SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA I September 15, 2016 I Calithera Biosciences, Inc. (CALA), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel cancer therapeutics, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase I clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of CB-1158, a first-in-class arginase inhibitor for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. Arginase is an enzyme in myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which prevents T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell activation in tumors.
“Arginase, when released by MDSCs, plays an important role in the inhibition of T-cell and NK-cell activation and proliferation, preventing immune-mediated anti-tumor activity. For example, in many solid tumors, including lung, colorectal, esophageal, bladder, head and neck, and kidney cancer, arginase-expressing MDSCs accumulate, establishing an immunosuppressive microenvironment by blocking the ability of T-cells and NK-cells to kill cancer cells. We believe that inhibitors of arginase can promote an anti-tumor immune response and augment the activity of checkpoint inhibitors,” said Susan M. Molineaux, Ph.D., founder, Chief Executive Officer and President of Calithera Biosciences. “We look forward to reporting initial clinical results with this compound in 2017.”
Arginase exerts its immunosuppressive effect by depleting the amino acid arginine in the tumor microenvironment and preventing activation and proliferation of the immune system’s cytotoxic T-cells and NK-cells. We believe that inhibitors of arginase activity promote an anti-tumor immune response by restoring arginine levels in the tumor and reversing this immunosuppressive metabolic checkpoint. The Phase I clinical trial will enroll patients with advanced solid tumors treated with CB-1158 as a monotherapy, as well as in combination with an anti-PD1 therapy.
About Calithera Biosciences
Calithera Biosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel small molecule drugs directed against tumor metabolism and tumor immunology targets for the treatment of cancer. Calithera’s lead product candidate, CB-839, is a potent, selective, reversible and orally bioavailable inhibitor of glutaminase. CB-839 takes advantage of the pronounced dependency many cancers have on the nutrient glutamine for growth and survival. It is currently being evaluated in Phase 1/2 clinical trials in combination with standard of care agents. CB-1158 is a first-in-class immuno-oncology metabolic checkpoint inhibitor targeting arginase, a critical immunosuppressive enzyme responsible for T-cell suppression by myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Arginase depletes arginine, a nutrient that is critical for the activation, growth and survival of the body’s cancer-fighting immune cells, known as cytotoxic T-cells. Calithera is headquartered in South San Francisco, California. For more information about Calithera, please visit www.calithera.com.
SOURCE: Calithera Biosciences
Post Views: 86
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA I September 15, 2016 I Calithera Biosciences, Inc. (CALA), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel cancer therapeutics, today announced that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase I clinical trial assessing the safety and efficacy of CB-1158, a first-in-class arginase inhibitor for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. Arginase is an enzyme in myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), which prevents T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell activation in tumors.
“Arginase, when released by MDSCs, plays an important role in the inhibition of T-cell and NK-cell activation and proliferation, preventing immune-mediated anti-tumor activity. For example, in many solid tumors, including lung, colorectal, esophageal, bladder, head and neck, and kidney cancer, arginase-expressing MDSCs accumulate, establishing an immunosuppressive microenvironment by blocking the ability of T-cells and NK-cells to kill cancer cells. We believe that inhibitors of arginase can promote an anti-tumor immune response and augment the activity of checkpoint inhibitors,” said Susan M. Molineaux, Ph.D., founder, Chief Executive Officer and President of Calithera Biosciences. “We look forward to reporting initial clinical results with this compound in 2017.”
Arginase exerts its immunosuppressive effect by depleting the amino acid arginine in the tumor microenvironment and preventing activation and proliferation of the immune system’s cytotoxic T-cells and NK-cells. We believe that inhibitors of arginase activity promote an anti-tumor immune response by restoring arginine levels in the tumor and reversing this immunosuppressive metabolic checkpoint. The Phase I clinical trial will enroll patients with advanced solid tumors treated with CB-1158 as a monotherapy, as well as in combination with an anti-PD1 therapy.
About Calithera Biosciences
Calithera Biosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel small molecule drugs directed against tumor metabolism and tumor immunology targets for the treatment of cancer. Calithera’s lead product candidate, CB-839, is a potent, selective, reversible and orally bioavailable inhibitor of glutaminase. CB-839 takes advantage of the pronounced dependency many cancers have on the nutrient glutamine for growth and survival. It is currently being evaluated in Phase 1/2 clinical trials in combination with standard of care agents. CB-1158 is a first-in-class immuno-oncology metabolic checkpoint inhibitor targeting arginase, a critical immunosuppressive enzyme responsible for T-cell suppression by myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Arginase depletes arginine, a nutrient that is critical for the activation, growth and survival of the body’s cancer-fighting immune cells, known as cytotoxic T-cells. Calithera is headquartered in South San Francisco, California. For more information about Calithera, please visit www.calithera.com.
SOURCE: Calithera Biosciences
Post Views: 86
