BriaPro Therapeutics Corp., a majority-owned subsidiary of clinical-stage biotechnology company BriaCell Therapeutics Corp., has filed a provisional patent application for its novel TILsRx immunotherapy platform designed to overcome immune suppression in cancer treatment. The multivalent technology enables simultaneous engagement of multiple tumor-associated and immune pathway targets, addressing key challenges in current cancer immunotherapy approaches.
Multivalent Approach Targets T Cell Exhaustion
The TILsRx platform specifically addresses immune suppression and T cell exhaustion commonly observed with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The multivalent agents, which include antibodies, soluble receptors, and cytokines, are designed to improve T cell activation and persistence within the tumor microenvironment while enhancing TIL binding to tumor cells and blocking immune checkpoints that suppress anti-tumor responses.
"We have developed novel multivalent anti-cancer agents which we expect to be both highly selective and highly effective, maximizing on-target efficacy while minimizing off-target toxicity to provide improved clinical responses in multiple indications," stated Miguel Lopez-Lago, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of BriaCell and BriaPro.
Platform Components and Targeting Strategy
The TILsRx agents incorporate several specific functional elements designed for multifunctional cancer-killing actions. Key components include soluble CD80, which serves a dual function as both an immune checkpoint inhibitor and immunostimulator, anti-CD3 as a potent T cell activator, and IL-21 as an enhancer of cytotoxic T cell function. The platform also targets STEAP1, a cancer antigen expressed in prostate cancer among other malignancies.
An early candidate target is B7-H3, a tumor antigen that demonstrates significant overexpression in multiple cancer types including prostate, lung, breast, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers, while showing minimal expression in normal tissue. This selective expression pattern suggests potential for improved tolerability compared to broader-targeting approaches.
Manufacturing Efficiency and Future Expansion
According to Markus D. Lacher, PhD, a key inventor of the technology, the TILsRx platform combines shared core components that improve manufacturing efficiency with elements targeting specific cell surface antigens. "This strategy provides the flexibility to include new immunotherapy targets identified in the future. We look forward to advancing this exciting technology through pre-clinical and clinical stages," Lacher stated.
Dr. William V. Williams, President and CEO of both BriaPro and BriaCell, emphasized the platform's potential for cost-effective pipeline expansion. "Our advanced multivalent technology provides us with a platform to quickly expand our proprietary pipeline of novel immuno-oncology programs in BriaPro in a cost-effective manner," Williams said. "We anticipate that the multivalent approach will have activity against multiple types of cancers and may also synergize with BriaCell's cell-based cancer vaccine programmes."
Development Timeline and Strategic Positioning
BriaPro, operating as a pre-clinical stage immunotherapy company, is developing binding agents and proteins intended to enhance the body's cancer-fighting cells' ability to destroy tumors. The TILsRx platform represents a strategic expansion of the company's immunotherapy portfolio, with plans to advance the technology through pre-clinical and clinical development stages.
The patent filing positions BriaPro to develop what the company expects will be a preferred tolerability profile due to selective cancer cell targeting within the tumor microenvironment, potentially addressing limitations of current immunotherapy approaches that may cause broader systemic effects.
