Targovax to Host Key Opinion Leader Symposium on Oncolytic Viruses in New York City, 11 October 2018
Symposium faculty to include Dmitriy Zamarin, MD, PhD, and Alexander N. Shoushtari, MD, medical oncologists from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Oslo, Norway, 27 September 2018 – Targovax ASA (OSE: TRVX), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing immune activators to target hard to treat solid tumors, is hosting a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) symposium in New York City on Thursday 11 October 2018, featuring two renowned immunotherapy experts from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
The meeting will consist of presentations from world leading experts on oncolytic viruses, as well as presentations from the Targovax senior management team. Presentations and discussion will include an overview of oncolytic viruses in general and the potential of this emerging technology in the treatment of cancer, including how the engineered ONCOS adenovirus fits into the broader landscape.
The CMO of Targovax, Dr. Magnus Jäderberg, will also discuss the status of the ongoing ONCOS-102 clinical program, and Dr. Shoushtari will present interim data from the Phase I trial in checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) refractory advanced melanoma. Please see press release issued today for top-line results.
Symposium Faculty participants:
Dmitriy Zamarin, MD, PhD, Medical Oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering
Dr. Zamarin’s research is focused on the development of novel ways to use the immune system to treat cancer, including evaluation of novel immunotherapy drugs. He has published several landmark papers on oncolytic viruses and is the Study Chair on the ONCOS-102 trial in peritoneal cancer, in collaboration with Cancer Research Institute (CRI), Ludwig Cancer Research and MedImmune/AstraZeneca.
Alexander N. Shoushtari, MD, Medical Oncologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering
Dr. Shoushtari is a renowned expert in melanoma, with a research focus on uveal and mucosal melanomas. He has been part of several immunotherapy trials at MSKCC and is the Principal Investigator on the ONCOS-102 phase I trial in CPI refractory advanced melanoma.
Drs. Zamarin and Shoushtari are both members of the research team of Dr. Jedd Wolchok, MD, PhD, Chief, Melanoma and Immunotherapeutics Service at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
The event starts at 12:00 EST / 18:00 CET. A complete program agenda will be available shortly. A live webcast of the symposium will be available in the Events and Presentations section of the Targovax website.
To register for the event, please contact jporcelli@troutgroup.com or visit www.troutaccess.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
Simon Conway/Stephanie Cuthbert - FTI Consulting (International)
Phone: +44 20 3727 1000
Email: Targovax@fticonsulting.com
About Targovax
Activating the patient's immune system to fight cance
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 is used as a therapeutic cancer vaccine and 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 lead indication is mesothelioma, where the virus is currently being tested in a randomized phase II trial, with a phase Ib safety lead-in cohort. Another trial, in advanced melanoma, is expected to produce important proof of concept data for checkpoint inhibitor refractory patients within the next 6-12 months.
Targovax is also developing a neo-antigen cancer vaccine targeting tumors that express mutated forms of RAS - mutations known to drive cancer. The TG vaccine program has shown a signal of efficacy in a 32-patient trial with TG01 in resected pancreatic cancer. A next generation product candidate, TG02 is currently tested as monotherapy and will also be tested in combination with Keytruda® (an anti-PD1 Check point inhibitor, CPI).