Targovax ASA: First quarter 2019 results
Oslo, Norway, 9 May 2019 - Targovax ASA (OSE: TRVX), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing immune activators to target hard-to-treat solid tumors, today announces its first quarter 2019 results.
A meeting for investors, analysts and press will take place in Oslo today at 10:00 CET (details below).
HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER 2019
- The first patient was treated in the dose expansion cohort of the ONCOS-102 trial in checkpoint inhibitor refractory advanced melanoma
- Finalized the first development stage for new viruses, filed patents on three viruses
- The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Cancer Research Institute and Targovax signed a collaboration agreement to run a clinical trial with the TG vaccine in advanced pancreatic cancer in combination with other immunotherapies
- The European Patent Office granted a European patent which protects Targovax's TG01/02 mutant-RAS specific peptides and mutant RAS specific T-cells, for the treatment of cancer in combination with chemotherapies. This extends TG01/02 IP protection to 2034
- The US Patent and Trademark Office issued a Notice of Allowance in the US on a patent covering the TG mutant-RAS neoantigen vaccine platform. The allowed patent protects the composition of matter of Targovax’s mutant-RAS specific neoantigen peptides and vaccines TG02 and TG03
- Targovax granted Zelluna Immunotherapy an FTO license to intellectual property relating to mutant RAS T-cell receptor technology
- Targovax successfully completed a Private Placement (PP), raising gross proceeds of NOK 74m
POST-PERIOD HIGHLIGHTS
- In May, Targovax announced the completion of enrollment of ONCOS-102 trial in mesothelioma. Randomized data expected around New Year
Øystein Soug, CEO commented: “Throughout the first quarter of 2019 we have seen strong recruitment in several of our clinical trials. The first patient in the second cohort in the melanoma trial was dosed. The mesothelioma and peritoneal trials recruited very well. Based on recent RAS vaccine data, we entered into a research collaboration agreement with the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and CRI. Within this collaboration, the intention is to conduct a clinical trial in combination with other anti-cancer treatments. This collaboration may be important, not only by testing TG vaccination in a new patient population – it also enables us to work with some of the world’s leading experts in immunotherapy and pancreatic cancer. This may open up many new opportunities for the TG program in the future."
Presentation
The presentation will take place at 10:00 CET at:
Hotel Continental
Stortingsgaten 24/26
0117 Oslo
The presentation will also be webcast live and can be accessed here.
Reporting material
The quarterly report and presentation are also available at the website www.targovax.com.
For further information, please contact:
Renate Birkeli, Investor Relations
Phone: +47 922 61 624
Email: renate.birkeli@targovax.com
Media and IR enquires:
Andreas Tinglum - Corporate Communications (Norway)
Phone: +47 9300 1773
Email: andreas.tinglum@corpcom.no
About Targovax
Activating the patient's immune system to fight cancer
Targovax (OSE:TRVX) is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing immune activators to target hard-to-treat solid tumors. Immuno-oncology is currently one of the fastest growing therapeutic fields in medicine.
Targovax’s lead product candidate, ONCOS-102, is a genetically modified oncolytic adenovirus, which has been engineered to selectively infect and replicate in cancer cells. It has been shown to activate the immune system to generate tumor-specific immune responses. In phase I trials, ONCOS-102 induced both local and systemic innate and adaptive immune activation, which has been associated with clinical benefit. ONCOS-102’s targeted path-to-market indication is mesothelioma, where the virus is currently being tested in a randomized phase II trial. Another trial, in checkpoint inhibitor refractory advanced melanoma, is expected to produce important proof-of-concept immune activation data in heavily pre-treated patients.
Targovax is also developing a neoantigen cancer vaccine targeting tumors with oncogenic RAS–mutations, which are known to drive cancer. The TG vaccine program has shown strong RAS-specific immune activation and a signal of clinical efficacy in a 32-patient trial with TG01 in resected pancreatic cancer. A next generation product candidate, TG02 is currently tested in a phase I trial in colorectal cancer, both as monotherapy and in combination with Keytruda (an anti-PD1 check point inhibitor).