Full Press Release Details
Unum Therapeutics Announces Strategic Focus on Developing
Cellular Therapies for Solid Tumor
- Solid tumor cancers represent the greatest unmet medical need for targeted cell therapies; Unum s goals are to more
selectively target solid tumors with its ACTR platform candidates and improve T cell functionality in the solid tumor microenvironment with its BOXR platform candidates -
- Priorities moving forward include completing its ongoing Phase 1 trial with ACTR707 in HER2+ cancers, filing an IND for BOXR1030, and
expanding its BOXR platform for further pipeline expansion -
- Company to deemphasize hematologic programs with plans for limited
dose-escalation in Phase 1 non-Hodgkin lymphoma trial and suspension of Phase 1 multiple myeloma trial -
- Conference call scheduled for today at 4:30 p.m. EST -
CAMBRIDGE, MA, November 4, 2019 Unum Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: UMRX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing curative
cell therapies for cancer, today announced a strategic shift to focus development on its ACTR and BOXR product candidates in solid tumors and supportive platform capabilities.
We are uniquely positioned to address the challenge of treating solid tumor cancers, and now is the time to focus our efforts, having recently validated
our ACTR technology in the hematologic setting and with preclinical data emerging from BOXR1030, the first product candidate from our BOXR platform. Our ACTR technology enables selective T cell targeting for
on-tumor attack, while our BOXR platform makes it possible to overcome solid tumor immunosuppression, the fundamental challenge that has limited the effectiveness of cell therapies, said Chuck Wilson
Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Unum. Our priorities in solid tumors include completing the ongoing Phase 1 trial of ACTR707 in HER2+ cancers; advancing BOXR1030 towards the clinic with an anticipated IND filing in 2020; and
expanding our BOXR platform to accelerate discovery of new product candidates across a broad range of immune cell therapies, including both autologous and allogeneic approaches.
ACTR707 was engineered for properties that optimize its function in solid tumors including increased proliferation, cytokine secretion, and persistence. With
Unum s focus on developing therapies for solid tumors, the company will de-prioritize investment in its hematologic programs. Testing through the first four dose levels in the ongoing ATTCK-20-03 Phase 1 trial in non-Hodgkin lymphoma has now established
proof-of-concept for ACTR707. Given favorable tolerability to date at relatively low doses, Unum is
announcing today plans to continue limited dose escalation to inform potential future development of the program in 2020.
Separately, Unum and its partner, Seattle Genetics, Inc., have suspended further dose-escalation of the ATTCK-17-01 Phase 1 trial of ACTR087 with SEA-BCMA in multiple myeloma pending a further review of this program. No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) following ACTR087
administration were reported and no severe adverse events of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or neurologic events have been observed to date.
Tumor Program Highlights
Hematologic Program Highlights
Investor Call and Webcast Information
Unum will host a live conference call and webcast today, November 4, 2019, at 4:30 p.m. ET, to discuss these company updates. To access the call, please
dial 866-300-3411 (domestic) or 636-812-6658 (international) and refer to conference ID
number 2177408. A webcast will be available at unumrx.com at least 10 minutes before the event begins. The archived webcast will be available at the same location approximately two hours after the event and will be archived for 90 days.
About Unum Therapeutics
Unum Therapeutics is a
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing curative cell therapies to treat a broad range of cancer patients. Unum s novel proprietary technologies include Antibody-Coupled T cell Receptor (ACTR), an autologous engineered T-cell therapy that combines the cell-killing ability of T cells and the tumor-targeting ability of co-administered antibodies to exert potent antitumor
immune responses, and Bolt-On Chimeric Receptor (BOXR), designed to improve the functionality of engineered T cells by incorporating a bolt-on transgene to overcome resistance of the solid tumor microenvironment to T cell attack. Unum has multiple programs in Phase 1 clinical testing and preclinical testing, including; ACTR707 used in
combination with trastuzumab in adult patients with HER2+ advanced cancer and used in combination with rituximab in adult patients with r/r NHL; and BOXR1030 expressing the GOT2 transgene and targeting GPC3+ solid tumor cancers. The Company is
headquartered in Cambridge, MA.
Follow Unum Therapeutics on social media: @UnumRx, and LinkedIn.
Forward looking Statements
This press release contains
forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements regarding our future expectations, plans and prospects, including projections regarding future revenues and financial performance, our long-term growth, enrollment and results for
our preclinical and clinical activities, the development of our product candidates, including the ACTR product candidates and the BOXR platform and product candidates, our plans for the
ATTCK-17-01 Phase 1 trial, and the anticipated timing and success of any of our preclinical studies, clinical trials and regulatory filings, as well as other statements
containing the words anticipate, believe, continue, could, estimate, expect, intend, may, might, plan, potential,
predict, project, should, target, will, or would and similar expressions, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of The Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. We may not actually achieve the forecasts disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ
materially from the projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make as a result of a variety of risks and uncertainties, including risks related to the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, future revenues, capital
requirements, and the need for additional financing, the success, cost and timing of our product development activities and clinical trials, our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval for our product candidates, and the other risks and
uncertainties described in the Risk Factors sections of our public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views as of the date hereof.
We anticipate that subsequent events and developments may cause our views to change. However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so. These
forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.
Stern Investor Relations, Inc.
Stephanie Ascher, 212-362-1200