ADELAIDE, Australia, March 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Carina Biotech Limited (Carina), a clinical stage cell therapy immuno-oncology company, today announced three poster presentations from studies of its LGR5-targeting CAR-T program in colorectal cancer and ovarian cancer at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024 that will take place in San Diego, California, on April 5-10.

“We are looking forward to sharing data related to our LRG-5 targeted CAR-T program in three poster presentations at the upcoming AACR annual meeting.  One of the posters will highlight the GMP manufacturing and testing findings for our lead LGR5-targeted CAR-T cell therapy candidate CNA3103, that is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer,” stated Deborah Rathjen, PhD, Carina’s Chief Executive Officer.  

“Our research team will also be presenting preclinical data that demonstrate the potential to develop our LGR5-targeting CAR-T cells as a novel immunotherapy for ovarian cancer and that expand the preclinical body of evidence across a diverse range of cancer families, including ovarian, brain, liver, and stomach, where LGR5-targeting CAR-T cells may be harnessed.”

Poster Presentation Details

Title: Preclinical in vivo characterization underpinning LGR5-targeting CAR-T cells as a cancer immunotherapy
Lead Author: Jade Foeng, PhD, Chemokine Biology Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, South Australia
Session Category: Immunology
Session Title: Adoptive Cell Therapies: CAR-T Cells
Session Date and Time: Sunday, April 7, 2024 1:30 pm PT – 5:00 pm PT
Location: Poster Section 2
Poster Board Number: 24
Published Abstract Number: 56

Title: CAR-T cells targeting LGR5: An effective treatment for chemotherapy resistant ovarian cancer
Lead Author: Wanqi (Jady) Wang, Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, South Australia
Session Category: Clinical Research
Session Title: Adoptive Cell Therapy 2
Session Date and Time: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 1:30 pm PT – 5:00 pm PT
Location: Poster Section 40
Poster Board Number: 11
Published Abstract Number: 6320

Title: From bench to bedside: GMP manufacturing and testing of LGR5-targeting CAR-T against colorectal cancer
Lead Author: Veronika Bandara, PhD, Molecular Immunology Laboratory, Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, South Australia
Session Category: Clinical Research
Session Title: Adoptive Cell Therapy 2
Session Date and Time: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 1:30 pm PT – 5:00 pm PT
Location: Poster Section 40
Poster Board Number: 22
Published Abstract Number: 6311

About Carina Biotech
Clinical stage immuno-oncology company Carina Biotech is developing CAR-T and other adoptive cell therapies for the treatment of solid cancers. In addition to its LGR5-targeted CAR-T cell therapy CNA3103 for advanced colorectal cancer, Carina has a deep pipeline of CAR-T programs. Using its proprietary chemokine receptor platform, Carina aims to improve access to and infiltration of solid cancers by CAR-containing cells, resulting in more potent and specific cancer killing and reduced off-target effects.

Carina also has a fully integrated, proprietary manufacturing process that has reduced manufacturing time and improved CAR-T cell quality, with the potential to deliver robust “serial-killing” CAR-T cells to patients.

About CNA3103
Carina’s proprietary CNA3103 CAR-T cell targets LGR5, a cancer stem cell marker that is highly expressed on advanced colorectal cancer and some other cancers. In colorectal cancer patients, LGR5 expression has been correlated with poor prognosis. Cancer stem cells are a small sub-population of cells within a tumor with the ability to self-renew, differentiate into the many cell types of a tumor, initiate new tumors, and resist chemotherapy and radiotherapy (leading to relapses). By targeting cancer stem cells, it is anticipated that this therapy will reduce the tumor’s ability to generate new cancer cells, resulting in durable tumor suppression and preventing the relapses that are common in patients with colorectal cancer.

Carina’s preclinical studies of CNA3103 have shown promising results with complete tumor regression and no tumor recurrence following a single administration. CNA3103 has also demonstrated impressive tumor access and prolonged survival enabling the rejection of new tumors.

For more information please contact:

Rudi Michelson
Monsoon Communications
+61 (0)3 9620 3333
rudim@monsoon.com.au

Stephanie Carrington
ICR Westwicke
+1 646 277 1282
stephanie.carrington@westwicke.com