Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company” or “Werewolf”) (Nasdaq:
HOWL), an innovative biopharmaceutical company pioneering the
development of conditionally activated therapeutics engineered to
stimulate the body’s immune system for the treatment of cancer,
today announced new clinical data from the Phase 1/1b trial
evaluating WTX-124, its conditionally activated Interleukin-2
(IL-2) INDUKINETM molecule, in patients with locally advanced or
metastatic solid tumors after checkpoint inhibitor therapy. The
data will be presented today, on June 1, 2024, in a poster session
at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual
Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, and in a webcast on June 3, 2024.
“Approved high-dose IL-2 (HD IL-2) has been
known to be effective in creating durable responses for some
patients, however the toxicity of the drug has meant that many
patients are not eligible for the treatment,” said Justin Moser,
M.D., WTX-124 study investigator and Associate Clinical
Investigator, HonorHealth Research Institute, Scottsdale, AZ. “The
emerging data from the Phase 1/1b clinical trial of WTX-124 suggest
that we may potentially achieve durable objective responses with a
favorable safety profile for patients in the outpatient setting,
some of whom would not have been candidates for HD IL-2.”
“We are pleased to share these findings from our
ongoing Phase 1/1b clinical trial of WTX-124 that build on the
promise of our INDUKINE hypothesis that potent cytokine-based
immunotherapies could address difficult-to-treat tumors while
minimizing toxicities typical of IL-2 therapy,” added Randi Isaacs,
M.D., Chief Medical Officer. “We have selected our recommended dose
for expansion (RDE) and opened three monotherapy expansion arms in
more homogenous and less heavily pre-treated populations to better
assess clinical activity in each while we continue to explore
additional doses in dose escalation. In addition, the combination
of WTX-124 with pembrolizumab was generally well-tolerated, which
alongside compelling biomarker activity, suggests the potential for
combination efficacy. Altogether, these results reinforce our
conviction in WTX-124 as a potential best-in-class IL-2 therapy,
and we look forward to providing additional updates as the program
progresses.”
The ongoing Phase 1/1b study is evaluating
WTX-124 as a monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab in
patients with immunotherapy sensitive advanced or metastatic solid
tumors who have failed standard of care treatment, including
checkpoint inhibitor therapy. The presentation at ASCO captures
data from 47 heavily pretreated patients: 35 patients treated with
at least one monotherapy dose of WTX-124, ranging from 1 mg to 28
mg; 12 patients treated with WTX-124 at doses ranging from 3 mg to
12 mg in combination with pembrolizumab.
Data as of the May 1, 2024, cutoff date are
summarized as follows:
- WTX-124 as a monotherapy produced
three objective clinical responses including one durable confirmed
complete response (CR) and two partial responses (PRs) in patients
who are relapsed/refractory to immune checkpoint inhibitor
therapy.
- Responding patients had 100%
regression of target lesions with responses occurring within the
first two cycles of therapy and showing durability at RDE.
- Related treatment emergent adverse
events (TEAEs) were primarily mild to moderate in severity,
manageable and reversible; no new safety signals were identified
when WTX-124 was combined with pembrolizumab.
- Analysis of paired tumor biopsies
by NanoString suggests that WTX-124 robustly activated/expanded
effector T cells preferentially over Tregs.
- Increased T cell activation
signature for the combination suggests a potential for improved
antitumor activity by combining WTX-124 with pembrolizumab.
- WTX-124 was clinically active and
generally well tolerated in patients, not all of whom would be
eligible for HD IL-2 based on age, indication or other
factors.
These findings are summarized in a poster
titled, “A phase 1/1b trial of the IL-2 prodrug WTX-124 in patients
with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors after checkpoint
inhibitor therapy: Updated results of the monotherapy dose
escalation and initial results of the combination therapy dose
escalation with pembrolizumab.” The poster can be viewed in person
from 9:00 am-12:00 pm CT on Saturday, June 1, 2024, on board number
102 and is available on the Company’s website
at https://investors.werewolftx.com/news-and-events/scientific-resources.
Next Steps for WTX-124 DevelopmentBased on
these results, Werewolf has selected a WTX-124 monotherapy dose of
18 mg administered intravenously every two weeks (IV Q2W), as the
RDE to progress into the Phase 1b dose-expansion portion of the
trial. The Company has thus far opened three expansion arms in
advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma, cutaneous melanoma and
cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Werewolf also continues to
dose-escalate WTX-124 in combination with pembrolizumab and expects
to select an RDE to open the combination dose-expansion portion of
the study in the third quarter of 2024. In parallel, the Company
also plans to engage regulators to discuss potential registrational
pathways for WTX-124, including strategies for monotherapy
accelerated approval in immune-checkpoint inhibitor
relapsed/refractory indications.
Webcast DetailsWerewolf will host a webcast at
8:00 am ET on Monday, June 3, 2024, to review these clinical
results presented at ASCO. Werewolf management will be joined by
study investigator Justin Moser, M.D., Associate Clinical
Investigator, HonorHealth Research Institute, Scottsdale, AZ, who
will present the updated data. The event can be accessed live
at https://investors.werewolftx.com/news-and-events/events. An
archived replay will be available for approximately 90 days
following the event.
About Werewolf
TherapeuticsWerewolf Therapeutics, Inc., is an innovative
biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of
therapeutics engineered to stimulate the body’s immune system for
the treatment of cancer. We are leveraging our proprietary
PREDATOR® platform to design conditionally activated molecules that
stimulate both adaptive and innate immunity with the goal of
addressing the limitations of conventional proinflammatory immune
therapies. Our INDUKINE™ molecules are intended to remain inactive
in peripheral tissue yet activate selectively in the tumor
microenvironment. Our most advanced clinical stage product
candidates, WTX-124 and WTX-330, are systemically delivered,
conditionally activated Interleukin-2 (IL-2), and Interleukin-12
(IL-12) INDUKINE molecules, respectively, for the treatment of
solid tumors. We expect to advance WTX-124 in multiple tumor types
as a single agent and in combination with an immune checkpoint
inhibitor and WTX-330 in multiple tumor types or Non-Hodgkin
Lymphoma as a single agent. To learn more
visit www.werewolftx.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding
Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains
forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and
uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical
facts, contained in this press release, including statements
regarding Werewolf’s strategy, future operations, prospects, plans,
objectives of management, the expected timeline regarding the
clinical development of product candidates, including the
announcement of data, the potential activity and efficacy of
product candidates in preclinical studies and clinical trials, and
the timing and outcome of planned meetings with regulatory
authorities, constitute forward-looking statements within the
meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
The words “aim,” “anticipate,” “approach,” “believe,”
“contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “designed to,”
“engineered,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,”
“might,” “objective,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,”
“project,” “promise,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would,” or
the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology are
intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all
forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. The
Company may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or
expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements, and you
should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from
the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these
forward-looking statements as a result of various important
factors, including: uncertainties inherent in the development of
product candidates, including the conduct of research activities,
the initiation and completion of preclinical studies and clinical
trials; uncertainties as to the availability and timing of results
from preclinical studies and clinical trials; the timing of and the
Company’s ability to submit and obtain regulatory approval for
investigational new drug applications; whether results from
preclinical studies will be predictive of the results of later
preclinical studies and clinical trials; whether interim or
preliminary data from a clinical trial will be predictive of the
results of the trial and future clinical trials; the Company’s
ability to obtain sufficient cash resources to fund the Company’s
foreseeable and unforeseeable operating expenses and capital
expenditure requirements; as well as the risks and uncertainties
identified in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most
recent Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(“SEC”), and in subsequent filings the Company may make with the
SEC. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this
press release represent the Company’s views as of the date of this
press release. The Company anticipates that subsequent events and
developments will cause its views to change. However, while the
Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at
some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation
to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied
upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent
to the date of this press release.
PREDATOR® is a registered trademark of Werewolf Therapeutics,
Inc., Watertown, MA, USA.
Investor Contact:Josh
RappaportPrecision AQ212.362.1200Josh.Rappaport@precisionaq.com
Media Contact:Amanda
SellersVERGE Scientific
Communications301.332.5574asellers@vergescientific.com
Company Contact:Ellen
LubmanChief Business OfficerWerewolf
Therapeuticselubman@werewolftx.com
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