Avacta Therapeutics has achieved a breakthrough in oncology drug delivery by developing the first dual-payload peptide drug conjugate (PDC) platform, marking a significant advancement in combination cancer therapy. The clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company will present data on this groundbreaking technology at the 2025 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Boston on October 25.
Revolutionary Dual-Payload Technology
The innovative platform represents an extension of Avacta's proprietary pre|CISION® technology, enabling the delivery of two complementary drugs through a single molecule. This approach leverages fibroblast activation protein (FAP) cleavage to achieve selective and controlled release of two cancer-targeting payloads directly within the tumor microenvironment.
Previously, the pre|CISION® platform focused on optimizing single payload delivery to the tumor microenvironment through FAP cleavage events. FAP is expressed in more than 90% of solid tumors, making it an attractive target for selective drug delivery. The new dual payload innovation significantly expands the platform's versatility and opens potential for more complex and effective oncology treatments.
Addressing Cancer Resistance Mechanisms
Drug combinations are commonly employed in cancer therapy to improve treatment outcomes and mitigate against resistance development. Avacta's novel approach addresses this clinical need by enabling simultaneous targeting of tumors with cytotoxic drugs while attacking known resistance mechanisms through a single therapeutic molecule.
"The development of the first dual payload peptide drug conjugate platform marks a major leap forward in oncology therapy," said Christina Coughlin, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Avacta. "This significantly extends the potential of our innovative pre|CISION® platform by implementing combination cancer therapy in a single medicine."
Building on Previous Success
The dual payload platform builds upon the success of Avacta's FAP-EXd (AVA6103) program, where the company developed a sustained release delivery mechanism. The new implementation extends this capability to release two drugs from one pre|CISION® molecule, specifically targeting highly-resistant cancers by addressing key resistance mechanisms.
"By building on the prior knowledge, we have now extended the reach to highly-resistant cancers by targeting key resistance mechanisms," Coughlin explained. "This drug combination approach demonstrates the value we are building in our proprietary pre|CISION® technology by further underlining its flexibility and unique potential to expand into novel oncology therapeutic approaches."
Conference Presentation Details
The company will present in vitro proof-of-mechanism data for this platform innovation during Poster Session C at the conference. The presentation, titled "Discovery and characterization of novel pre|CISION® technology compounds delivering complementary dual payloads to the tumor microenvironment following FAP cleavage," will be delivered by Francis Wilson on Saturday, October 25, from 12:30-4pm.
The research team includes Tom Clough, Alexa Kennedy, Ellen Watts, Iva Zlatareva, Folake Orafidiya, Hanna Buist, Jannah Jeon, Sophie Brown, Doug Sammon, Victoria Juskaite, David Jones, Dave Liebowitz, Michelle Morrow, and Francis Wilson, representing a collaborative effort to advance this novel therapeutic approach.
