GlobeNewswire by notified

Ultimovacs’ Announces Review Article Highlighting Telomerase-based Therapeutic Cancer Vaccines

Share

Oslo, 5 July 2021: Ultimovacs ASA ("Ultimovacs") (OSE ULTI), a clinical stage leader in immune stimulatory vaccines for cancer, today announced the publication of a review of telomerase-based therapeutic cancer vaccines including the Company’s universal cancer vaccine, UV1. The article in Frontiers in Immunology examines the broad relevance of telomerase as an attractive cancer target and examines opportunities for optimizing anti-telomerase vaccine performance both by selecting appropriate cancer types and by analyzing the underlying limitations of current standard treatments.

The article focusses on the synergy between telomerase-based cancer vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors. In particular, it highlights areas within cancer treatment where clinical trials have shown that specific combinations of the two components are more effective than either component used alone. Checkpoint inhibitors, of which there are several varieties, have become the standard treatment for many solid tumor types. There is a strong rationale for combining them with telomerase vaccines to boost the activity of cells involved in the anti-cancer immune response.

“This latest article articulates the rationale for using telomerase-targeting cancer vaccines as a key to unlock the full potential of checkpoint inhibitors.” stated Carlos de Sousa, Chief Executive Officer at Ultimovacs.“For our universal cancer vaccine, UV1, the early read-outs from our combination trial with pembrolizumab indicate that this rationale is playing out well in the clinic.”

Ultimovacs recently released data from the first cohort of a Phase I trial where UV1 in combination with pembrolizumab showed a 60% objective response rate (including 30% complete responses) in advanced malignant melanoma, an evident improvement over pembrolizumab alone*. UV1 is currently in clinical development with four randomized, multinational, Phase II combination trials which will recruit over 500 patients in advanced malignant melanoma, ovarian cancer, head-and-neck cancer and malignant pleural mesothelioma.

As the review in Frontiers in Immunology points out, telomerase is an attractive target because it is broadly expressed on 85-90% of all tumor types, especially in metastatic cancer cells. Furthermore, it plays an essential role in cancer cell reproduction, making it difficult for tumor cells to mutate and evade the treatment. Combining telomerase cancer vaccines with checkpoint inhibitors appears to improve overall treatment responses and outcomes by helping to prevent tumors hiding from or disabling patients’ immune defenses.

The Frontiers in Immunology review also suggests that, although most of the current clinical trials evaluate treatments of late-stage disease in heavily pre-treated patients, there is potential for telomerase-targeting therapeutic cancer vaccines in earlier disease settings, when the need to combine them with other treatments might be reduced.

The publication in Frontiers in Immunology can be found under doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.682492.
“Telomerase as a target for therapeutic cancer vaccines and considerations for optimizing their clinical potential”

*Sources: FDA pembrolizumab packet insert; EMA pembrolizumab product information; Robert, C. et al (2019) Lancet Oncology 20, 1239-1251

About UV1
UV1 is a peptide-based vaccine inducing a specific T cell response against the universal cancer antigen telomerase. UV1 is being developed as an “off-the-shelf” therapeutic cancer vaccine which may serve as a platform for use in combination with other immunotherapy which requires an ongoing T cell response for their mode of action. To date, UV1 has been tested in four phase I clinical trials in a total of 82 patients and maintained a positive safety and tolerability profile as well as encouraging signals of efficacy.

About UV1 Clinical Programs
As a universal cancer vaccine, UV1’s unique mechanism of action has the potential to be applicable across most cancer types. The clinical development of the UV1 vaccine includes four randomized, multinational, Phase II combination trials: INITIUM, NIPU, DOVACC and FOCUS, recruiting over 500 patients in total. Ultimovacs anticipates announcing data on the primary endpoints for the NIPU and INITIUM studies in 2H2022 and for the DOVACC and FOCUS studies in 2023.

  • The INITIUM trial is an Ultimovacs-sponsored clinical trial recruiting 154 patients with metastatic malignant melanoma to evaluate UV1 in combination with ipilimumab and nivolumab as first-line treatment.
  • The NIPU study is testing UV1 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors ipilimumab and nivolumab as second-line treatment in 118 patients with advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare lung cancer. The study is sponsored by Oslo University Hospital and Bristol-Myers Squibb is providing the checkpoint inhibitors for this study.
  • The DOVACC study is sponsored by the Nordic Society of Gynecological Oncology. In total, 184 patients with high-grade ovarian cancer will be enrolled to evaluate UV1 in combination with durvalumab and olaparib, both provided by AstraZeneca.
  • FOCUS is an investigator-sponsored, randomized clinical trial enrolling 75 patients with metastatic head and neck cancer receiving pembrolizumab as standard of care, and will evaluate the impact of adding UV1 to this regimen.

About Ultimovacs
Ultimovacs is developing immune-stimulatory vaccines to treat a broad range of cancers. Ultimovacs’ lead universal cancer vaccine candidate UV1 targets human telomerase (hTERT), present in over 80% of cancers in all stages of tumor growth. By directing the immune system to hTERT antigens, UV1 drives CD4 helper T cells to the tumor to activate an immune system cascade and increase anti-tumor responses. With a broad Phase II program, Ultimovacs aims to clinically demonstrate UV1’s impact in multiple cancer types in combination with other immunotherapies. Ultimovacs’ second vaccine design, based on the proprietary Tetanus-Epitope-Targeting (TET) platform, combines tumor-specific peptides and adjuvant in the same molecule and entered Phase I studies in 2021.

For further information, please see www.ultimovacs.com or contact:

Carlos de Sousa, Chief Executive Officer
Email: carlos.desousa@ultimovacs.com
Phone: +47 908 92507

Hans Vassgård Eid, Chief Financial Officer
Email: hans.eid@ultimovacs.com
Phone: +47 482 48632

Mary-Ann Chang, LifeSci Advisors
Email: mchang@lifesciadvisors.com
Phone: +44 7483 284 853

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act

To view this piece of content from www.globenewswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
To view this piece of content from ml-eu.globenewswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.

About GlobeNewswire by notified

GlobeNewswire by notified
GlobeNewswire by notified
One Liberty Plaza - 165 Broadway
NY 10006 New York

https://notified.com

GlobeNewswire by notified is one of the world's largest newswire distribution networks, specializing in the delivery of corporate press releases financial disclosures and multimedia content to the media, investment community, individual investors and the general public.

Subscribe to releases from GlobeNewswire by notified

Subscribe to all the latest releases from GlobeNewswire by notified by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from GlobeNewswire by notified

Junshi Biosciences Announces 2023 Full Year Financial Results and Provides Corporate Updates29.3.2024 05:24:27 CET | Press release

SHANGHAI, China, March 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd (“Junshi Biosciences,” HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180), a leading innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies, announced its financial results for the full year of 2023 and provided corporate updates. FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Total revenue was approximately RMB1,503 million during 2023. The revenue from pharmaceutical products increased by approximately 58% compared to 2022. The sales revenue of TUOYI® (toripalimab) was approximately RMB919 million, representing an increase of approximately 25% compared to the previous year.Total research and development (“R&D”) expenses were approximately RMB1,937 million in 2023, representing a decrease of approximately 19% compared to 2022. The decrease in R&D expenses was mainly due to the strategic management of R&D investments in certain early-stage pipelines, while optimizing resource all

Robex Announces Share Consolidation29.3.2024 00:30:00 CET | Press release

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES QUEBEC CITY, March 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Robex Resources Inc. ("Robex" or the "Company") (TSXV: RBX) announces today that its Board of Directors has approved the implementation of the consolidation of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company approved by its shareholders on June 29, 2023, on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation common share for ten (10) pre-consolidation common shares (the "Consolidation"), which will take effect on April 1st, 2024 (the "Effective Date"). As a result, the Company's consolidated shares are expected to commence trading on the TSX Venture Exchange a few days after the Effective Date. After the Consolidation, the shares will have a new CUSIP number and a new ISIN number. The Consolidation will reduce the number of issued and outstanding common shares of the Company from approximately 844,054,403 common shares to 84,405,449 common shares upon complet

Golar LNG Limited - Announcement of filing of Form 20-F Annual Report28.3.2024 22:47:27 CET | Press release

Golar LNG Limited announces that it has filed its Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2023 with the Securities and Exchange Commission in the U.S. Form 20-F can be downloaded from the link below, is available on our website (www.golarlng.com) and shareholders may receive a hard copy free of charge upon request. March 28, 2024 The Board of Directors Hamilton, Bermuda Enquiries: Golar Management Limited: + 44 207 063 7900 Stuart Buchanan This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Attachment GLNG 2023 Annual Report Form 20-F

Magna Posts 2023 Annual Report28.3.2024 22:26:07 CET | Press release

AURORA, Ontario, March 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Magna International Inc. (TSX: MG; NYSE: MGA) today announced that its 2023 Annual Report, including Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Audited Consolidated Financial Statements, Annual Information Form (AIF) and Form 40-F, are now available on the company’s website, www.magna.com. Magna has also filed these documents with the Canadian Securities Administrators (accessible through its website at www.sedarplus.ca) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (accessible through its website at www.sec.gov/edgar). Our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2024, commencing at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time). The meeting is being conducted as a virtual-only meeting accessible at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/MGA2024. Magna will provide a paper copy of its audited financial statements as contained in our 2023 Annual Report to Shareholders, free of charge, on request through our website, www.mag

Fortuna files Form 40-F, Annual Report28.3.2024 22:00:00 CET | Press release

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, March 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM) (TSX: FVI) reports that the Company has filed today its fiscal 2023 annual report on Form 40-F with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Form 40-F, which includes the Company’s fiscal 2023 annual audited financial statements, management’s discussion and analysis, and annual information form, is available on the Company’s website and on the SEC´s website. Printed copies of the annual financial statements are available free of charge to Fortuna shareholders upon written request. About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. is a Canadian precious metals mining company with five operating mines in Argentina, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Mexico, and Peru. Sustainability is integral to all our operations and relationships. We produce gold and silver and generate shared value over the long-term for our stakeholders through efficient production, environmental p

HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye