Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc. recently presented a poster on NTX-472, its new preclinical drug candidate for B cell lymphoma, at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
- Multispecific antibody encoded by NTX-472 preferentially engaged CD47 in presence of co-engagement of CD20 and CD19
- One dose of NTX-472 in vivo rapidly depleted B cells with no detectable binding to red blood cells
EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company dedicated to developing transformative RNA therapies through its proprietary technology platform, recently presented a poster on NTX-472, its new preclinical drug candidate for B cell lymphoma, at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago.
Monoclonal antibody immunotherapies can provide an effective treatment for B cell lymphoma. However, by only targeting a single tumor antigen, such as CD19 or CD20, these treatments can place selective pressures on tumors, with cancer cells often down-regulating the expression of those specific antigens to become cold tumors, invisible to the immune system. Multispecific antibodies may be able to mitigate these effects with improved specificity to several antigens at once.
Nutcracker Therapeutics’ scientists engineered a panel of molecules simultaneously targeting CD20, CD19 and CD47 to compare them to existing monoclonal antibody immunotherapies for B cell lymphoma, including rituximab (monospecific anti-CD20) and tafasitamab (monospecific anti-CD19). Of these molecules, the team identified one which had improved tumor killing and B cell depletion in vitro, which became the NTX-472 program. Using its CodonCrackerTM software and the Nutcracker® Manufacturing Unit, Nutcracker Therapeutics’ scientists then further studied NTX-472 in vivo, which showed rapid depletion of B cells with no detectable binding to red blood cells in cynomolgus monkeys.
“We’re proud to be one of the first RNA therapeutics companies to engineer a multispecific antibody,” said Chief Scientific Officer Samuel Deutsch, Ph.D. “The data on NTX-472 is a testament to the capabilities of Nutcracker Therapeutics’ platform and how it enables our scientists to engineer complex molecules by the dozens, and ultimately pinpoint the best option for a viable drug candidate. We plan to further develop NTX-472 as a trispecific immunotherapy with a differentiated therapeutic and safety profile.”
Previously Nutcracker Therapeutics presented preclinical data on NTX-471, an mRNA therapeutic candidate that is being developed to target CD47. Unlike the multispecific approach employed by NTX-472, NTX-471 encodes for a multivalent (octavalent) antibody to achieve high specificity via avidity for target cancer cells. During SITC 2023, Nutcracker Therapeutics demonstrated similar cytotoxic activity of NTX-471 to existing anti-CD47 molecules, but with little-to-no binding to red blood cells. More information on NTX-471 can be found in this press release.
About Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc.
Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc. is an RNA therapeutics company that has combined the power of advanced engineering with high-precision biosynthesis to deploy a complete RNA platform that encompasses the design, delivery, and manufacturing of RNA medicines. Armed with this high-tech advantage, the company has initiated multiple therapeutic programs with the support of clinical investigators at leading institutions. Nutcracker Therapeutics’ technology platform has the potential to significantly reduce costs and cycle times for RNA therapeutic development, with dramatic advantages in speed and capacity scaling over other RNA manufacturing approaches.
For more information, visit www.nutcrackerx.com.
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Source: Nutcracker Therapeutics, Inc.
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