Neogap Therapeutics has announced the treatment of the first patients in its Phase I/II clinical trial of personalized Tumor Trained Lymphocyte (pTTL) therapy. This innovative approach aims to enhance a patient’s own T cells, enabling them to more effectively combat cancer by targeting neoantigens specific to their tumor.
The clinical trial is being conducted across three sites in Sweden: Karolinska University Hospital, Danderyd’s Hospital, and Västmanland Hospital. Patients with stage IV metastatic colorectal cancer are being recruited for the trial, with investigators planning to enroll up to 16 patients in total. The primary goal is to assess the safety and efficacy of the pTTL therapy.
Personalized Approach to Cancer Treatment
Neogap's pTTL therapy leverages a patient's own immune system to fight cancer. The process begins with identifying neoantigens expressed by the patient's tumor, using a proprietary software program called PIOR. PIOR employs machine learning, drawing on patient data and historical data from healthy individuals and cancer patients, to identify up to 36 suitable neoantigen targets.
Neogap then creates a treatment using its EpiTCer bead technology, designed to target the identified neoantigens. These beads are taken up by antigen-presenting cells, such as macrophages or dendritic cells, which then present the neoantigens to the patient's T cells. This process trains the T cells to specifically target the patient's cancer cells.
Differentiating from CAR-T Therapy
While Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has gained prominence for treating advanced blood cancers, Neogap's approach differs significantly. CAR-T therapy involves genetically modifying a patient's T cells in the lab to target their cancer. In contrast, Neogap's pTTL therapy retrains the T cells without any genetic modification. The EpiTCer beads are used to train the T cells in the lab before they are reinfused into the patient, creating a highly tailored therapy.
Samuel Svensson, CEO of NEOGAP Therapeutics, stated, "We are delighted to have treated the first patients – this is a significant milestone in our clinical trial and our mission to develop curative treatments for critically ill cancer patients. We have an outstanding trial team and look forward to the upcoming results."
If proven effective and safe, this personalized immunotherapy approach could offer a valuable new treatment option for patients with limited alternatives.
