Cantargia presents new data and development plan, non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer have been selected as primary indications for CAN04

Lund, 17 November 2015. Cantargia AB (“Cantargia”) will today be making a presentation at the “Sedermeradagen” in Stockholm. The company will be presenting a development plan for its CAN04 product candidate. Going forward, clinical development activities will be focused on non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. Data from the initial toxicity study show that a single dose of CAN04 was well tolerated and no indications of toxicity were noted for clinically relevant doses. The project is following the timetable communicated in connection with the IPO in March 2015.

Focus on non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer

Cantargia is developing an antibody against the IL1RAP target molecule for cancer treatment. Preclinical data indicate that the antibody has the potential to be used for treatment of several forms of cancer. In 2015 the company completed a preclinical programme. This programme has provided data for the selection of two cancer diseases where the company believes treatment with CAN04 will generate an indication of antitumour activity in the initial clinical study. Using the information currently available, Cantargia will thus be focusing its development activities on non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Clinical studies

A clinical phase I/IIa study in these cancer forms will be initiated in late 2016. To ensure good recruitment during the dose escalation phase, i.e. the phase I part of the study, further solid cancer diseases may be studied initially. In addition to this study, the company intends to start one further clinical study in 2017, which will be designed to study the effect on biomarkers and the mechanism of action with the aim of obtaining early signals of biological activity in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).

Toxicity study

Cantargia will also be reporting the results from the initial toxicity study of CAN04 administered as a single dose. No indications of toxicity have been observed in any dose level up to the therapeutic dose of 5 mg/kg and no effects which could indicate toxicity during repeated doses have been observed using biomarkers. Studies in human tissue sections show a very low expression of the IL1RAP target molecule, supporting the good tolerability.

“Both we and independent research teams are presenting a growing body of data in the field. It is clear that Cantargia’s CAN04 product candidate has significant potential. To focus our development activities, we have selected two forms of cancer for which the existing data indicate that the interleukin 1 system could play a role in the progression of the disease and where there is a high expression of IL1RAP. We will continue our development activities in non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, where we see a potential to develop a new and safe treatment alternative for these life-threatening cancer diseases with a very strong medical need”, says Göran Forsberg, CEO of Cantargia AB.

The presentation will take place between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. and can be followed at www.sedermeradagen.se.

For further information, please contact
Göran Forsberg, CEO
Telephone: +46 (0)46-275 62 60
E-mail: goran.forsberg@cantargia.com