Surface Oncology and Merck to Collaborate on Immuno-Oncology Study Evaluating SRF617, Targeting CD39 in Combination with KEYT...
May 20 2020 - 7:05AM
Surface Oncology (Nasdaq: SURF), a clinical-stage
immuno-oncology company developing next-generation immunotherapies
that target the tumor microenvironment, announced today it has
entered into a clinical trial collaboration with Merck (NYSE: MRK),
known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, through a
subsidiary, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combining
Surface’s SRF617, an investigational antibody therapy targeting
CD39, with Merck’s KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), the first anti-PD-1
therapy approved in the United States. This combination will be
studied as a component of the first-in-human Phase 1/1b study of
SRF617 and will be evaluated in patients with solid tumors, with a
focus on patients with gastric cancer and those who have developed
resistance to checkpoint inhibition — both areas of high unmet
need.
SRF617 inhibits CD39, an enzyme critical both to the breakdown
of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and the production of adenosine. A
substantial body of research supports a role for CD39 in allowing
cancer to evade immune responses. For example, in gastric cancer,
immune cells within the tumor often express high levels of CD39,
which may impair an overall anti-cancer immune response even in the
presence of an anti-PD-1 antibody. The combination of SRF617 and
KEYTRUDA has the potential to overcome this barrier to immune
system activation and promote anti-tumor immunity.
“Surface is committed to delivering truly breakthrough therapies
that can transform treatment for people with cancer. This
collaboration with Merck will add an important dimension to our
clinical program for SRF617, and allow us to more rapidly assess
its potential,” said Robert Ross, M.D., chief medical officer at
Surface Oncology. “We have demonstrated in preclinical studies that
the inhibition of CD39 results in substantial activation of both
the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system. Encouragingly,
we also found that activation is heightened in combination with
anti-PD-1 treatment and that this combinatory approach has the
potential to overcome anti-PD-1 resistance.”
KEYTRUDA® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme
Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ,
USA.
About Surface Oncology:Surface Oncology is
an immuno-oncology company developing next-generation antibody
therapies focused on the tumor microenvironment. Its pipeline
includes two wholly-owned lead programs targeting CD39 (SRF617) and
IL-27 (SRF388), a clinical-stage collaboration with Novartis
targeting CD73 (NZV930), and two preclinical programs, each focused
primarily on activating natural killer cells (via targeting CD112R)
or depleting regulatory T cells (via targeting CCR8). Surface’s
novel cancer immunotherapies are designed to achieve a clinically
meaningful and sustained anti-tumor response and may be used alone
or in combination with other therapies. For more information,
please visit www.surfaceoncology.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements:Certain statements set forth in this press
release constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning
of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as
amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such
as “believes,” “expects,” “plans,” “potential,” “would,” or similar
expressions, and the negative of those terms. These forward-looking
statements are based on Surface Oncology’s management’s current
beliefs and assumptions about future events and on information
currently available to management.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause Surface Oncology’s
actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements
expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks
include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to
Surface Oncology’s ability to successfully develop SRF388, SRF617,
SRF813 and its other product candidates through current and future
milestones or regulatory filings on the anticipated timeline, if at
all, the therapeutic potential of Surface Oncology’s product
candidates, the risk that results from preclinical studies or early
clinical trials may not be representative of larger clinical
trials, the risk that Surface Oncology’s product candidates,
including SRF388, SRF617 and SRF813, will not be successfully
developed or commercialized, the risks related to Surface
Oncology’s dependence on third parties in connection with its
manufacturing, clinical trials and preclinical studies, and the
potential impact of COVID-19 on our clinical and preclinical
development timelines and results of operations. Additional risks
and uncertainties that could affect Surface Oncology’s future
results are included in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31,
2019 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ending
March 31, 2020, both of which are available on the Security and
Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov and Surface Oncology’s
website at www.surfaceoncology.com.
Additional information on potential risks will be made available
in other filings that Surface Oncology makes from time to
time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition,
any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are
based on assumptions that Surface Oncology believes to be
reasonable as of this date. Except as required by law, Surface
Oncology assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking
statements, or to update the reasons if actual results differ
materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking
statements.
Contacts:InvestorsMatt
Lanematt@gilmartinir.com617-901-7698
Media Tom Donovan
tom@tenbridgecommunications.com857-559-3397
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