Abnova Expands its Patent Repertoire of T Cell Therapy Against Solid Tumors

Neihu, Taiwan (March 18, 2019)

Abnova announced today the exclusive licensing of Carcinoma Homing Peptide (CHP) technology from Louisiana State University (LSU), United States to expand its patent repertoire of T cell therapy against solid tumors. Due to the heterogeneity of tumors, one of the current bottlenecks in T cell therapy such as CAR-T is tumor targeting. Common antigens are lacking on solid tumors. Abnova’s CHP recognizes cell surface vimentin (CSV) antigen which is universally expressed on tumor cell surfaces including metastatic tumors and drug or CAR-T cell resistant/relapsed tumors. The original CHP technology was developed by Dr. Shulin Li at LSU, now a Professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center. By combining CHP technology with Abnova’s inducible tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (iTIL) with membrane-bound form of IL-12, this unique and proprietary construct can overcome the current shortfall of T cell therapy, specifically immune cell penetration, tumor antigen escape, and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.

Current CAR-T therapy utilizes single-chain variable fragment (scFv) construct on the T cell surface as a targeting vehicle against tumor antigens such as EGFR, HER2, MUC1, PSMA, and EpCAM (J Hematol Oncol, 2017). However, as the tumor evolves and challenged by different treatment modalities, these common tumor antigens are downregulated and their expression decreased leading to tumor antigen escape. This is manifested clinically by treatment resistance and tumor relapse. On the other hand, CSV, a cancer-specific surface protein, is upregulated and expressed at increased level, allowing tumor recognition by the T cell for cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Safety and efficacy of CHP targeting CSV on tumor cells has been demonstrated and validated in preclinical canine experiments (Curr Gene Ther, 2014). In essence, treatment of solid tumors requires a good target but also requires a good T cell.

The newest approved CAR-T therapies are targeting leukemia and lymphoma, not solid tumors. Novartis’ Kymirah is for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and Kite’s Yescarta for diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We are at the nascent stage of T cell therapy for solid tumors. The field of antibody and cell-based immunotherapies have advanced rapidly in recent years. Abnova aims to overcome the current obstacles and fulfill the unmet needs of cancer patients. The therapeutic potential of cell therapy is poised for significant clinical impact in the coming years.

1. Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cells: a Novel Therapy for Solid Tumors. J Hematol Oncol. 2017 Mar 29;10(1):78
2. Safety and Efficacy of Tumor-Targeted Interleukin 12 Gene Therapy in Treated and Non-Treated, Metastatic Lesions. Curr Gene Ther. 2014;15(1):44-54.