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including the Company’s universal cancer vaccine, UV1. The article in Frontiers
in Immunology
(https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.682492)examines the
broad relevance of telomerase as an attractive cancer target and examines
opportunities for optimizing anti-telomerase vaccine performance both by
selecting appropriate cancer types and by analyzing the underlying limitations
of current standard treatments.
The article focusses on the synergy between telomerase-based cancer vaccines and
checkpoint inhibitors. In particular, it highlights areas within cancer
treatment where clinical trials have shown that specific combinations of the two
components are more effective than either component used alone. Checkpoint
inhibitors, of which there are several varieties, have become the standard
treatment for many solid tumor types. There is a strong rationale for combining
them with telomerase vaccines to boost the activity of cells involved in the
anti-cancer immune response.
“This latest article articulates the rationale for using telomerase-targeting
cancer vaccines as a key to unlock the full potential of checkpoint inhibitors.”
stated Carlos de Sousa, Chief Executive Officer at Ultimovacs. “For our
universal cancer vaccine, UV1, the early read-outs from our combination trial
with pembrolizumab indicate that this rationale is playing out well in the
clinic.”
Ultimovacs recently released data from the first cohort of a Phase I trial where
UV1 in combination with pembrolizumab showed a 60% objective response rate
(including 30% complete responses) in advanced malignant melanoma, an evident
improvement over pembrolizumab alone*. UV1 is currently in clinical development
with four randomized, multinational, Phase II combination trials which will
recruit over 500 patients in advanced malignant melanoma, ovarian cancer, head-
and-neck cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma.
As the review in Frontiers in Immunology points out, telomerase is an attractive
target because it is broadly expressed on 85-90% of all tumor types, especially
in metastatic cancer cells. Furthermore, it plays an essential role in cancer
cell reproduction, making it difficult for tumor cells to mutate and evade the
treatment. Combining telomerase cancer vaccines with checkpoint inhibitors
appears to improve overall treatment responses and outcomes by helping to
prevent tumors hiding from or disabling patients’ immune defenses.
The Frontiers in Immunology review also suggests that, although most of the
current clinical trials evaluate treatments of late-stage disease in heavily
pre-treated patients, there is potential for telomerase-targeting therapeutic
cancer vaccines in earlier disease settings, when the need to combine them with
other treatments might be reduced.
The publication in Frontiers in Immunology can be found under doi:
10.3389/fimmu.2021.682492.
“Telomerase as a target for therapeutic cancer vaccines and considerations for
optimizing their clinical potential”
*Sources: FDA pembrolizumab packet insert
(https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2020/125514s066lbl.pdf);
EMA pembrolizumab product information; Robert, C. et al (2019) Lancet Oncology
20, 1239-1251 (https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanonc/PIIS1470-
2045(19)30388-2.pdf)
About UV1
UV1 is a peptide-based vaccine inducing a specific T cell response against the
universal cancer antigen telomerase. UV1 is being developed as an “off-the-
shelf” therapeutic cancer vaccine which may serve as a platform for use in
combination with other immunotherapy which requires an ongoing T cell response
for their mode of action. To date, UV1 has been tested in four phase I clinical
trials in a total of 82 patients and maintained a positive safety and
tolerability profile as well as encouraging signals of efficacy.
About UV1 Clinical Programs
As a universal cancer vaccine, UV1’s unique mechanism of action has the
potential to be applicable across most cancer types. The clinical development of
the UV1 vaccine includes four randomized, multinational, Phase II combination
trials: INITIUM, NIPU, DOVACC and FOCUS, recruiting over 500 patients in total.
Ultimovacs anticipates announcing data on the primary endpoints for the NIPU and
INITIUM studies in 2H2022 and for the DOVACC and FOCUS studies in 2023.
- The INITIUM trial is an Ultimovacs-sponsored clinical trial recruiting 154
patients with metastatic malignant melanoma to evaluate UV1 in combination
with ipilimumab and nivolumab as first-line treatment.
- The NIPU study is testing UV1 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors
ipilimumab and nivolumab as second-line treatment in 118 patients with
advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare lung cancer. The study is
sponsored by Oslo University Hospital and Bristol-Myers Squibb is providing
the checkpoint inhibitors for this study.
- The DOVACC study is sponsored by the Nordic Society of Gynecological
Oncology. In total, 184 patients with high-grade ovarian cancer will be
enrolled to evaluate UV1 in combination with durvalumab and olaparib, both
provided by AstraZeneca.
- FOCUS is an investigator-sponsored, randomized clinical trial enrolling 75
patients with metastatic head and neck cancer receiving pembrolizumab as
standard of care, and will evaluate the impact of adding UV1 to this
regimen.
About Ultimovacs
Ultimovacs is developing immune-stimulatory vaccines to treat a broad range of
cancers. Ultimovacs’ lead universal cancer vaccine candidate UV1 targets human
telomerase (hTERT), present in over 80% of cancers in all stages of tumor
growth. By directing the immune system to hTERT antigens, UV1 drives CD4 helper
T cells to the tumor to activate an immune system cascade and increase anti-
tumor responses. With a broad Phase II program, Ultimovacs aims to clinically
demonstrate UV1’s impact in multiple cancer types in combination with other
immunotherapies. Ultimovacs’ second vaccine design, based on the proprietary
Tetanus-Epitope-Targeting (TET) platform, combines tumor-specific peptides and
adjuvant in the same molecule and entered Phase I studies in 2021.
For further information, please see www.ultimovacs.com
(http://www.ultimovacs.com) or contact:
Carlos de Sousa, Chief Executive Officer
Email: carlos.desousa@ultimovacs.com (mailto:carlos.desousa@ultimovacs.com)
Phone: +47 908 92507
Hans Vassgård Eid, Chief Financial Officer
Email: hans.eid@ultimovacs.com (mailto:hans.eid@ultimovacs.com)
Phone: +47 482 48632
Mary-Ann Chang, LifeSci Advisors
Email: mchang@lifesciadvisors.com
Phone: +44 7483 284 853
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section
5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
Kilde
Jeg syns han forklarer teknologien på en så folkelig måte og entusiastisk at menigmann er i stand ti å forstå det, samtidig er det greit å få det forklart på norsk til tider.