- Theriva signs exclusive option to license intellectual property from
- Strengthens long-term research collaboration with SJD and builds on ongoing trial evaluating VCN-01 in pediatric cancers -
- Emphasizes VCN-01’s potential for use in diverse chemotherapy combinations and cancer indications -
The collaboration builds on growing data that suggests coadministration of VCN-01 with topoisomerase I inhibitors such as topotecan can enhance VCN-01 replication and antitumor activity in preclinical cancer models. Combination of VCN-01 with a topoisomerase I inhibitor is expected to provide a synergistic antitumor effect wherein a chemotherapy-mediated increase in tumor VCN-01 levels may enable greater degradation of the tumor stroma, significantly increasing chemotherapy access and tumor destruction.
“This option with SJD reinforces our strategy of employing VCN-01’s unique modes-of-action to improve patient outcomes by enabling effective use of VCN-01 with different classes of chemotherapies and immunotherapies in otherwise refractory cancers,” said
Angel Carcaboso, Ph.D., senior group leader at SJD, commented, “The new treatment combination shows a powerful synergy in preclinical human cancer models, including intraocular and leptomeningeal retinoblastoma, Ewing sarcoma and neuroblastoma. Synergy happens through the effect of topotecan increasing the susceptibility of cancer cells to VCN-01 infection. The main goal of our work is to bring new treatments to children with catastrophic diseases, and our smooth partnership with Theriva facilitates the translation of our laboratory results to phase 1 trials.”
Theriva will pay SJD an option fee of
About VCN-01
VCN-01 is a systemically administered oncolytic adenovirus designed to selectively and aggressively replicate within tumor cells, and degrade the tumor stroma that serves as a significant physical and immunosuppressive barrier to cancer treatment. This unique mode-of-action enables VCN-01 to exert multiple antitumor effects by (i) selectively infecting and lysing tumor cells; (ii) enhancing the access and perfusion of co-administered chemotherapy products; and (iii) increasing tumor immunogenicity and exposing the tumor to the patient’s immune system and co-administered immunotherapy products. Systemic administration enables VCN-01 to exert its actions on both the primary tumor and metastases. VCN-01 has been administered to over 90 patients to date in clinical trials of different cancers, including PDAC (in combination with chemotherapy), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (with an immune checkpoint inhibitor), ovarian cancer (with CAR-T cell therapy), colorectal cancer, and retinoblastoma (by intravitreal injection). More information on these clinical trials is available at Clinicaltrials.gov.
About Theriva™
Theriva Biologics (NYSE American: TOVX), is a diversified clinical-stage company developing therapeutics designed to treat cancer and related diseases in areas of high unmet need. The Company’s wholly-owned Spanish subsidiary
About
Sant Joan de Déu-Barcelona Children’s Hospital (SJD) is a university hospital specializing in maternal, child and adolescent health care. Founded in 1867, SJD belongs to the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God and is a private, non-profit institution that has been integrated in the public network of the Spanish national health system since 1973. SJD is the largest children’s hospital in
Associated with the
Forward-Looking Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “may,” “should,” “potential,” “continue,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates,” and similar expressions, and include statements regarding data suggesting coadministration of VCN-01 with topoisomerase I inhibitors such as topotecan can enhance VCN-01 replication and antitumor activity in preclinical cancer models; the combination of VCN-01 with a topoisomerase I inhibitor providing a synergistic antitumor effect to improve therapeutic outcomes in these indications; a chemotherapy-mediated increase in tumor VCN-01 levels enabling greater degradation of the tumor stroma, significantly increasing chemotherapy access and tumor destruction; the Company’s work bringing new treatments to children with catastrophic diseases and SJD’s smooth partnership with the Company facilitating the translation of laboratory results to phase 1 trials. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, results of the research collaboration enhancing VCN-01 replication and antitumor activity in preclinical cancer models; the Company’s ability to complete enrollment in on-going and planned clinical trials when anticipated and anticipated results, the Company’s ability to address the unmet medical needs for treatment of PDAC and other refractory cancers, the Company’s ability to take advantage of the potential benefits of orphan drug designation, the Company’s ability to reach clinical milestones when anticipated, the Company’s ability to successfully operate the combined US and Spanish business entities, the Company’s product candidates demonstrating safety and effectiveness, as well as results that are consistent with prior results; the ability to complete clinical trials on time and achieve the desired results and benefits, continuing clinical trial enrollment as expected; the ability to obtain regulatory approval for commercialization of product candidates or to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements, regulatory limitations relating to the Company’s ability to promote or commercialize their product candidates for the specific indications, acceptance of product candidates in the marketplace and the successful development, marketing or sale of the Company’s products, developments by competitors that render such products obsolete or non-competitive, the Company’s ability to maintain license agreements, the continued maintenance and growth of the Company’s patent estate, the ability to continue to remain well financed and other factors described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
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