SAN DIEGO and AUSTIN, Texas and HAMILTON, ON, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Triumvira Immunologics, a clinical-stage company developing novel, targeted autologous and allogeneic T cell therapeutics that co-opt the natural biology of T cells to treat patients with solid tumors, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed article titled "Preclinical development of T cells engineered to express a T cell antigen coupler (TAC) targeting Claudin 18.2-positive solid tumors" in Cancer Immunology Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. The article, authored by a team of scientists led by Dr. Andreas Bader, Triumvira's Consulting Chief Scientific Officer, details the preclinical pharmacology and safety of TAC01-CLDN18.2, a novel autologous T cell therapy targeting Claudin 18.2 for the treatment of solid tumors. TAC01-CLDN18.2 is currently the subject of a clinical Phase I/II study (TACTIC-3, NCT05862324).
"Our findings highlight the unique advantages of TAC01-CLDN18.2, which is designed to target and eliminate tumors with high specificity while minimizing the risk of adverse events that are commonly associated with T cell and other therapies," said Andreas Bader, Ph.D., Consulting Chief Scientific Officer of Triumvira Immunologics. "This research underscores our commitment to developing next-generation T cell therapies that are both effective and safe, and we are excited to continue exploring the clinical potential of TAC01-CLDN18.2 in treating patients with Claudin 18.2 positive solid tumors."
"Publishing this research is a significant milestone for Triumvira, as it reinforces the potential of our TAC technology, currently in the clinic for Claudin 18.2 positive tumors, to transform the treatment landscape for cancer patients," said Robert Williamson, President of Triumvira Immunologics. "We remain committed to bringing innovative, life-saving treatments to patients in need, and this publication is a testament to the rigorous science in the company and dedication of our team."
The study highlights the novel and proprietary T cell Antigen Coupler (TAC) technology from Triumvira Immunologics, a chimeric receptor that promotes tumor antigen-specific activation of T cells by leveraging the natural T cell receptor complex without causing tonic signaling. The preclinical results demonstrate that CLDN18.2-TAC T cells exhibit specific and durable anti-tumor activity across various in vitro and in vivo models of gastric, gastroesophageal, and pancreatic cancers. Importantly, the study reports high selectivity as these T cells did not induce notable off-target or on-target/off-tumor toxicities in these preclinical models, suggesting its potential safety and efficacy in clinical settings.
Key Findings
Specificity and Activity: TAC01-CLDN18.2 T cells demonstrated high specificity and potent cytotoxicity against Claudin 18.2 positive tumor cells in both 2D cultures and 3D tumor spheroids, including models with low antigen expression.
CLDN18.2-TAC T vs CLDN18.2 CAR-T: In a head-to-head comparison against CLDN18.2-directed 2nd-generation CAR T cells, CLDN18.2-TAC T cells exhibited greater proliferative capacity, lower levels and delayed onset of T cell exhaustion, and overall greater and longer-lasting cytotoxicity in a recursive tumor cell killing assay.
In Vivo Efficacy: In mouse models of gastric, gastroesophageal, and pancreatic cancers, TAC01-CLDN18.2 T cells effectively eradicated tumor xenografts, with durable efficacy observed in recursive killing and tumor rechallenge experiments.
Safety Profile: The preclinical data showed that TAC01-CLDN18.2 T cells did not induce notable off-target or on-target/off-tumor toxicities, as these cells were unreactive to human cells representing vital organs.
Durable Response: The research indicates that TAC01-CLDN18.2 T cells can induce a long-lasting anti-tumor response, supporting their potential as a safe and effective treatment for patients with Claudin 18.2 positive solid tumors.
Full Publication Details
Title: Preclinical development of T cells engineered to express a T cell antigen coupler (TAC) targeting Claudin 18.2-positive solid tumors
Journal: Cancer Immunology Research
Corresponding Authors: Andreas Bader, Ph.D., Christopher Helsen, Ph.D.
Full Author List: Stacey Xu, Ling Wang, Philbert Ip, Ritu Randhawa, Tania Benatar, Suzanna Prosser, Prabha Lal, Alima Khan, Thanyashanthi Nitya-Nootan, Gargi Thakor, Heather MacGregor, Danielle Hayes, Andrea Vucicevic, Princy Mathew, Sadhak Sengupta, Christopher Helsen, and Andreas Bader
The full research article can be accessed here.
About Triumvira Immunologics
Triumvira Immunologics, Inc. ("Triumvira") is a leading clinical-stage solid tumor cell therapy company developing unique, non-gene edited, first-in-class targeted autologous and allogeneic T cell therapeutics that co-opt the natural biology of T cells to treat patients with solid tumors. The company's proprietary T cell Antigen Coupler (TAC) technology platform activates natural T cell functions differently from other cell therapies such as CAR-T and engineered T cell receptor (TCR) therapies, resulting in clinically safe, effective, and re-dosable cell therapies. Triumvira is developing a pipeline targeting promising tumor-associated antigens such as Claudin 18.2, HER2, GUCY2C and GPC3. Triumvira has operations in San Diego, California, Austin, Texas, and Hamilton, Ontario.For more information, visit us at www.triumvira.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.
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