TG4050: Promising Phase I data to be
presented at SITC 2024 providing clinical proof of principle
in adjuvant head and neck cancer setting
Financial visibility confirmed into
Q4 2025
Strasbourg, France, November 7, 2024,
5:45 p.m. CET – Transgene (Euronext Paris:
TNG), a biotech company that designs and develops virus-based
immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, today
provides its business update and financial position for the quarter
ending September 30, 2024.
Key events and upcoming milestones
TG4050: Neoantigen therapeutic cancer
vaccine
Transgene and NEC will present promising
new data from the ongoing randomized Phase I trial of the
neoantigen individualized therapeutic cancer vaccine, TG4050 at
SITC 2024 on November 9, 2024 (see press release
here). These data provide robust clinical proof of principle for
Transgene’s lead candidate in the adjuvant head and neck cancer
setting, a patient population at high risk of relapse.
Compelling 24.1-month median follow-up
data presented showed that all 16 patients treated with TG4050
after completion of adjuvant standard of care remain
disease-free and have not
relapsed, comparing favorably to the observational arm which saw 3
out of 16 patients relapse. All patients treated with
TG4050 developed specific immune responses against the selected
personalized antigen targets, demonstrating the strong
immunogenicity of the cancer vaccine, with both de novo and
amplified responses. Additionally, immune responses are sustained
over a 7-month period, covering the induction and boost
periods.
In Q2 2024, Transgene started enrolling
patients in the Phase II part of the expanded randomized
Phase I/II trial investigating TG4050 in the adjuvant
treatment of head and neck cancer (NCT04183166). Patient enrollment
continues to progress at a good pace.
TG4050 is the only individualized neoantigen
cancer vaccine currently being developed in a randomized trial in
the adjuvant treatment of head and neck cancer.
TG4050 has potential applicability across a
range of solid tumors where there remains a significant unmet
medical need, despite the existing therapeutic options, including
immunotherapies. As a result, Transgene is conducting preliminary
work on a potential new Phase I trial in a further undisclosed
indication.
TG4001 – Shared antigen cancer
vaccine
In October 2024, Transgene announced that its
randomized Phase II study evaluating TG4001 in combination
with avelumab versus avelumab alone in patients with recurrent or
metastatic HPV16-positive cervical and anogenital tumors did not
meet its primary objective (improvement in progression-free
survival).
However, analysis of a pre-planned subgroup
showed a positive efficacy trend in favor of the TG4001 containing
regimen in cervical cancer patients, which requires further
confirmation through additional analyses, including by PD-L1
status. These patients account for approximately half of the
patients enrolled in the study. Transgene is currently evaluating
the full study results in detail to determine the best way forward
for this program and will communicate further once this is
completed.
Oncolytic Viruses
BT-001 (intratumoral
administration):
In September 2024, Transgene and its partner
BioInvent presented preliminary Phase I/IIa data (NCT04725331) at
ESMO (see press release here) showing that BT-001 induced
tumor regression in patients unresponsive to prior anti PD(L)-1
treatment, both as monotherapy and in combination with
MSD’s (Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA) anti-PD-1 therapy
KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab).
BT-001 replicated in the tumor and expressed the
encoded GM-CSF and anti-CTLA-4 transgenes. Notably, BT-001 in
combination with pembrolizumab showed first signs of efficacy in 2
out of 6 patients, with shrinkage of injected and non-injected
lesions. In a reported case study, BT-001 treatment was able to
modulate the tumor microenvironment, converting “cold tumors” into
“hot tumors”, and inducing T cell infiltration.
Transgene and BioInvent are finalizing the
second cohort in the part B of the Phase I/IIa trial, to inform on
the further development strategy.
TG6050 (intravenous
administration):
The Phase I Delivir trial (NCT05788926),
evaluating TG6050 in patients with advanced non-small cell lung
cancer who have failed standard therapeutic options, completed the
first two dose levels. Dose-limiting toxicity was observed in one
patient in the third cohort and additional patients are being
enrolled according to the protocol to complete this trial. Initial
data are now expected in H1 2025.
Preclinical data, recently published in the
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), were awarded with the
JITC Best Oncolytic and Local Immunotherapy Paper Award. The
article on TG6050 demonstrates that it induces tumor regression in
numerous “hot” and “cold” murine tumor models investigated in these
studies. This antitumoral activity was further amplified when
TG6050 was combined with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (article
available here).
Operating revenue and income
In millions of euros |
|
2024 First Nine Months |
2023 First Nine Months |
|
|
|
|
Research Tax Credit |
|
4.8 |
4.8 |
Revenue from collaborative and licensing agreements |
|
- |
1.2 |
Other income |
|
0.2 |
0.2 |
Operating revenue and income |
|
5.0 |
6.2 |
During the first nine months of 2024, operating
revenue was mostly comprised of the Research Tax Credit
(€4.8 million for the period in 2023 and 2024). The reduction
in total operating revenue reflects the discontinuation of the
AstraZeneca collaboration in 2023.
Cash, cash equivalents and other financial
assets
Cash, cash equivalents and other
financial assets stood at €14.0 million as of September 30,
2024, compared to €15.7 million as of December 31,
2023.
In the first nine months of 2024, Transgene’s
cash burn amounted to €31.3 million compared to a cash burn of
€13.8 million in the same period of 2023. The difference is
explained by the July 2023 sale of Transgene’s remaining shares
held in Tasly BioPharmaceuticals for a total amount of
US$15.3 million (€14.3 million).
At of the end of July 2024, Transgene announced
the conversion into shares of €33 million debt drawn down from
the current account advance granted by the Company’s major
shareholder TSGH (Institut Merieux), in accordance with the terms
of an agreement signed for the first time in 2023. As a result, the
share capital of Transgene held by TSGH increased from 59.7% to
69.1% of the outstanding shares. In carrying out this transaction,
Transgene has strengthened its balance sheet, reduced its debt
levels and its debt burden as a result of lower interest
payments.
As of September 30, 2024, Transgene had the
capacity to draw down €23.5 million from the current account
advance provided by TSGH.
Transgene confirms financial visibility
into Q4 2025, enabling the Company to deliver news flow on its
portfolio progress over the next 12 months.
***
About Transgene
Transgene (Euronext: TNG) is a biotechnology
company focused on designing and developing targeted
immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. Transgene’s programs
utilize viral vector technology with the goal of indirectly or
directly killing cancer cells.The Company’s clinical-stage programs
consist of a portfolio of therapeutic vaccines and oncolytic
viruses: TG4050, the first individualized therapeutic vaccine based
on the myvac® platform, TG4001 for the treatment of HPV-positive
cancers, as well as BT-001 and TG6050, two oncolytic viruses based
on the Invir.IO® viral backbone. With Transgene’s myvac® platform,
therapeutic vaccination enters the field of precision medicine with
a novel immunotherapy that is fully tailored to each individual.
The myvac® approach allows the generation of a virus-based
immunotherapy that encodes patient-specific mutations identified
and selected by Artificial Intelligence capabilities provided by
its partner NEC.With its proprietary platform Invir.IO®, Transgene
is building on its viral vector engineering expertise to design a
new generation of multifunctional oncolytic viruses.Additional
information about Transgene is available at:
http://www.transgene.frFollow us on social media: X (formerly
Twitter): @TransgeneSA—LinkedIn: @Transgene
Contacts
Transgene Contacts: |
Transgene Media Contact: |
Media |
MEDiSTRAVA |
Caroline Tosch |
Frazer Hall/Sylvie Berrebi |
Corporate Communication Manager |
+ 44 (0)203 928 6900 |
+33 (0)3 68 33 27 38 |
transgene@medistrava.com |
communication@transgene.fr |
|
|
|
Lucie Larguier |
|
Chief Financial Officer |
|
Nadege Bartoli |
|
IR Analyst and Financial Communications Officer |
|
+33 (0)3 88 27 91 03 /00 |
|
investorrelations@transgene.fr |
|
Disclaimer
This press release contains forward-looking
statements, which are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties,
which could cause actual results to differ materially from those
anticipated. The occurrence of any of these risks could have a
significant negative outcome for the Company’s activities,
perspectives, financial situation, results, regulatory authorities’
agreement with development phases, and development. The Company’s
ability to commercialize its products depends on but is not limited
to the following factors: positive pre-clinical data may not be
predictive of human clinical results, the success of clinical
studies, the ability to obtain financing and/or partnerships for
product manufacturing, development and commercialization, and
marketing approval by government regulatory authorities. For a
discussion of risks and uncertainties which could cause the
Company’s actual results, financial condition, performance or
achievements to differ from those contained in the forward-looking
statements, please refer to the Risk Factors (“Facteurs de Risque”)
section of the Universal Registration Document, available on the
AMF website (http://www.amf-france.org) or on Transgene’s website
(www.transgene.fr). Forward-looking statements speak only as of the
date on which they are made, and Transgene undertakes no obligation
to update these forward-looking statements, even if new information
becomes available in the future.
- 20241107_Transgene_Q3_2024_EN
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