TIDMAVCT
RNS Number : 0774B
Avacta Group PLC
28 January 2020
28 January 2020
Avacta Group plc
("Avacta" or "the Group" or "the Company")
Successful initial proof-of-concept for a proprietary new class
of anti-cancer therapy
Avacta's first TMAC(TM) drug conjugate molecule shown to
out-perform avelumab in an animal model
Avacta Group plc (AIM: AVCT), the developer of Affimer(R)
biotherapeutics and reagents, is pleased to announce that it has
demonstrated initial proof-of-concept for its proprietary new class
of drug conjugate, "TMAC(TM) ", in a preclinical animal model of
cancer.
Avacta's TMAC(TM) drug conjugates combine the Company's two
proprietary platforms, Affimer(R) immunotherapies and
pre|CISION(TM) chemotherapies, in a single drug molecule.
The first TMAC(TM) drug conjugate (AVA04-VbP) combines an
Affimer PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor with an I-DASH drug warhead. The
TMAC molecule is designed to target the release of its drug warhead
in the tumour microenvironment, inflaming the tumour locally in
such a way that it attracts the immune system to further attack the
cancer, whilst the Affimer immunotherapy part of the TMAC molecule
supports this secondary immune system attack.
In a mouse tumour model, the Company has shown that the first
TMAC drug conjugate (AVA04-VbP) outperforms Bavencio (avelumab), a
marketed PD-L1 antibody inhibitor developed by Merck and Pfizer.
Animals treated with AVA04-VbP showed a significant reduction in
the rate of tumour growth with respect to those treated with
Bavencio.
A considerably higher level of the released I-DASH warhead was
measured in the tumours compared with very low levels in the blood.
This indicates that the healthy tissues in the body are being
spared exposure to the highly toxic warhead, which is central to
the TMAC mechanism of action, permitting the use of highly potent
cancer-killing warheads.
Dr Alastair Smith, Chief Executive of Avacta Group,
commented:
"These in vivo efficacy and distribution data demonstrate
initial proof-of-concept for TMAC drug conjugates and represent an
important milestone for the Company.
We continue to receive significant commercial interest in the
TMAC concept, so I am delighted that we have been able to
demonstrate superior efficacy and targeting of the warhead to the
tumour with the first TMAC that we have tested in animals.
This is hugely encouraging for the TMAC programme and I look
forward to keeping the market updated on future developments."
- Ends -
For further information from Avacta Group plc, please
contact:
Avacta Group plc Tel: +44 (0) 844 414 0452
Alastair Smith, Chief Executive www.avacta.com
Officer
Tony Gardiner, Chief Financial
Officer
finnCap Ltd (Nominated Adviser Tel: +44 (0) 207 220 0500
and Joint Broker) www.finncap.com
Geoff Nash / Giles Rolls - Corporate
Finance
Tim Redfern - ECM
Yellow Jersey PR (Financial Media Tel: +44 (0)7764 947 137
and IR) Tel: +44 (0)7951 402 336
Sarah Hollins avacta@yellowjerseypr.com
Henry Wilkinson
Tel: +44 (0)7787 502 947
Zyme Communications (Trade and katie.odgaard@zymecommunications.com
Regional Media)
Katie Odgaard
About Avacta Group plc - https://www.avacta.com
Avacta is developing novel cancer immunotherapies combining its
two proprietary platforms - Affimer(R) biotherapeutics and
pre|CISION(TM) tumour targeted chemotherapy. With this approach,
the Company aims to address the lack of a durable response to
current immunotherapies experienced by most patients. The Company's
therapeutics development activities are based in Cambridge, UK.
The Company benefits from near-term revenues generated from
Affimer reagents for diagnostics, bioprocessing and research,
through a separate business unit based in Wetherby, UK.
The Affimer platform is an alternative to antibodies derived
from a small human protein. Despite their shortcomings, antibodies
currently dominate markets worth in excess of $100bn. Affimer
technology has been designed to address many of these negative
performance issues, principally: the time taken, and the reliance
on an animal's immune response, to generate new antibodies; poor
specificity in many cases; large size and cost.
Avacta's pre|CISION platform, activates chemotherapy only in the
tumour, thereby limiting systemic exposure and damage to healthy
tissues, and thus improving the overall safety and therapeutic
potential of these powerful anti-cancer treatments.
By combining these two platforms the Company is building a
wholly owned pipeline of novel cancer therapies with the aim of
creating effective treatments for all cancer patients including
those who do not respond to existing immunotherapies. Avacta
expects to take its first drug, a pre|CISION targeted form of the
standard-of-care Doxorubicin, into the clinic in the middle of
2020.
Avacta has established drug development partnerships with pharma
and biotech, including with Moderna Therapeutics Inc., a
collaboration with LG Chem to develop treatments for autoimmune and
inflammatory diseases worth up to $310m, a partnership with ADC
Therapeutics to develop Affimer drug conjugates and a joint venture
in South Korea with Daewoong Pharmaceuticals to develop the next
generation of stem cell therapies that incorporate Affimer
immuno-modulators. Avacta actively seeks to license its proprietary
platforms in a range of therapeutic areas.
The Avacta diagnostics business unit works with partners
world-wide to develop Affimers for evaluation by those third
parties with the objective of establishing royalty bearing license
deals. The Company is also developing a small in-house pipeline of
Affimer-based diagnostic assays for licensing.
To register for news alerts by email go to
www.avacta.com/investor-news-email-alerts
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the
London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct
Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United
Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
END
UPDKKOBNDBKBBDB
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 28, 2020 02:00 ET (07:00 GMT)
Avacta (LSE:AVCT)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
Avacta (LSE:AVCT)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024