Press Release.
Madrid, Spain, 14 April, 2021 – Highlight Therapeutics, (“Highlight”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing RNA-based therapies against cancer, today announced that data from Phase 2 studies of its RNA-based immunotherapy BO-112 will be presented as posters at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting 2021, April 10-15 and May 17-21.
The e-poster presentations, which are available for browsing on from April 10, 2021, through June 21, 2021, are entitled:
- Phase IIa open-label clinical study of intratumoral administration of BO-112 in combination with pembrolizumab in subjects with liver metastasis from colorectal cancer or gastric/gastro-oesophageal junction cancer (Abstract number 5289)
- Phase 2 clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intratumoral BO-112 in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced melanoma that have progressive disease on anti-PD-1-based therapy (Abstract number 4936)
- BO-112 as a modifier of the tumor microenvironment for liver metastases (Abstract number 994)
- A phase I study of intratumoral BO-112 and nivolumab for resectable soft tissue sarcoma (Abstract number 5273)
Marisol Quintero, CEO of Highlight Therapeutics, commented:
“Data to be presented at AACR include promising results from one of our Phase 2 studies testing the combination of BO-112 + pembrolizumab in colorectal cancer microsatellite stable patients with liver metastases. The data demonstrates that BO-112 can be injected directly into liver metastases, triggering a potent change in the tumor micro-environment, characterized by increased numbers of CD8-T cells and increased expression of PDL-1.”
Highlight Therapeutics aims to use this approach to modify the suppressive environment of liver tumors that limits the activity of immunotherapy. (Abstracts 5289 and 994).
Highlight Therapeutics is also presenting data from its Phase 2 trial for patients that have progressed to anti-PD-1-based therapy in refractory advanced malignant melanoma.
Marisol Quintero added:
“Results from Phase 1 studies showed a clear signal in the melanoma resistant population, prompting us to develop this trial with a higher dose of BO-112 and a more frequent injection scheme designed to maximize the possibility of seeing responses in this setting. Our aim is to demonstrate how BO-112 can extend the benefit of immunotherapy in patients that have progressed to anti-PD1-based therapies. This concept could be later on applied to other indications.” (Abstract 4936).
For more information, please contact:
Highlight Therapeutics S. L.
info@highlighttherapeutics.com
Marisol Quintero, CEO
Mo PR Advisory
Tel: +44 (0) 7876 444977 / 07860 361746
Mo Noonan/Jonathan Birt
Notes to editors
About Highlight Therapeutics
Highlight Therapeutics, formerly known as Bioncotech Therapeutics, is a private, clinical-stage company
dedicated to unlocking the full potential of immuno-oncology. Our lead drug candidate BO-112 is a best-inclass
RNA-based therapy which has been demonstrated to initiate a powerful immune response, leveraging
a unique multi-target approach to turn ‘cold’ tumors ‘hot’ and therefore visible to the immune system. It has
the potential to rescue patients who are resistant to current checkpoint inhibitor therapy, a very large market
opportunity. BO-112 is currently being investigated in a range of clinical trials as a monotherapy and in
combination with checkpoint inhibitors. In addition to in-house research, Highlight Therapeutics has a
number of external collaborators, including Merck & Co and UCLA.
For more information, please visit www.highlighttherapeutics.com
