional
financing.
Learning from our Top Responders: Our
Bria-OTS™ Program
With BriaCell’s newly issued patent, protecting
the composition of matter and method of use of BriaCell’s
personalized off-the-shelf whole-cell immunotherapies, BriaCell
expects to begin dosing advanced metastatic breast cancer patients
in its Bria-OTS™ Phase I/IIa clinical study in the first half of
2023.
We believe this unique approach will maximize
patient responses by “HLA matching” each patient, identifying her
human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type prior to dosing through a simple
saliva test. We then treat her with pre-manufactured cells that
correspond to her HLA type. We call this matching approach
Bria-OTS™ or Off-The-Shelf. This novel treatment approach came
about when we found that the HLA type of our previously disclosed
top responders matched with the Bria-IMT™ cell-line HLA type.
The treatment will be “personalized” because the
cell therapy will match the HLA type of the patient, even though it
is pre-manufactured.
Thank You!
As a physician who has been involved in drug
development for over 25 years, I can state without hesitation that
I am absolutely thrilled with our recent progress and very proud of
the world-class team we have assembled at BriaCell. We continue to
strive towards solutions for cancer patients whose medical needs
are unmet and look forward to sharing more exciting news with you
in the coming months.
I want to end this letter by thanking all our
shareholders who have continued to support us throughout our
journey, as well as our employees, board members, scientific
advisory board, collaborators, and clinical teams who have worked
tirelessly to make these clinical advancements possible. Finally, I
would like to offer our sincerest thanks to our patients and their
families for their patience and trust in our science and
technology. I am looking forward to a great year in 2023.
Yours very truly,
William V. Williams, MDPresident &
CEOBriaCell Therapeutics Corp.
About BriaCell Therapeutics
Corp.
BriaCell is an immuno-oncology-focused
biotechnology company developing targeted and effective approaches
for the management of cancer. More information is available at
https://briacell.com/.
Safe Harbor
This press release contains “forward-looking
statements” that are subject to substantial risks and
uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical
fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking
statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press
release may be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate,”
“believe,” “contemplate,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,”
“seek,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,”
“target,” “aim,” “should,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of
these words or other similar expressions, although not all
forward-looking statements contain these words. Examples of
forward-looking statements in this news release include statements
that the Company makes regarding the ability of the pivotal study
to greatly accelerate the path to commercialization; the potential
for the Company to make a Biologics License application for the
approval of the combination regimen; the potential initiation of
patient dosing in the first half of 2023; the ability to drive the
pivotal study program forward without the need to raise additional
funding; and the Company's ability to address alleged illegal
activities intended to depress the Company's share price.
Forward-looking statements are based on BriaCell’s current
expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and
assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain
forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future
events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and
uncertainties are described more fully under the heading “Risks and
Uncertainties” in the Company's most recent Management’s Discussion
and Analysis, under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's
most recent Annual Information Form, and under “Risks and
Uncertainties” in the Company's other filings with the Canadian
securities regulatory authorities and the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, all of which are available under the Company's
profiles on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at
www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements contained
in this announcement are made as of this date, and BriaCell
Therapeutics Corp. undertakes no duty to update such information
except as required under applicable law.
Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contact Information
Company Contact:William V.
Williams, MDPresident &
CEO1-888-485-6340info@briacell.com
Media Relations:Jules
AbrahamDirector of Public RelationsCORE
IR917-885-7378julesa@coreir.com
Investor Relations Contact:CORE
IRinvestors@briacell.com
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