Full Press Release Details
Enlivex Receives Positive DSMB Recommendation and IMOH Clearance to Continue
Phase I/II Trial of Allocetra combined with chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal metastases arising from solid cancers
Nes-Ziona, Israel, March 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)
-- Enlivex Therapeutics Ltd. (Nasdaq: ENLV, the "Company"), a clinical-stage macrophage reprogramming immunotherapy company,
today announced that an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has completed an interim data review for the first cohort
of patients in the Company's ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial of Allocetra in patients with advanced-stage peritoneal metastasis
arising from solid tumors as an add-on to the standard of care (SoC) chemotherapy administered via Pressurized Intraperitoneal Aerosol
Chemotherapy (clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT05431907). The Israeli Ministry of Health (IMOH) also reviewed the interim data and provided
regulatory clearance to continue the study and open the study's next cohort. In addition, the safety profile supported a protocol
amendment to start new patients in the second cohort with higher initial doses of Allocetra . This IMOH clearance follows a previously-reported
IMOH clearance to the Company's second Phase I/II clinical trial, which is evaluating Allocetra as monotherapy and in combination
with anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitors in patients with advanced-stage solid tumors.
The DSMB based its review on available safety data
for the three enrolled patients in the first cohort, in which two patients received three escalating doses of Allocetra , and one
received two escalating doses of Allocetra , once every six weeks as an add-on to SoC chemotherapy delivered to the peritoneum.
The primary purpose of the dosing regimen for the first cohort was to establish a safety profile that may enable an increase in the Allocetra
dosing level administered to additional patients in the study and potentially associate dose levels with indications of effect.
There were no mortalities nor DSMB-identified safety
signals in the first cohort, and the DSMB recommended that the study continue to further dose escalation and additionally agreed to increase
the starting dose of Allocetra in the next cohort. Following the DSMB recommendation, the IMOH reviewed the available safety data for
the first cohort and provided regulatory clearance to initiate the recruitment of patients into the second cohort.
Einat Galamidi, MD, Medical Vice President of Enlivex,
commented, "We are delighted with the safety profile of Allocetra when administered directly into the peritoneal cavity,
as demonstrated in the first three patients in this trial. This is the first time Allocetra has been injected locally into the
peritoneum cavity, a route of administration that may be relevant to various alternatives of local administration of Allocetra
in different oncological indications."
ABOUT THE PHASE I/II TRIAL
The Phase I/II trial is a Company-sponsored, open-label,
dose escalation and expansion trial that is expected to enroll a total of approximately 12 patients across four cohorts. It is designed
to evaluate the safety and potential preliminary efficacy of Allocetra combined with SoC chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal
metastases arising from solid cancer. The study begins with two cohorts of intra-patient and intra-cohort dose escalation to determine
the maximum feasible dose (MFD) of Allocetra in this population, followed by two additional cohorts comparing administration of
Allocetra at the selected dose either before or after administration of SoC via a pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy
procedure (PIPAC; a technique applied when patients are not eligible to receive the standard treatment due to a considerable tumor load,
large quantities of persistent ascites, or other circumstances).
Intraperitoneally delivered Allocetra and SoC
chemotherapy administered via PIPAC will be given to patients every six weeks. Systemic chemotherapy will also be administered per the
treating oncologist's plan. The primary endpoint is the number and severity of Allocetra -related adverse events and serious adverse
events during the 16-week assessment period, starting from the first administration of study treatment. Secondary endpoints include efficacy
assessments, such as best overall response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival. Changes from baseline in macrophage
and immune cell characteristics in peritoneal fluid and tissues will also be assessed as an exploratory endpoint.
Allocetra is being developed as a universal,
off-the-shelf cell therapy designed to reprogram macrophages into their homeostatic state. Diseases such as solid cancers, sepsis, and
many others reprogram macrophages out of their homeostatic state. These non-homeostatic macrophages contribute significantly to the severity
of the respective diseases. By restoring macrophage homeostasis, Allocetra has the potential to provide a novel immunotherapeutic
mechanism of action for life-threatening clinical indications that are defined as "unmet medical needs", as a stand-alone therapy
or in combination with leading therapeutic agents.
Enlivex is a clinical stage macrophage reprogramming
immunotherapy company developing Allocetra , a universal, off-the-shelf cell therapy designed to reprogram macrophages into their
homeostatic state. Resetting non-homeostatic macrophages into their homeostatic state is critical for immune system rebalancing and resolution
of life-threatening conditions. For more information, visit http://www.enlivex.com.
Safe Harbor Statement:
This press release contains forward-looking statements,
which may be identified by words such as "expects," "plans," "projects," "will," "may,"
"anticipates," "believes," "should," "would", "could," "intends,"
"estimates," "suggests," "has the potential to" and other words of similar meaning, including statements
regarding expected cash balances, market opportunities for the results of current clinical studies and preclinical experiments, the effectiveness
of, and market opportunities for, ALLOCETRATM programs. All such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements
involve risks and uncertainties that may affect Enlivex's business and prospects, including the risks that Enlivex may
not succeed in generating any revenues or developing any commercial products; that the products in development may fail, may not achieve
the expected results or effectiveness and/or may not generate data that would support the approval or marketing of these products for
the indications being studied or for other indications; that ongoing studies may not continue to show substantial or any activity; and
other risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The
results of clinical trials in humans may produce results that differ significantly from the results of clinical and other trials in animals.
The results of early-stage trials may differ significantly from the results of more developed, later-stage trials. The development of
any products using the ALLOCETRATM product line could also be affected by a number of other factors, including
unexpected safety, efficacy or manufacturing issues, additional time requirements for data analyses and decision making, the impact of
pharmaceutical industry regulation, the impact of competitive products and pricing and the impact of patents and other proprietary rights
held by competitors and other third parties. In addition to the risk factors described above, investors should consider the economic,
competitive, governmental, technological and other factors discussed in Enlivex's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission, including in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date the statements were made, and
we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements, except as required under applicable law.
Shachar Shlosberger, CFO
Enlivex Therapeutics, Ltd.
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