Nanobiotix presents NBTXR3 preclinical data
November 14, 2016 – Pharmaceutical –
Paris, France and Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, November 14, 2016 – NANOBIOTIX,
a late clinical-stage nanomedicine company pioneering novel approaches
for the local treatment of cancer, today announces preclinical data
demonstrating that its leading radioenhancer nanoparticle, NBTXR3,
actively stimulates the host immune system to attack tumor cells. These
data from the ongoing NBTXR3 immuno-oncology preclinical program were
presented at one of the leading global immuno-oncology conferences, the
31st Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC),
being held November 9-13, 2016 in National Harbor, Maryland, USA (Paris
S., Pottier A., Levy L., and Lu B. Hafnium oxide nanoparticles, a
radiation enhancer for in situ cancer vaccine).
Laurent Levy, CEO
of Nanobiotix, commented: ‘These exciting data show that NBTXR3 could
be a potential game changer in Immuno-oncology combination landscape.
This raises the possibility of synergies between NBTXR3, radiotherapy
and immunotherapies. On the top of existing core developments of our
product as a single agent, this is opening new doors for industrial
collaborations.’
Data presented showing the potential of NBTXR3 in Immuno-Oncology
During
the presentation, Nanobiotix scientists and Dr. Bo Lu, MD, Director of
the Molecular Radiation Biology in the Department of Radiation Oncology
at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, presented
study results which demonstrate that radiotherapy with NBTXR3 elicits a
marked enhancement of Immunogenic Cell Death (ICD) compared to
radiotherapy alone across different cancer cell lines, in radioresistant
or radiosensitive models.
In a second experiment, the phenomenon
known as the abscopal effect was evaluated (i.e. an effect outside the
scope of the localized treatment). Two tumors were implanted on both
sides of mice, and subsequently only one tumor was treated with
NBTXR3-radiation therapy. As a result, both tumors demonstrated volume
shrinkage. Specifically, the study showed that use of NBTXR3 in
combination with radiotherapy resulted in a control on the untreated
tumor and a statistically significant increase of overall survival. No
abscopal effect was observed in control groups and group treated with
radiation therapy alone.
A third experiment has demonstrated that
NBTXR3 combined with radiotherapy could be used to create a vaccine ex
vivo with a higher rate of long term vaccination success when compared
to radiotherapy alone.
Elsa Borghi, CMO of Nanobiotix commented: ‘Although
immunotherapies hold great promise in treating cancer, one of the main
barriers is that most of tumors do not provoke an immune response, which
renders immunotherapy ineffective in many patients. The findings from
this research indicate that NBTXR3 could have the potential to transform
a tumor into an in situ vaccine. It could convert an immunologically
ëcoldí tumor, which does not provoke an immune response, to a ëhotí
tumor, which induces an immune response and therefore provokes a host
immune response to attack tumor cells.’
NBTXR3 competitive positioning in Immuno-Oncology
Radiotherapy
is an established standard of care in many solid tumor types
(approximately 60% of all cancer patients receive radiotherapy).
Compared to other products used for priming of the tumor, currently in
development for Immuno-Oncology, NBTXR3 could have a number of
advantages: a physical and universal mode of action that could be used
widely across oncology, one time local injection, a good fit within
existing medical practice already used a base for cancer treatment,
limited or no systemic toxicity, and a well-established manufacturing
process.
Radiotherapy is often given within the first lines of
cancer treatment, compare to most current positioning of immuno-oncology
development in a later stage treatment. A successful approach using
NBTXR3 in immuno-oncology could make it a key player by offering
treatment options in earlier stages of the disease.
Taken
together, these data indicate that radiotherapy in combination with
NBTXR3 could play a key role in immuno- oncology and could be used in
synergy with several immuno-oncology approaches to increase patient
responses across many different types of cancer.
NBTXR3 current clinical development as a single agent
Outside
immuno-oncology field and as a single agent, NBTXR3 is in late stage
clinical development, for its capability to enhance the dose of
radiotherapy within the tumor and more efficiently destroy cancer cells.
Worldwide clinical development is currently covering seven patient
populations and a first market approval has been filed in EU in August
2016.
