BERKELEY, Calif. and OSS, The Netherlands, Dec. 03, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aduro Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq: ADRO ), a biopharmaceutical company with three distinct immunotherapy technologies, today announced the presentation of data from preclinical studies supporting the clinical development of the company’s proprietary monoclonal antibody (mAb) BION-1301, a humanized anti-APRIL (A PRoliferation-Inducing Ligand) antibody for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Data from these in vivo and in vitro preclinical studies demonstrated that BION-1301 effectively neutralized APRIL, preventing its binding to BCMA (B cell maturation antigen), an essential receptor expressed on multiple myeloma cells. Based on the mechanism of action and anti-tumor activity observed in earlier preclinical studies with the parental anti-APRIL antibody, hAPRIL.01A, BION-1301 has the potential to inhibit multiple myeloma tumor growth, survival and chemoresistance. These data, which will be highlighted in a poster presentation (Poster #2112) at the 58th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, further underscore the potential application of BION-1301 for use as a single agent, or in combination with current standard of care therapies, for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
“In patients with multiple myeloma, there is an overabundance of APRIL, a ligand which plays a critical role in the proliferation of multiple myeloma cells,” stated Andrea van Elsas, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Aduro Biotech Europe. “With BION-1301, which was derived from Aduro’s proprietary B-select antibody platform, we are blocking APRIL from binding to its target receptor, thereby inhibiting the growth and survival of multiple myeloma cells.”
Dr. van Elsas continued, “Based on the data to be presented later today, we believe BION-1301 represents a novel antibody with a novel mechanism of action that has potential in the treatment of multiple myeloma, alone or in combination regimens. We look forward to advancing BION-1301 into clinical development in the coming year in our effort to bring much needed new treatment options to patients with multiple myeloma.”
Researchers conducted in vivo and in vitro studies in preclinical models of multiple myeloma comparing anti-tumor activity achieved with BION-1301 and its parental antibody, hAPRIL.01A. Data from these studies demonstrate the successful creation and functional characterization of BION-1301 as a novel APRIL-neutralizing antibody.
In April 2016, Aduro announced the publication of a study entitled, “APRIL and BCMA promote human multiple myeloma growth, chemoresistance, and immunosuppression in the bone marrow microenvironment,” by Kenneth Anderson, M.D. Ph.D., and Tai Yu-Tzu, Ph.D. of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The article appeared in the June 2016 issue (Volume 127, Number 25) of the peer-reviewed journal Blood . The publication elucidates the roles of BCMA and its ligand APRIL in multiple myeloma, highlighting the potential therapeutic use of an agent that targets APRIL and fully blocks its interaction with its receptors. The authors demonstrated through in vivo and in vitro preclinical studies that the APRIL/BCMA ligand/receptor pair drives multiple myeloma tumor growth and survival, and activates immunosuppressive mechanisms that allow the tumor to thrive. Importantly, the studies demonstrated that the parental antibody to BION-1301 halts tumor growth and overcomes drug resistance to chemotherapeutic agents lenalidomide and bortezomib in preclinical models.
About Multiple Myeloma Lymphocytes (B cells and T cells) are the primary cell types within the immune system that work together to fight infection and disease. As B cells respond to normal infection in the body, they mature and change into plasma cells, which in turn make antibodies that help the body attack infection. While lymphocytes circulate throughout the body, plasma cells remain primarily in the bone marrow. Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that occurs when malignant plasma cells proliferate uncontrollably. Approximately 50,000 new cases of multiple myeloma will be diagnosed in the United States and Europe each year. While many new therapies have become available in recent years, multiple myeloma remains incurable and significant unmet needs exist among patients who relapse following, are resistant to, or cannot tolerate currently available agents.
About APRIL and BION-1301 APRIL is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily and is primarily secreted by bone marrow and/or myeloid cells. APRIL is overproduced in patients with multiple myeloma and binds to BCMA to stimulate a wide variety of responses that promote multiple myeloma growth and suppress the immune system so that the tumor cells are allowed to proliferate. The team at Aduro Biotech Europe, in collaboration with Jan Paul Medema, Ph.D. of the Amsterdam Medical Center, developed BION-1301, a humanized antibody that blocks APRIL from binding to its receptors, using Aduro’s B-select monoclonal antibody platform. In preclinical studies, BION-1301 eliminated malignant cells and reduced resistance to therapy in models of multiple myeloma. In addition to multiple myeloma, APRIL’s role in other cancers and in B cell dependent autoimmune and inflammatory diseases indicate that BION-1301 may also be useful in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia, colorectal cancer and Berger’s disease (caused by IgA antibody lodging in the kidneys).
About Aduro Aduro Biotech, Inc. is an immunotherapy company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies that transform the treatment of challenging diseases. Aduro's technology platforms, which are designed to harness the body's natural immune system, are being investigated in cancer indications and have the potential to expand into autoimmune and infectious diseases. Aduro's LADD technology platform is based on proprietary attenuated strains of Listeria that have been engineered to express tumor-associated antigens to induce specific and targeted immune responses. This platform is being developed as a treatment for multiple indications, including pancreatic, ovarian, lung and prostate cancers, mesothelioma and glioblastoma. Additionally, a personalized form of LADD, or pLADD, is being developed utilizing tumor neoantigens that are specific to an individual patient’s tumor. Aduro's STING Pathway Activator platform is designed to activate the intracellular STING receptor, resulting in a potent tumor-specific immune response. ADU-S100 is the first STING Pathway Activator compound to enter the clinic and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 study in patients with cutaneously accessible metastatic solid tumors or lymphomas. Aduro’s B-select monoclonal antibody platform includes a number of immune modulating assets in research and preclinical development. Aduro is collaborating with leading global pharmaceutical companies to expand its products and technology platforms. For more information, please visit www.aduro.com .
Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our intentions or current expectations concerning, among other things, the potential for an anti-APRIL antibody, such as BION-1301, the potential for our other product candidates and technology platforms, and development plans for, and the potential for eventual regulatory approval of, our product candidates. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “will,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “project,” “expect” or the negative or plural of these words or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those anticipated, including, but not limited to, our history of net operating losses and uncertainty regarding our ability to achieve profitability, our ability to develop and commercialize our product candidates, our ability to use and expand our technology platforms to build a pipeline of product candidates, our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates, our inability to operate in a competitive industry and compete successfully against competitors that have greater resources than we do, our reliance on third parties, and our ability to obtain and adequately protect intellectual property rights for our product candidates. We discuss many of these risks in greater detail under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statements that we make in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We assume no obligation to update our forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this press release.
Contact: Sylvia Wheeler SVP, Corporate Affairs 510 809 9264 Media Contact: Susan Lehner 510 809 2137 press@aduro.com
