Interim data from Phase 1 dose expansion cohort of mRNA-4157 in combination with pembrolizumab shared at The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s Annual Meeting 2020
Data support expansion of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) cancer patient cohort
Praveen Aanur, MBBS joins Moderna as Vice President, Therapeutic Area Head for Oncology Development
CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA I November 11, 2020 I Moderna, Inc., (Nasdaq: MRNA) a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients, today shared interim data from the expansion cohort of its ongoing Phase 1 study of the Company’s mRNA personalized cancer vaccine (PCV) mRNA-4157 in combination with Merck’s Keytruda®1 at The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s Annual Meeting (SITC 2020). The dose expansion cohort included 10 patients with HPV(-) Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) and 17 patients with Micro-Satellite Stable Colorectal Cancer (MSS-CRC). The data shared today showed that mRNA-4157 given in combination with Keytruda® is well tolerated at all dose levels and produced responses as measured by tumor shrinkage by RECIST 1.1 criteria in HPV(-) HNSCC patients. No responses were observed in the MSS-CRC group of patients.
Tolerability data to date consistently demonstrate that mRNA-4157 is well tolerated. Adverse events are typically low grade and reversible. In the dose expansion cohort, the Overall Response Rate (ORR) in the HPV(-) HNSCC group of patients as measured by RECIST 1.1 is 50% (5/10) with two patients achieving a complete response (CR) with no detectable disease, and three patients achieving partial response (PR), all of which are ongoing. Median progression free survival (mPFS) is 9.8 months, which compares favorably to the published ORR and mPFS of 14.6% and 2.0 months respectively, for Keytruda monotherapy. Including four patients with stable disease, the Disease Control Rate (DCR) is 90% (9/10). Median duration of response has not been reached. The HPV(-) HNSCC cohort continues to recruit and Moderna has decided to expand the size of the current cohort based on the interim data reported today.
Moderna also announced that Dr. Praveen Aanur has joined Moderna as Vice President, Therapeutic Area Head for Oncology Development. Dr. Aanur joins Moderna from Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) where he was responsible for multiple regulatory submissions across BMS’ immuno-oncology portfolio. In his seven years at BMS, Dr. Aanur had a wide range of roles increasing responsibility across Clinical Development and Translational Research. Dr. Aanur started his career as a physician and completed his Hematology-Oncology Fellowship at Oregon Health Sciences University, and a Fellowship in Bone Marrow Transplantation at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York where he was also a clinical investigator in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. He holds an MBBS from Bangalore University, an MPH from the University of Alabama, and an MBA from Columbia University School of Business.
“We are encouraged by these interim data from our personalized cancer vaccine program, which involves designing and manufacturing a unique vaccine for each patient based on their specific tumor,” said Stephen Hoge, M.D., President of Moderna. “This study demonstrates the ability of Moderna’s mRNA personalized cancer vaccine to elicit clinical activity when given in combination with pembrolizumab. I would also like to welcome Dr. Aanur to Moderna and look forward to working closely with him to continue building our oncology therapeutic area.”
About Moderna’s Immuno-Oncology Programs
Moderna’s oncology programs are currently focused on two main areas: cancer vaccines and intratumoral immuno-oncology (I/O) therapies. Moderna is developing these potential mRNA treatments with strategic collaborators Merck and AstraZeneca. The company currently has five I/O programs in development, including two programs in Phase 2 trials.
An advantage of Moderna’s mRNA platform is that it allows for investigational medicines that combine in a single mRNA therapy several different approaches to activate the immune system to attack cancer, either with mRNA encoding for common tumor proteins found across cancer types or multiple mRNAs encoding for various immunomodulatory proteins.
Moderna’s investigational PCVs are designed to use neoantigens identified from an individual’s tumor to program the body’s immune system to elicit a more effective anti-tumor response. Upon sequencing the tumor, Moderna’s proprietary algorithms predict the neoantigens (antigens encoded by tumor-specific mutated genes) most likely to trigger the immune system to attack a particular cancer. Today, mRNA encoding up to 34 unique neoantigens can be delivered in a single vaccine. Moderna develops and manufactures these investigational PCVs at its personalized vaccines unit within its Massachusetts manufacturing facility.
About Moderna
Moderna is advancing messenger RNA (mRNA) science to create a new class of transformative medicines for patients. mRNA medicines are designed to direct the body’s cells to produce intracellular, membrane or secreted proteins that can have a therapeutic or preventive benefit and have the potential to address a broad spectrum of diseases. The company’s platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, providing Moderna the capability to pursue in parallel a robust pipeline of new development candidates. Moderna is developing therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases and cardiovascular diseases, independently and with strategic collaborators.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Moderna currently has strategic alliances for development programs with AstraZeneca PLC and Merck & Co., Inc., as well as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past six years. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com.
SOURCE: Moderna Therapeutics
Post Views: 130
Interim data from Phase 1 dose expansion cohort of mRNA-4157 in combination with pembrolizumab shared at The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s Annual Meeting 2020
Data support expansion of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) cancer patient cohort
Praveen Aanur, MBBS joins Moderna as Vice President, Therapeutic Area Head for Oncology Development
CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA I November 11, 2020 I Moderna, Inc., (Nasdaq: MRNA) a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines to create a new generation of transformative medicines for patients, today shared interim data from the expansion cohort of its ongoing Phase 1 study of the Company’s mRNA personalized cancer vaccine (PCV) mRNA-4157 in combination with Merck’s Keytruda®1 at The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s Annual Meeting (SITC 2020). The dose expansion cohort included 10 patients with HPV(-) Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) and 17 patients with Micro-Satellite Stable Colorectal Cancer (MSS-CRC). The data shared today showed that mRNA-4157 given in combination with Keytruda® is well tolerated at all dose levels and produced responses as measured by tumor shrinkage by RECIST 1.1 criteria in HPV(-) HNSCC patients. No responses were observed in the MSS-CRC group of patients.
Tolerability data to date consistently demonstrate that mRNA-4157 is well tolerated. Adverse events are typically low grade and reversible. In the dose expansion cohort, the Overall Response Rate (ORR) in the HPV(-) HNSCC group of patients as measured by RECIST 1.1 is 50% (5/10) with two patients achieving a complete response (CR) with no detectable disease, and three patients achieving partial response (PR), all of which are ongoing. Median progression free survival (mPFS) is 9.8 months, which compares favorably to the published ORR and mPFS of 14.6% and 2.0 months respectively, for Keytruda monotherapy. Including four patients with stable disease, the Disease Control Rate (DCR) is 90% (9/10). Median duration of response has not been reached. The HPV(-) HNSCC cohort continues to recruit and Moderna has decided to expand the size of the current cohort based on the interim data reported today.
Moderna also announced that Dr. Praveen Aanur has joined Moderna as Vice President, Therapeutic Area Head for Oncology Development. Dr. Aanur joins Moderna from Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) where he was responsible for multiple regulatory submissions across BMS’ immuno-oncology portfolio. In his seven years at BMS, Dr. Aanur had a wide range of roles increasing responsibility across Clinical Development and Translational Research. Dr. Aanur started his career as a physician and completed his Hematology-Oncology Fellowship at Oregon Health Sciences University, and a Fellowship in Bone Marrow Transplantation at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York where he was also a clinical investigator in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. He holds an MBBS from Bangalore University, an MPH from the University of Alabama, and an MBA from Columbia University School of Business.
“We are encouraged by these interim data from our personalized cancer vaccine program, which involves designing and manufacturing a unique vaccine for each patient based on their specific tumor,” said Stephen Hoge, M.D., President of Moderna. “This study demonstrates the ability of Moderna’s mRNA personalized cancer vaccine to elicit clinical activity when given in combination with pembrolizumab. I would also like to welcome Dr. Aanur to Moderna and look forward to working closely with him to continue building our oncology therapeutic area.”
About Moderna’s Immuno-Oncology Programs
Moderna’s oncology programs are currently focused on two main areas: cancer vaccines and intratumoral immuno-oncology (I/O) therapies. Moderna is developing these potential mRNA treatments with strategic collaborators Merck and AstraZeneca. The company currently has five I/O programs in development, including two programs in Phase 2 trials.
An advantage of Moderna’s mRNA platform is that it allows for investigational medicines that combine in a single mRNA therapy several different approaches to activate the immune system to attack cancer, either with mRNA encoding for common tumor proteins found across cancer types or multiple mRNAs encoding for various immunomodulatory proteins.
Moderna’s investigational PCVs are designed to use neoantigens identified from an individual’s tumor to program the body’s immune system to elicit a more effective anti-tumor response. Upon sequencing the tumor, Moderna’s proprietary algorithms predict the neoantigens (antigens encoded by tumor-specific mutated genes) most likely to trigger the immune system to attack a particular cancer. Today, mRNA encoding up to 34 unique neoantigens can be delivered in a single vaccine. Moderna develops and manufactures these investigational PCVs at its personalized vaccines unit within its Massachusetts manufacturing facility.
About Moderna
Moderna is advancing messenger RNA (mRNA) science to create a new class of transformative medicines for patients. mRNA medicines are designed to direct the body’s cells to produce intracellular, membrane or secreted proteins that can have a therapeutic or preventive benefit and have the potential to address a broad spectrum of diseases. The company’s platform builds on continuous advances in basic and applied mRNA science, delivery technology and manufacturing, providing Moderna the capability to pursue in parallel a robust pipeline of new development candidates. Moderna is developing therapeutics and vaccines for infectious diseases, immuno-oncology, rare diseases and cardiovascular diseases, independently and with strategic collaborators.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., Moderna currently has strategic alliances for development programs with AstraZeneca PLC and Merck & Co., Inc., as well as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Moderna has been named a top biopharmaceutical employer by Science for the past six years. To learn more, visit www.modernatx.com.
SOURCE: Moderna Therapeutics
Post Views: 130
