Nectin Therapeutics Adds Combination Therapy Arm & Expands Sites in Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Its First-in-Class Anti-PVR Immune-Oncology Agent

Nectin Therapeutics Ltd. recently announced it has progressed its Phase 1 clinical trial of NTX1088 to include a combination therapy arm with the immune-oncology drug KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 therapy, and expanded the clinical trial to five global sites.

The clinical trial sites include City of Hope in California, Sheba Medical Center and Hadassah Medical Center in Israel, along with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas and Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in Louisiana. Notably, the NTX1088 clinical trial is the first to enroll patients at the new Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center partnership that was established to ensure that Ochsner cancer patients have access to the most advanced care, including to clinical trials of innovative therapies.

“As a leader in cancer care, Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center is committed to providing world-class care to the southeastern Louisiana community,” said Dr. Marc Matrana, Director, Precision Cancer Therapies and Research Program at Ochsner. “Part of that commitment is ensuring that our patients have access to clinical trials of innovative new cancer therapies. We are impressed by the promising preclinical data and the novel mechanism of action of PVR blockade, and we are delighted to join with Nectin Therapeutics to support the Phase 1 trial of NTX1088.”

NTX1088 is Nectin’s first-in-class lead candidate – a highly potent monoclonal antibody directed against PVR (CD155), a transmembrane protein expressed on cancer cells and associated with resistance to PD1 and PDL1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. PVR blockade by NTX1088 is the first and only therapeutic approach aimed at restoring the antitumor immune activity of DNAM1 (CD226). DNAM1 is a cell surface glycoprotein, central to the function of T-cells and NK cells, which are degraded by PVR on tumor cells. Restoring the expression and activation of DNAM1 by blocking PVR results in increased antitumor activity from T-cells and NK cells. Additionally, PVR blockade by NTX1088 further stimulates an antitumor immune response by preventing the suppressing signaling of several immune checkpoint receptors, including TIGIT and CD96. NTX1088 is currently being clinically evaluated as a monotherapy and in combination with KEYTRUDA in patients with advanced solid tumors.

“We are encouraged by the rapid progress of our NTX1088 clinical program,” said Dr. Keren Paz, Chief Development Officer of Nectin Therapeutics. “Our collaboration with Merck, and the rapid expansion of our clinical trial sites significantly increase cancer patients’ access to the trial. We value the commitment of our new partners to the mission of developing life-saving therapies and look forward to advancing innovative medicines to improve the lives of cancer patients.”

The NTX1088 Phase 1 trial is being conducted with support from The Cancer Focus Fund, a unique investment fund established in collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The fund provides investment support to advance promising cancer therapies along with the clinical trial expertise and infrastructure of MD Anderson Cancer Center sites.

KEYTRUDA is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ.

NTX1088 is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody directed against a key immune checkpoint, PVR (CD155), currently in a Phase I clinical trial. NTX1088 blocks the interaction between PVR and DNAM1 (CD226), a transmembrane molecule involved in the activation of anti-cancer T-cells and NK cells. By preventing internalization and degradation of DNAM1, NTX1088 leads to restoration of DNAM1 expression on the surface of immune cells, resulting in robust antitumor activity. NTX1088 also blocks PVR interactions with its other ligands, such as TIGIT and CD96, preventing their immune inhibitory signaling. NTX1088 demonstrated superior antitumor activity compared to approved and investigational immune checkpoint inhibitors in preclinical models and had a favorable safety profile in non-human primates. NTX1088 is currently being clinically evaluated as a monotherapy and in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Nectin Therapeutics is a clinical stage biotechnology company devoted to transforming the lives of cancer patients by leveraging unique insights into nectin pathways to develop the next generation of immune oncology (IO) therapies. The company’s differentiated therapies have the potential to set new standards for efficacy and patient response rates across various difficult-to-treat cancers. Nectin’s technology addresses major escape mechanisms of current IO therapies through a diverse pipeline of novel monoclonal antibodies and antibody drug conjugates (ADCs). It has a world-class scientific and management team with deep experience in oncology drug development and successful track records in building biotechnology companies and developing innovative therapies. Nectin Therapeutics is a venture-backed, privately held company, funded by aMoon Fund, Peregrine Ventures, IBF, Integra Holdings, the Myeloma Investment Fund and the Cancer Focus Fund.