Transgene and BioInvent Announce Poster Presentation on BT-001, a Novel Antibody-encoding Oncolytic Virus, at AACR 2022

Transgene and BioInvent Announce Poster Presentation on BT-001, a Novel Antibody-encoding Oncolytic Virus, at AACR 2022

• Preclinical data shows the robust anti-tumoral activity of BT-001, including its highly effective and safe therapeutic strategy of targeting CTLA-4

Strasbourg, France, and Lund, Sweden, March 9, 2022, 8:00 am CET – Transgene (Euronext Paris: TNG), a biotech company that designs and develops virus-based immunotherapeutics against cancer, and BioInvent International AB (“BioInvent”) (Nasdaq Stockholm: BINV), a biotech company focused on the discovery and development of novel and first-in-class immune-modulatory antibodies for cancer immunotherapy, today jointly announce that an abstract reporting preclinical studies of BT-001, a novel oncolytic virus, has been selected for a poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2022.  The conference will be held in person in New Orleans, LA, April 8-13, 2022.

The poster will highlight that BT-001, a co-developed clinical stage product, based on Transgene’s patented oncolytic vector and encoding BioInvent’s proprietary anti-CTLA-4 antibody, has the potential to provide greater therapeutic benefit than systemically administered anti-CTLA-4 antibodies.

The preclinical data to be presented demonstrate that vectorized anti-CTLA-4 antibodies delivered intratumorally (i.t.) can improve safety by reducing their systemic exposure. Efficacy may also be improved, with evidence from the immunocompetent murine model showing that vectorized anti-CTLA-4 antibodies have anti-tumoral activity even against ‘cold tumors’ that are resistant to systemically-delivered checkpoint inhibitors.

Furthermore, the precise targeting of the antibody to a unique functional epitope of CTLA-4 provides a higher level of regulatory T cell (Treg) depletion than currently available immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies.

The studies also provide several key insights into likely mechanisms underlying the efficacy of BT-001. Vectorized anti-CTLA-4:

• triggered both Fcγ-receptor-dependent Treg depletion and antigen cross-presentation - mechanisms known to trigger and promote long-lasting, systemic, CD8+ T cell antitumor immunity;
• showed broad antitumor activity, including activity against murine ‘cold tumor’ models which are resistant to systemic checkpoint inhibitors;
• showed additive or synergistic anti-tumor activity when combined with anti-PD-1.

The details of the poster presentation are as follows:

Abstract Title: Comprehensive preclinical studies of BT-001: an oncolytic vaccinia virus armed with Treg-depleting @CTLA4 and GM-CSF.

Authors: Jean-Baptiste Marchand, Monika Semmrich, Christelle Remy, Matilda Rehn, Laetitia Fend, Petra Holmkvist, Nathalie Silvestre, Carolin Svensson, Patricia Kleinpeter, Jules Deforges, Fred Junghus, Linda Mårtensson, Johann Foloppe, Ingrid Teige, Björn Frendéus, Éric Quéméneur.

Session Category:   Immunology

Session Title:  Vaccines: Oncolytic and Prophylactic

Session Date and Time:   Tuesday Apr 12, 2022, 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Location: New Orleans Convention Center, Exhibit Halls D-H, Poster Section 40

Poster Board Number:  17

Abstract Number: 3567 

The abstract can be accessed on the AACR annual meeting website: https://www.aacr.org/meeting/aacr-annual-meeting-2022/.