Results reinforce potential to develop TILT-123 as a systemic therapy in Phase II setting

HELSINKI, Finland I September 09, 2024 I TILT Biotherapeutics (TILT), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, announces that it will present data at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2024. The results further demonstrate the potential for TILT-123 as an intravenous therapy.

The data presented covers the results of a Phase I clinical cohort of TILT-123 monotherapy for the treatment of advanced solid cancers (NCT04695327), demonstrating the regimen is safe, resulting in tumor transduction and immunological effects in metastases. A fully intravenous delivery regimen of TILT-123 was studied in a total of 6 patients, whose cancer types included three rectal carcinomas, gastric intestinal type carcinoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and liposarcoma. TILT-123 was administered twice daily, first twice a week and subsequently at 3-week intervals. Of patients evaluable by imaging by data cutoff, disease control was seen in 33% of patients with RECIST1.1 and 66% of patients with PET-based criteria. Updated data will be presented at the meeting (1).

TILT Biotherapeutics’ founder and CEO, Akseli Hemminki, a cancer clinician who has personally treated hundreds of cancer patients with oncolytic viruses, said “This data presented at ESMO 2024 provides additional validation on the potential of TILT-123 as fully intravenous therapy in very difficult to treat patient population. I am also proud of our progress with two other studies investigating the fully intravenous regimen of TILT-123. We are moving according to our plan towards Phase II and making good clinical progress.”

TILT-123, an oncolytic adenovirus armed with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interleukin-2 (IL-2), is designed to enhance the efficacy of T-cell therapies, including immune checkpoint blockade or adoptive cell transfer. TILT’s approach uses oncolytic viruses to selectively replicate in and lyse cancer cells, while simultaneously stimulating immune responses towards the tumor.

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(1)Abstract: Poster #1025P presented 14 Sep at 09:00-17:00:

Notes to Editors

About TILT Biotherapeutics

TILT Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing cancer therapeutics based on its proprietary oncolytic adenoviruses armed with molecules including cytokines that can activate T cells and destroy cancer cells. 

The company’s patented TILT® technology can be delivered intravenously, locoregionally, or intratumorally. It modifies the tumor microenvironment and has a broader systemic effect. By making cold tumors hot, it eliminates cancer’s ability to evade immune responses, thereby enhancing T-cell therapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy, and CAR T therapies. 

TILT’s lead asset, TILT-123 also known as Igrelimogene litadenorepvec, is a 5/3 chimeric serotype adenovirus armed with two human cytokines: TNF alpha and IL-2. Over sixty patients have been treated in five international trials sponsored by the company with promising initial efficacy responses observed in some of the patients.

The company’s pioneering approach has been recognized by industry leaders. It has two collaborations with MSD (Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA) investigating TILT-123 in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in ovarian cancer (NCT05271318) and in refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NCT06125197). The company is also collaborating with Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) and investigating TILT-123 in combination with Bavencio® (avelumab).

Based in Helsinki, Finland, and with an office in Boston, the company was established over a decade ago as a spin-out from the University of Helsinki. It has funding from Lifeline Ventures, Finnish Industry Investment (TESI), angel investors, Business Finland, the European Innovation Council, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

SOURCE: TILT Biotherapeutics