Avacta Group PLC Positive results from first preclinical studies (5081K)
September 22 2016 - 2:01AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMAVCT
RNS Number : 5081K
Avacta Group PLC
22 September 2016
22 September 2016
Avacta Group plc
("Avacta" or "the Group" or "the Company")
Positive results from first preclinical in-vivo studies of
Affimer therapeutics
Affimer PD-L1 inhibitor significantly reduces tumour growth in
mouse model
-- Good pharmacokinetic properties observed
-- Affimer molecules well tolerated at all dosing levels
-- No adverse effects observed
-- Confirms the potential of the Affimer technology as a therapeutic platform
Avacta Group plc (AIM: AVCT), the developer of Affimer(R)
biotherapeutics and research reagents, is pleased to announce
positive results from the first preclinical in-vivo studies of its
therapeutic Affimer molecules. The results meaningfully de-risk the
development of the technology as a therapeutic platform;
demonstrating that Affimer molecules possess good drug-like
properties in terms of efficacy, serum half-life and
tolerability.
Two parallel in-vivo pre-clinical studies have been completed.
The first, a pharmacokinetics study looking at both human and mouse
PD-L1 Affimer inhibitors(1) engineered as Fc fusions(2) , showed
that Affimer molecules have good in-vivo serum half-lives and are
well tolerated at the clinically relevant doses used in the
study.
The second was an efficacy study using a mouse PD-L1 specific
Affimer molecule in a syngeneic tumour model(3) . In this study the
Affimer PD-L1 inhibitor produced a statistically significant
reduction in tumour growth demonstrating the bioavailability and
functionality of the Affimer molecule in tumours in-vivo. No
adverse effects were observed.
Alastair Smith, Avacta Group Chief Executive commented:
"These results demonstrate that Affimer molecules possess good
-in-vivo drug-like properties in terms of efficacy, serum half-life
and tolerability which is a hugely important milestone in the
development and de-risking of the technology as a therapeutic
platform. From the initial screening process for the Affimer
binders we have been able to rapidly progress to evaluating them in
in-vivo models, highlighting another major advantage of the
technology. We are very encouraged by these initial positive
results and will continue to focus on developing both our internal
and partnered therapeutic programs towards clinical
validation."
ENDS
Notes to Editors
This work was partly supported by an Innovate UK grant
funding.
1. About PD-L1
PD-L1 (Programmed Death-Ligand 1) is part of the 'immune
checkpoint' (ICs) target family. The normal function of ICs is to
help to regulate the immune system and to prevent its
over-activation towards healthy cells. Tumour cells often can take
advantage of this system to "switch-off" and evade the immune
system. By specifically targeting certain proteins involved with
these pathways, it is possible to reactivate the patients' own
immune system and so destroy the cancer cell.
2. About Fc fusions
Fc (fragment crystallisable region of an antibody) fusions are a
well-established approach to artificially extend the in vivo serum
half-life of small therapeutic protein scaffolds. The Affimer
biotherapeutic is genetically fused to the Fc region, replacing the
normally larger antigen binding arms usually found in the antibody.
In this way the Affimer biotherapeutic Fc fusion is maintained in
the circulation by being captured and recycled back into the
bloodstream in a similar manor to an antibody.
3. About the Syngeneic Tumour Model
A syngeneic tumour model uses tumour tissues derived from the
same strain of mouse as that being used to run the disease model.
In this case, cancerous mouse cells (CT26 cell line derived from
BALB/c mice) were implanted into healthy BALB/c mice to create the
cancer model. This allows the pre-clinical efficacy evaluation of
cancer immunotherapeutic leads, including immune checkpoint
inhibitors and cancer vaccines, to be evaluated.
For further information from Avacta Group plc, please
contact:
Avacta Group plc Tel: +44 (0)
Alastair Smith, Chief Executive 844 414 0452
Officer www.avacta.com
Tony Gardiner, Chief Financial
Officer
finnCap Ltd Tel: +44 (0)
Geoff Nash / Giles Rolls - Nominated 207 220 0500
Adviser www.finncap.com
Tim Redfern / Alice Lane - Corporate
Broking
WG Partners Tel: +44 (0)
David Wilson 203 705 9318
Nigel Barnes Tel: +44 (0)
Claes Spang 203 705 9217
www.wgpartners.co.uk
FTI Consulting (Financial Media Tel: +44 (0)
and IR) 203 727 1000
Simon Conway / Natalie Garland-Collins avacta@fticonsulting.com
About Avacta Group plc (www.avacta.com)
Avacta's principal focus is on its proprietary Affimer(R)
technology which is a novel engineered alternative to antibodies
that has wide application in Life Sciences for diagnostics,
therapeutics and general research and development.
Antibodies dominate markets worth in excess of $75bn despite
their shortcomings. Affimer technology has been designed to address
many of these negative performance issues, principally; the time
taken to generate new antibodies, the reliance on an animal's
immune response, poor specificity in many cases, and batch to batch
variability. Affimer technology is based on a small protein that
can be quickly generated to bind with high specificity and affinity
to a wide range of targets to enable diagnostics, research assays
and therapeutics.
Avacta has a pre-clinical therapeutic development programme with
an in-house focus on immuno-oncology and bleeding disorders as well
as partnered development programmes. Avacta is commercialising
non-therapeutic Affimer reagents through licensing to developers of
life sciences research tools and diagnostics.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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