Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (“Medicenna” or the “Company”) (TSX:
MDNA, OTCQB: MDNAF), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused
on the development of Superkines, announced today that it will
present three posters at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for
Immunotherapy of Cancer (“SITC”), taking place from November 6 –
10, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
The Company will present updated clinical data
from the ongoing Phase 1/2 ABILITY-1 Study evaluating MDNA11, a
long-acting ‘beta-enhanced not-alpha’ interleukin-2 (“IL-2”)
super-agonist, as both a monotherapy and in combination with
pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®) in patients with advanced or metastatic
solid tumors. In addition, new pre-clinical data on the Company’s
MDNA113, a novel first-in-class, masked, tumor-targeted
bifunctional anti-PD1-IL-2 Superkine, and on Medicenna’s IL-2
agonists in glioblastoma, will also be presented at the
conference.
Details for the poster presentations are as
follows:
Title: Results from ABILITY-1
monotherapy dose escalation and ongoing monotherapyexpansion with
MDNA11, a long-acting ‘beta-enhanced not-alpha’ IL-2 Superkine, in
patientswith advanced solid tumorsAbstract Number:
684Presentation Date: Saturday, November 9,
2024
Title: MDNA113 is a
conditionally activatable anti-PD1-IL-2SK with a removable IL-13
dual masking/tumor-targeting domain to limit systemic immune
stimulation while maximizing anti-tumor responseAbstract
Number: 961Session Date: Friday, November
8, 2024
Title: Stimulation of IL-2
signaling with highly selective IL-2R agonists enhances
immuneeffector cell response in mouse and patient-derived
glioblastomasAbstract
Number: 963Session Date: Friday,
November 8, 2024
The full text of the abstracts will be available
on the SITC 2024 website. Following the conclusion of the SITC 2024
Meeting, a copy of the posters will be available on the “Scientific
Presentations” page of Medicenna’s website.
About MDNA11
MDNA11 is an intravenously administered,
long-acting ‘beta-enhanced not-alpha’ IL-2 Superkine specifically
engineered to overcome the shortcomings of aldesleukin and other
next generation IL-2 variants by preferentially activating immune
effector cells (CD8+ T and NK cells) responsible for killing cancer
cells, with minimal or no stimulation of immunosuppressive Tregs.
These unique proprietary features of the IL-2 Superkine have been
achieved by incorporating seven specific mutations and genetically
fusing it to a recombinant human albumin scaffold to improve the
pharmacokinetic (PK) profile and pharmacological activity of MDNA11
due to albumin’s natural propensity to accumulate in highly
vascularized sites, in particular tumor and tumor draining lymph
nodes. MDNA11 is currently being evaluated in the Phase 1/2
ABILITY-1 study as both a monotherapy and in combination with
pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®).
About the ABILITY-1 Study
The ABILITY-1 study (NCT05086692) is a global,
multi-center, open-label study that assesses the safety,
tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and anti-tumor
activity of MDNA11 as monotherapy or in combination with
pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®). In the combination dose escalation of
the Phase 2 study, approximately 6-12 patients are expected to be
enrolled and administered ascending doses of MDNA11 intravenously
once every two weeks in combination with pembrolizumab. This
portion of the study includes patients with a wide range of solid
tumors with the potential for susceptibility to immune modulating
therapeutics. Upon identification of an appropriate dose regimen
for combination, the study will proceed to a combination dose
expansion cohort.
About MDNA113
MDNA113 is a novel, first-in-class
tumor-targeted and tumor-activated bi-functional anti-PD1-IL2
Superkine with exceptionally high affinity for IL-13Rα2 without
binding to the functional IL-13R⍺1. IL-13Rα2 is overexpressed in a
wide range of solid tumors, including cold tumors with minimal to
no expression in normal tissues. IL-13Rα2 expressing tumors also
have abundant matrix metalloprotease in the tumor microenvironment
that may efficiently activate MDNA113. IL-13Rα2 expression is
associated with poor clinical outcome in multiple tumor types
including prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, liver
cancer, breast cancer and brain cancer, with an annual world-wide
incidence of over 2 million.
About Medicenna Therapeutics
Medicenna is a clinical-stage immunotherapy
company focused on developing novel, highly selective versions of
IL-2, IL-4 and IL-13 Superkines and first-in-class Empowered
Superkines. Medicenna’s long-acting IL-2 Superkine, MDNA11, is a
next-generation IL-2 with superior affinity toward CD122 (IL-2
receptor beta) and no CD25 (IL-2 receptor alpha) binding, thereby
preferentially stimulating cancer-killing effector T cells and NK
cells. Medicenna’s IL-4 Empowered Superkine, bizaxofusp (formerly
MDNA55), has been studied in 5 clinical trials enrolling over 130
patients, including a Phase 2b trial for recurrent GBM, the most
common and uniformly fatal form of brain cancer. Bizaxofusp has
obtained FastTrack and Orphan Drug status from the FDA and FDA/EMA,
respectively. Medicenna’s early-stage high-affinity IL-2β biased
IL-2/IL-15 Super-antagonists, from its MDNA209 platform, are being
evaluated as potential therapies for autoimmune and graft-versus
host diseases. Medicenna’s early-stage BiSKITs™ (Bifunctional
SuperKine ImmunoTherapies) and the T-MASK™ (Targeted
Metalloprotease Activated SuperKine) programs are designed to
enhance the ability of Superkines to treat immunologically “cold”
tumors.
For more information, please
visit www.medicenna.com, and follow us on Twitter
and LinkedIn.
KEYTRUDA® is a registered trademark of Merck
Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.,
Rahway, NJ, USA.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking
statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws.
Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, express
or implied statements regarding the future operations of the
Company, estimates, plans, strategic ambitions, partnership
activities and opportunities, objectives, expectations, opinions,
forecasts, projections, guidance, outlook or other statements that
are not historical facts, such as statements on the therapeutic
potential and safety profile of MDNA11 and MDNA113. Drug
development and commercialization involve a high degree of risk,
and only a small number of research and development programs result
in commercialization of a product. Results in early-stage
pre-clinical or clinical studies may not be indicative of full
results or results from later stage or larger scale clinical
studies and do not ensure regulatory approval. You should not place
undue reliance on these statements, or the scientific data
presented.
Forward-looking statements are often identified
by terms such as “will”, “may”, “should”, “anticipate”, “expect”,
“believe”, “seek”, “potentially” and similar expressions. and are
subject to risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that
such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and
future events could differ materially from those anticipated in
such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results
to differ materially from the Company’s expectations include the
risks detailed in the latest annual information form of the Company
and in other filings made by the Company with the applicable
securities regulators from time to time in Canada.
The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in
the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be
incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to
differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous
known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of
which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is
cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking
information. Such information, although considered reasonable by
management, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ
materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements
contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this
cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in
this news release are made as of the date hereof and except as
required by law, we do not intend and do not assume any obligation
to update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking
statements.
This news release contains hyperlinks to
information that is not deemed to be incorporated by reference in
this new release.
Investor/Media Contact:
Christina CameronInvestor Relations, Medicenna Therapeutics(647)
953-0673ir@medicenna.com
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