Full Press Release Details
IMMUTEP GRANTED EUROPEAN PATENT FOR IMP761
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 21 October 2020 Immutep Limited (ASX: IMM; NASDAQ: IMMP) ( Immutep or
the Company ), a biotechnology company developing novel immunotherapy treatments for cancer and autoimmune disease, is pleased to announce the grant of a new patent (number 3344654) entitled Anti-LAG-3 Antibodies by the European Patent Office.
The claims of the patent are directed to
Immutep s pre-clinical product candidate, IMP761, and also to the use of IMP761 in the treatment of T-cell mediated inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The expiry
date of the patent is 1 September 2036.
Immutep CEO, Marc Voigt stated: IMP761 is the first agonist antibody that targets the immune
checkpoint LAG-3 and aims to treat the root cause of autoimmune diseases such as, for example, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. It is very pleasing to see the grant of
this patent in the important European market which will underpin ongoing investment in this promising product candidate.
Immutep CSO and CMO,
Dr. Frederic Triebel also stated: There continues to be a significant unmet medical need for patients with various autoimmune diseases and so it is highly encouraging to see the recent progress being made with IMP761
towards clinical development, both in terms of cell line development announced in April 2020 and now with securing intellectual property protection.
first-in-class immunosuppressive agonist antibody to LAG-3. As a targeted immunosuppressive antibody, IMP761 has the potential to
address the root cause of autoimmune diseases by specifically silencing the autoimmune memory T cells accumulating at the disease site which express LAG-3 as an exhaustion marker after being repeatedly
stimulated with dominant self-peptides.
In April 2020, Immutep announced that its partner, Batavia Biosciences, had developed a pharmaceutical-grade,
stable CHO cell line that produces significantly high product yields of IMP761. The Company will now complete the preparations for the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) process compliance development phase, ahead of commencement of clinical testing
of the candidate in autoimmune disease.
In addition, in early 2019 Immutep reported encouraging preclinical results from its studies with IMP761. The in
vivo studies showed that IMP761 decreases inflammatory T cell infiltration induced by intra-dermal injection of an antigen. These findings were published in the Journal of Immunology in January 2020.
Immutep is a globally active biotechnology
company that is a leader in the development of LAG-3 related immunotherapeutic products for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease. Immutep is dedicated to leveraging its technology and expertise to
bring innovative treatment options to market for patients and to maximize value to shareholders. Immutep is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (IMM), and on the NASDAQ (IMMP) in the United States.
Level 12, 95 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Immutep s current lead product candidate is eftilagimod alpha ( efti or IMP321 ),
a soluble LAG-3 protein (LAG-3Ig) based on the LAG-3 immune control mechanism. This mechanism plays a vital role in the
regulation of the T cell immune response. Efti is currently in a Phase IIb clinical trial as a chemoimmunotherapy for metastatic breast cancer termed AIPAC (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02614833); a Phase II clinical trial being conducted in
collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) referred to as TACTI-002 to evaluate a combination of efti with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in several different solid tumours (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03625323); a Phase I clinical trial being conducted in collaboration with Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany and
Pfizer Inc. referred to as INSIGHT-004 to evaluate a combination of efti with avelumab (clinical trials.gov identifier NCT03252938); and a Phase I combination therapy trial in metastatic melanoma termed
TACTI-mel (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02676869).
Additional LAG-3 products, including antibodies, for
immune response modulation in autoimmunity and cancer are being developed by Immutep s large pharmaceutical partners. Immutep is also developing an agonist of LAG-3 (IMP761) for autoimmune disease.
Further information can be found on the Company s website www.immutep.com or by contacting:
Australian Investors/Media:
+61 (0)406 759 268; cstrong@citadelmagnus.com
Tim McCarthy, LifeSci Advisors
+1 (212) 915.2564; tim@lifesciadvisors.com
announcement was authorised for release by the board of Immutep Limited.
Level 12, 95 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000