Planned industry first clinical trial combining BeiGene's checkpoint inhibitor tislelizumab with Indaptus' broadly targeted, short duration systemic immune stimulator Decoy20 expected to start in 2025
Indaptus Therapeutics Management will hold a conference call on October 22, 2024 at 4:30PM ET to discuss the agreement and future plans
NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Indaptus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: INDP), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering innovative cancer and viral infection treatments, today announced a clinical supply agreement with BeiGene. Building on Indaptus' preclinical observation that Decoy20, when combined with a PD-1 inhibitor, induced complete cancer regressions and immunological memory in animal models, Indaptus plans to advance human clinical evaluation of the combination of BeiGene's anti-PD-1 antibody, tislelizumab, with Indaptus' Decoy20, a novel treatment designed to induce a broad immune response to fight cancer.
Indaptus' Decoy20 is being studied for its potential to treat a variety of cancers, including liver, colon, and pancreatic. PD-1 inhibitors are considered key agents in modern immunotherapy and have produced impressive response rates in some patients. In preclinical studies, Decoy20, when used in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor and an oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, demonstrated tumor eradication rates of 80-100%. Indaptus hopes to find a treatment combination that similarly improves outcomes in humans.
"PD-1 inhibitors have proven to be meaningful in treating multiple types of cancer. We are optimistic that we can improve outcomes by broadly and safely stimulating the immune system in a way that could enhance overall effectiveness of currently approved cancer treatments,” said Jeffrey Meckler, CEO of Indaptus Therapeutics. "This agreement with BeiGene marks a significant step forward in the search for curative cancer treatments for some of the most challenging cancers. Additionally, we view this as a significant milestone for Indaptus.”
As part of the agreement, BeiGene will provide Indaptus with access to its PD-1 inhibitor as well as technical expertise in order to accelerate the first clinical trial combining the two investigational drugs. Decoy20 utilizes Indaptus' unique "Pulse-Prime” approach, which induces a strong and broad boost to the immune system but clears rapidly with only transient and tolerable side effects.
"Decoy20's ability to synergize with a variety of approved therapeutic modalities, including checkpoint therapy, makes it a promising partner for several novel combination approaches,” said Dr. Michael Newman, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Indaptus. "This trial could reshape the checkpoint therapy landscape, as it will be the first time a short but broadly acting agent such as Decoy20, utilizing our innovative Pulse-Prime approach, will be tested in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor."
Indaptus will seek approval from the FDA to initiate a combination trial, which is anticipated to begin in 2025.
Conference Call to be held October 22, 2024 at 4:30PM ET
Indaptus management will host a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss this development and outline the Company's path forward. Following management's formal remarks, there will be a question-and-answer session.
Participants can register for the conference by navigating here. Registered participants will receive their dial in number upon registration. Participants who have not preregistered within the U.S. should dial 1-866-777-2509 (domestic) or 1-412-317-5413 (international). All callers should dial in approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and ask to be joined into the Indaptus Therapeutics conference call.
The conference call will also be available through a live webcast that can be accessed here. A replay of this call will be available until January 22, 2025, and can be accessed at the link above.
A telephonic replay of the call will be available until November 22, 2024 by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (or 1-412-317-0088 for international callers) and using replay access code 8098162.
About PD-1 Inhibitors
PD-1 inhibitors are a class of immunotherapy drugs that block the PD-1 (programmed death-1) receptor on T cells, preventing cancer cells from evading immune detection. By inhibiting the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands (PD-L1/PD-L2) on tumor cells, these drugs restore the ability of the adaptive arm of the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
About Indaptus Therapeutics
Indaptus Therapeutics has evolved from more than a century of immunotherapy advances. The Company's novel approach is based on the hypothesis that efficient activation of both innate and adaptive immune cells and pathways and associated anti-tumor and anti-viral immune responses will require a multi-targeted package of immune system-activating signals that can be administered safely intravenously (i.v.). Indaptus' patented technology is composed of single strains of attenuated and killed, non-pathogenic, Gram-negative bacteria producing a multiple Toll-like receptor (TLR), Nucleotide oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR) and Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist Decoy platform. The product candidates are designed to have reduced i.v. toxicity, but largely uncompromised ability to prime or activate many of the cells and pathways of innate and adaptive immunity. Decoy product candidates represent an antigen-agnostic technology that have produced single-agent activity against metastatic pancreatic and orthotopic colorectal carcinomas, single agent eradication of established antigen-expressing breast carcinoma, as well as combination-mediated eradication of established hepatocellular carcinomas, pancreatic and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in standard pre-clinical models, including syngeneic mouse tumors and human tumor xenografts. In pre-clinical studies tumor eradication was observed with Decoy product candidates in combination with anti-PD-1 checkpoint therapy, low-dose chemotherapy, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or an approved, targeted antibody. Combination-based tumor eradication in pre-clinical models produced innate and adaptive immunological memory, involved activation of both innate and adaptive immune cells, and was associated with induction of innate and adaptive immune pathways in tumors after only one i.v. dose of Decoy product candidate, with associated "cold” to "hot” tumor inflammation signature transition. IND-enabling, nonclinical toxicology studies demonstrated i.v. administration without sustained induction of hallmark biomarkers of cytokine release syndromes, possibly due to passive targeting to liver, spleen, and tumor, followed by rapid elimination of the product candidate. Indaptus' Decoy product candidates have also produced meaningful single agent activity against chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and chronic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in pre-clinical models.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. These include statements regarding management's expectations, beliefs and intentions regarding, among other things: our expectations and plans regarding our clinical supply agreement with BeiGene; our plans to advance clinical evaluation of the combination of BeiGene's anti-PD-1 antibody, tislelizumab, with Decoy20; our plans to seek FDA approval and to initiate a combination trial; the anticipated effects of our product candidates, including Decoy20; the plans and objectives of management for future operations; our research and development activities and costs; the sufficiency of our cash and cash equivalents to fund our ongoing activities and our cash management strategy; and our assessment of financing options to support our corporate strategy. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "believe”, "expect”, "intend”, "plan”, "may”, "should”, "could”, "might”, "seek”, "target”, "will”, "project”, "forecast”, "continue” or "anticipate” or their negatives or variations of these words or other comparable words or by the fact that these statements do not relate strictly to historical matters. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to the following: our limited operating history; conditions and events that raise substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as going concern; the need for, and our ability to raise, additional capital given our lack of current cash flow; our clinical and preclinical development, which involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome; our incurrence of significant research and development expenses and other operating expenses, which may make it difficult for us to attain profitability; our pursuit of a limited number of research programs, product candidates and specific indications and failure to capitalize on product candidates or indications that may be more profitable or have a greater likelihood of success; our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of any product candidate; the market acceptance of our product candidates; our reliance on third parties to conduct our preclinical studies and clinical trials and perform other tasks; our reliance on third parties for the manufacture of our product candidates during clinical development; our ability to successfully commercialize Decoy20 or any future product candidates; our ability to obtain or maintain coverage and adequate reimbursement for our products; the impact of legislation and healthcare reform measures on our ability to obtain marketing approval for and commercialize Decoy20 and any future product candidates; product candidates of our competitors that may be approved faster, marketed more effectively, and better tolerated than our product candidates; our ability to adequately protect our proprietary or licensed technology in the marketplace; the impact of, and costs of complying with healthcare laws and regulations, and our failure to comply with such laws and regulations; information technology system failures, cyberattacks or deficiencies in our cybersecurity; and unfavorable global economic conditions. These and other important factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors” included in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 filed with the SEC on August 12, 2024, our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 13, 2024, and our other filings with the SEC, could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements included in this press release. We undertake no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law.
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