Pheast Unveils First Preclinical Data for PHST001, an Anti-CD24 Macrophage Checkpoint Inhibitor
May 13 2024 - 9:02AM
Business Wire
Pheast Therapeutics (“Pheast”), a biotech developing novel
macrophage checkpoint therapies to defy cancer, today announced the
first presentation of preclinical data for PHST001, an anti-CD24
antibody drug candidate that is designed to block a key macrophage
“don’t eat me” signal on cancer cells. The data to be presented at
the 20th Annual PEGS Boston Summit demonstrate that PHST001 can
powerfully induce an anti-cancer immune response and drive
therapeutic efficacy in in vivo models.
“Pheast’s lead drug candidate, PHST001, is an exceptionally
well-engineered, well-expressed antibody against an exciting new
target, CD24,” said Roy Maute, Ph.D., Cofounder and CEO, Pheast
Therapeutics. “Our preclinical studies show potent efficacy in
challenging mouse model systems, which supports the possibility of
clinical efficacy in cancers where other immunotherapies have
failed and the unmet need remains high. The Pheast team is making
rapid progress to support filing an investigational new drug
application with the goal to enter the clinic in patients in the
first half of next year.”
CD24 is a newly discovered immune checkpoint that is highly
expressed by many human cancers, including ovarian and triple
negative breast cancer (TNBC). High expression of CD24 is a
negative prognostic factor in multiple cancer indications. CD24
interacts with the macrophage receptor Siglec-10, and shields
cancer cells from attack by macrophages. Pheast has engineered
PHST001 to bind recombinant CD24 and cell surface CD24 with high
affinity and specificity and to block Siglec-10 binding.
Pheast scientists have demonstrated that blocking CD24 with
PHST001 induces macrophage phagocytosis of multiple cancer subtypes
in vitro, and have shown potent efficacy for PHST001 in vivo. In
some preclinical models, PHST001 monotherapy is sufficient to
shrink and fully eradicate tumors in all treated mice.
“These data demonstrate Pheast’s robust in-house antibody
discovery and protein engineering capabilities, allowing rapid
discovery and development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies,”
said John Burg, Ph.D., Senior Director, Protein Sciences. “Our
innovative platform for discovery of tumor-specific immune
checkpoints for precision immuno-oncology treatments will support
exploring additional targets and developing new pipeline
programs.”
Dr. Burg will present these data on Monday, May 13, 2024, at
1:15 pm ET in a talk titled, “Engineering a Therapeutic Monoclonal
Antibody Targeting CD24, a Macrophage Checkpoint.”
About Pheast Therapeutics
Pheast is a preclinical stage immuno-oncology company focused on
targeting immune evasion pathways to activate the innate immune
system to defy cancer and help patients thrive. Founded and led by
scientific experts in innate immunity and cancer immunotherapy,
Pheast is developing novel immunotherapies for some of the most
difficult-to-treat and aggressive cancers, including ovarian cancer
and triple negative breast cancer. For more info, visit
www.pheast.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240513946733/en/
Company: Roy Maute, Ph.D., contact@pheast.com Media: Jessica
Yingling, Ph.D., jessica@litldog.com