Transgene to Report Major Clinical Data before the end of 2024 –
Confirmed Financial Visibility until Q4 2025
2024 Half-Year Results and Business
Update
Lead program TG4050
(individualized immunotherapy):
– First signs of clinical benefit in adjuvant
head and neck cancer reported at AACR 2024, paved the way
for the start of Phase II part of randomized Phase I/II
clinical trial in Q2 2024
– Median 24-month follow-up data to be presented
in Q4 2024
BT-001 (oncolytic virus):
Data presented at ESMO (Sept. 2024) showed promising antitumor
activity in solid tumors that failed previous anti-PD(L)-1
treatment
TG4001 (HPV therapeutic cancer
vaccine):
Randomized Phase II study expected to read
out in Q4 2024
Financial visibility confirmed until
Q4 2025
Conference call scheduled today at
6 p.m. CET (in English). See details below.
Strasbourg, France, September 24, 2024,
5:45 p.m. CET – Transgene (Euronext Paris:
TNG), a biotech company that designs and develops virus-based
immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, today
publishes its financial results for the
six-month period ended June 30, 2024, and provides
an update on its product pipeline and upcoming plans.
“Transgene is at the forefront of innovation
in cancer immunotherapy and 2024 marks a crucial turning point for
the company, as we advance the development of our cutting-edge
treatments. Recently, we initiated a global Phase II clinical trial
in adjuvant head and neck cancer for our lead asset TG4050, our
individualized therapeutic vaccine, leveraging the promising Phase
I clinical data. We anticipate the upcoming median 24-month
follow-up data from the Phase I patients to be presented before the
end of 2024. Additionally, we are encouraged by the antitumor
activity shown in the ongoing Phase I study of
BT-001 which we presented at ESMO this month. We also eagerly
anticipate the upcoming results for TG4001 by the end of the year,
which could confirm its potential in the treatment of
HPV-associated cancers and further solidify our
strategy.” commented Dr. Alessandro Riva, MD,
Chairman and CEO of Transgene.
Key events and upcoming milestones
Neoantigen therapeutic cancer vaccine:
TG4050
In H1 2024, promising randomized Phase I data on
TG4050 were presented at AACR 2024 (see poster
here). These data provide a robust clinical proof
of principle for Transgene’s lead candidate in the adjuvant head
and neck cancer setting. All patients who received TG4050
remained in clinical remission and disease-free after a median
follow-up of 18.6 months, comparing favorably to the
observational arm which had 3 out of 16 patients relapse
during the same period.
Specific cellular immune responses of
CD8+ and CD4+ were detected in 16 out of 17 patients who
received TG4050 (16 patients in the treatment arm and one patient
from the observation arm treated after relapse) using stringent
testing criteria. Immunogenicity (the capacity of treatment
to induce immune responses) is key to preventing
relapses.
TG4050 also induced persistent immune
responses against multiple targets in several patients. In
these patients, T cell responses were maintained beyond 211 days (7
months) after the initiation of the treatment. The duration
of the immune response is also a key factor to fight disease over
time.
Following these promising data, the randomized
Phase I trial has been expanded to a randomized
Phase I/II trial in the adjuvant setting of head and
neck cancer. The Phase II part started enrolling patients in
Q2 2024 within the framework of an extended collaboration
between Transgene and NEC. Patient enrollment is
progressing at a good pace.
Additional data on the 24-month median
follow-up of Phase I patients will be reported in
Q4 2024.
Although some advancements in the treatment of
squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck have been made, there
remains a significant medical need for these patients, including in
the adjuvant setting. With the current standard of care, 30% to 40%
of patients are expected to relapse within 24 months following
surgery and adjuvant therapy. Despite completed Phase III trials,
immune checkpoint inhibitors have yet to demonstrate significant
benefits for these patients.
TG4050 is the only individualized neoantigen
cancer vaccine currently being developed in a randomized trial in
the adjuvant treatment of head and neck cancer.
TG4050 has potential applicability across a
range of solid tumors where there remains a significant unmet
medical need, despite existing therapeutic options, including
immunotherapies. As a result, Transgene is conducting preliminary
work on a potential new Phase I trial in another undisclosed
indication.
Shared antigen cancer vaccine:
TG4001
In H1 2024, Transgene has completed the
enrollment of 90 patients in the ongoing randomized Phase II
trial evaluating TG4001 in HPV-positive anogenital cancers
(NCT03260023) in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor.
Transgene confirms that topline readouts are expected in
Q4 2024.
The ongoing trial was launched based on
promising results from the previous Phase I/II trial
published in the September 2023 issue of the European Journal
of Cancer (here). This study showed that
TG4001 in combination with avelumab is safe and demonstrated
antitumor activity in heavily pretreated HPV16-positive cancer
patients.
Oncolytic Viruses
Transgene is developing Invir.IO®
oncolytic viruses, that have the potential to address a broad range
of solid tumors, via intravenous, locoregional and intratumoral
administration.
BT-001 (intratumoral
administration):
Preliminary data presented at ESMO 2024 demonstrate promising
antitumor activity in solid tumors that failed previous
anti-PD(L)-1 treatment in ongoing Phase I/IIa trial.
BT-001 is a multifunctional oncolytic virus
encoding for an anti-CTLA4 antibody and the cytokine GM-CSF. In
September 2024, Transgene and its partner BioInvent presented data
showing the first signs of clinical efficacy of BT-001 in the
ongoing Phase I trial evaluating this oncolytic virus in
monotherapy and in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor
(see poster here).
These results were obtained in tumors
that failed previous anti PD(L)-1 treatment. In monotherapy,
BT-001 induced tumor shrinkage in 2 of 6 injected lesions.
In combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), partial
responses were observed in 2 of 6 patients who failed previous
treatment and who also showed tumor shrinkage (partial
response) in non-injected lesions. BT-001 was well tolerated both
alone and in combination with pembrolizumab.
In addition, BT-001 treatment was able to
turn “cold” tumors into “hot” tumors inducing
T cell infiltration and a shift
to PD(L)-1 positivity in the tumor
microenvironment in certain patients. Preliminary
translational data indicate that BT-001 replicates in the
tumor where the payloads are expressed with
undetectable systemic exposure.
In this part of the clinical trial, KEYTRUDA®
(pembrolizumab) is provided to the trial by MSD (Merck & Co).
KEYTRUDA® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC,
a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
TG6050 (intravenous
administration):
Initial Phase I data expected in Q4 2024
from this novel Invir.IO® oncolytic virus candidate administered
intravenously.
TG6050 is a novel oncolytic virus designed to
express human IL-12, a cytokine known to trigger a potent antitumor
immune response, and an anti-CTLA4 antibody. The Phase I
Delivir trial
(NCT05788926) is evaluating
TG6050 in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who
have failed standard therapeutic options. Initial data from the
trial is expected in Q4 2024.
Preclinical data were recently published
in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer
(JITC) demonstrating that TG6050 induces tumor regression
in numerous “hot” and “cold” murine tumor models investigated in
these studies. This antitumoral activity was further amplified when
TG6050 was combined with an anti-PD1 (article available
here).
Major milestones communicated to date
and expected before the end of 2024
TG4050 |
Randomized Phase I part (head and neck) |
- Poster presentation (AACR): done
- Additional data: expected Q4 2024 |
Randomized Phase II part
(head and neck) |
Enrollment initiated: done |
Preliminary work to launch an additional
Phase I trial (new indication) |
Early-stage assessment: ongoing |
TG4001 |
Randomized Phase II trial |
Topline results: expected Q4 2024 |
BT-001 |
Combination part of Phase I |
Poster presentation (ESMO): done |
TG6050 |
Phase I trial |
Initial data: expected Q4 2024 |
Key financial elements
The Board of Directors of Transgene met
on September 24, 2024, and closed the financial statements
for the six-month period ended June 30, 2024. The Statutory
Auditors have conducted a limited review of the interim
consolidated financial statements.
The half-year financial report is available
on Transgene’s website: www.transgene.fr
Key elements of the income
statement
(in thousands of euros) |
June 30, 2024 |
June 30, 2023 |
Operating revenue |
3,357 |
4,763 |
Research and development expenses |
(15,423) |
(15,569) |
General and administrative expenses |
(4,558) |
(3,251) |
Other expenses |
129 |
(1,276) |
Operating (expenses) |
(19,852) |
(20,096) |
Operating income/(loss) |
(16,495) |
(15,333) |
Financial expense |
10 |
(569) |
Net income/(loss) |
(16,485) |
(15,902) |
Operating revenue amounted to
€3.4 million for the first six months of 2024 compared to
€4.8 million for the same period in 2023.
- The research tax credit for the first half of 2024, amounted to
€3.2 million versus €3.5 million for the same period in 2023.
- Revenue from research and development collaborations amounted
to €23 thousand in the first half of 2024, compared to €1.2 million
in the first half of 2023. In the first half of 2023, AstraZeneca
had informed Transgene of its decision to end the collaboration.
Over this period in 2023, €1.1 million in revenue was
recognized under this collaboration agreement.
As of June 30, 2024, Transgene had
€15.3 million in cash and other current financial assets,
compared to €15.7 million as of December 31, 2023.
Transgene’s cash burn amounted to
€20.4 million in the first half of 2024 compared with
€19.5 million for the same period in 2023.
New medical and scientific leadership
appointed to accelerate the development of Transgene’s innovative
immunotherapy portfolio
As Transgene enters a pivotal phase of its
future development, marked by key upcoming data points, the Company
benefits from the formation of a strong senior management team.
This leadership will be crucial in guiding Transgene through its
next stage of growth. Following the recent appointments of
Emmanuelle Dochy as Chief Medical Officer and Maurizio Ceppi as
Chief Scientific Officer, the executive committee now comprised of
the following members:
- Alessandro Riva, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
(CEO);
- Christophe Ancel, Chief Pharmaceutical Operations Officer &
Qualified Pharmacist;
- Maurizio Ceppi, Chief Scientific Officer (CSO);
- Emmanuelle Dochy, Chief Medical Officer (CMO);
- John Felitti, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary;
- Lucie Larguier, Chief Financial Officer (CFO);
- Christelle Schwoerer, Chief Human Resources Officer;
- James Wentworth, Chief Business Officer (CBO).
In addition, on May 15, 2024, the Combined
General Meeting of Transgene’s shareholders appointed one new
non-independent director, Michel Baguenault de Puchesse.
Financial visibility confirmed until
Q4 2025; post-closing financing event
Transgene confirms financial visibility
until Q4 2025 enabling the Company to deliver significant news flow
on its portfolio over the next 12 months.
At the end of July 2024, Transgene announced the
conversion into shares of €33 million of debt drawn from the
current account advance granted by the Company’s major shareholder
TSGH, in accordance with the terms of an agreement signed for the
first time in 2023. As a result, the share capital of Transgene
held by TSGH increased from 59.7% to 69.1% of the outstanding
shares. In carrying out this transaction, Transgene has
strengthened its balance sheet, reduced its debt levels and its
debt burden as a result of lower interest payments. As of July 30,
2024, Transgene had the capacity to draw down an additional €30.4
million from the current account advance provided by TSGH.
A conference call
in English is scheduled today, September
24, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. CET (12:00 p.m.
ET).
Webcast link to English language
conference call:
https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/yb6znnez
Please log in to the following link to
obtain your personal telephone IDs.
https://register.vevent.com/register/BIb09850b62b064fd0b5693d8ec1723d93
A replay of the call will be available on the
Transgene website (www.transgene.fr) following the live event.
***
About Transgene
Transgene (Euronext: TNG) is a biotechnology company focused on
designing and developing targeted immunotherapies for the treatment
of cancer. Transgene’s programs utilize viral vector technology
with the goal of indirectly or directly killing cancer cells.
The Company’s clinical-stage programs consist of a portfolio of
therapeutic vaccines and oncolytic viruses: TG4050, the first
individualized therapeutic vaccine based on the myvac®
platform, TG4001 for the treatment of HPV-positive cancers, as well
as BT-001 and TG6050, two oncolytic viruses based on the Invir.IO®
viral backbone. With Transgene’s myvac® platform,
therapeutic vaccination enters the field of precision medicine with
a novel immunotherapy that is fully tailored to each individual.
The myvac® approach allows the generation of a virus-based
immunotherapy that encodes patient-specific mutations identified
and selected by Artificial Intelligence capabilities provided by
its partner NEC.
With its proprietary platform Invir.IO®, Transgene is building on
its viral vector engineering expertise to design a new generation
of multifunctional oncolytic viruses.
Additional information about Transgene is available at:
www.transgene.fr
Follow us on social media: X (formerly Twitter):
@TransgeneSA—LinkedIn: @Transgene
Contacts
Transgene Contacts: |
Transgene Media Contact: |
Media: |
MEDiSTRAVA |
Caroline Tosch |
Frazer Hall/Sylvie Berrebi |
Corporate Communication Manager |
+ 44 (0)203 928 6900 |
+33 (0)3 68 33 27 38 |
transgene@medistrava.com |
communication@transgene.fr |
|
|
|
Lucie Larguier |
|
Chief Financial Officer |
|
Nadege Bartoli |
|
IR Analyst and Financial Communications Officer |
|
+33 (0)3 88 27 91 03 /00 |
|
investorrelations@transgene.fr |
|
Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking
statements, which are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties,
which could cause actual results to differ materially from those
anticipated. The occurrence of any of these risks could have a
significant negative outcome for the Company’s activities,
perspectives, financial situation, results, regulatory authorities’
agreement with development phases, and development. The Company’s
ability to commercialize its products depends on but is not limited
to the following factors: positive pre-clinical data may not be
predictive of human clinical results, the success of clinical
studies, the ability to obtain financing and/or partnerships for
product manufacturing, development and commercialization, and
marketing approval by government regulatory authorities. For a
discussion of risks and uncertainties which could cause the
Company’s actual results, financial condition, performance or
achievements to differ from those contained in the forward-looking
statements, please refer to the Risk Factors (“Facteurs de Risque”)
section of the Universal Registration Document, available on the
AMF website (http://www.amf-france.org) or on Transgene’s website
(www.transgene.fr). Forward-looking statements speak only as of the
date on which they are made, and Transgene undertakes no obligation
to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information
becomes available in the future.
- 20240924_Transgene_Results_H1_2024_EN
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