Cantargia ASCO Presentation Highlights Nadunolimab's Positive Impact on Neuropathy

Cantargia, a biotechnology company based in Lund, Sweden, has presented new clinical data on its antibody nadunolimab at the ASCO conference. This data reveals nadunolimab's potential to mitigate chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, an additional benefit to its promising antitumor effects. The study, involving 73 pancreatic cancer patients treated with nadunolimab and chemotherapy, showed a significant reduction in the incidence of neuropathy, especially at higher doses of nadunolimab.

Key data from this study demonstrated that patients receiving higher doses of nadunolimab experienced fewer instances of neuropathy. Specifically, at a dose of 1 mg/kg of nadunolimab, 60% of patients reported neuropathy with a median onset time of 112 days. In contrast, at doses of 2.5 mg/kg or higher, only 36% of patients reported any grade of neuropathy, and the median onset time was not reached. This protective effect is backed by strong preclinical findings, which showed that nadunolimab could prevent various aspects of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, such as sensitivity to mechanical pressure and temperature, as well as reduced grip strength.

The study also highlighted nadunolimab's efficacy in treating pancreatic cancer. Patients had a median overall survival (OS) of 13.2 months and an iPFS (investigator-assessed progression-free survival) of 7.2 months, both metrics surpassing historical control data for chemotherapy alone.

Neuropathy, characterized by symptoms such as weakness, pain, and numbness in the hands and feet, is a significant side effect of several chemotherapies. It often leads to therapy discontinuation despite effective antitumor activity. The mechanisms behind chemotherapy-induced neuropathy involve damaged nerve cells and neuroinflammation, with the IL-1 pathway being a key driver. Nadunolimab's ability to counteract this pathway presents a valuable therapeutic advantage.

The preclinical data supporting these findings were generated through a collaboration with researchers at the University of Queensland, Australia, and were presented at the ASCO Annual Meeting in Chicago, USA. The results further confirm nadunolimab's potential in combination therapies for cancer treatment.

Cantargia's primary focus is on developing antibody-based treatments for life-threatening diseases, utilizing a platform centered on the protein IL1RAP, which plays a role in various cancer forms and inflammatory diseases. Their lead program, nadunolimab (CAN04), is undergoing clinical trials, primarily in combination with chemotherapy, targeting pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Positive interim data indicate stronger efficacy than chemotherapy alone, with durable responses observed in patients.

In addition to nadunolimab, Cantargia is developing another antibody, CAN10, which targets serious autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. CAN10 aims to block IL1RAP signaling differently than nadunolimab, with a focus on treating systemic sclerosis and myocarditis.

Cantargia is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker CANTA. The company's approach involves leveraging the IL-1 system to counteract the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment and combat resistance to chemotherapy. Nadunolimab is being evaluated in multiple clinical trials, including CANFOUR, which assesses its combination with standard chemotherapies in pancreatic cancer and NSCLC patients. Early data also show promising efficacy in TNBC patients.

In conclusion, the latest clinical data on nadunolimab presented at the ASCO conference underscore its potential to address the debilitating side effect of chemotherapy-induced neuropathy while also providing significant antitumor benefits. These findings mark a crucial step forward in Cantargia's mission to develop innovative cancer treatments.