Electra Therapeutics to Present ELA026 sHLH Clinical Results at ASH 2024

Electra Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco and currently in the clinical stages, has announced significant developments for its leading drug candidate, ELA026. This new data will be presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual meeting in San Diego, scheduled for December 7-10, 2024. The upcoming oral presentation will provide detailed clinical data from a recently completed Phase 1b study of ELA026, aimed at treating secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH), a severe and life-threatening hyperinflammatory disease with no established treatments.

The presentation will focus on the treatment effects of ELA026 on malignancy-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (mHLH), which is the most lethal type of sHLH. ELA026 is a pioneering monoclonal antibody that targets signal regulatory protein (SIRP)-α/β1/γ, found on the surface of myeloid cells and T lymphocytes that cause hyperinflammation in sHLH. The Phase 1b study was designed as an open-label, single-arm, multi-center trial to assess the safety and efficacy of ELA026, evaluate biomarkers, and determine an optimal dosing schedule for subsequent Phase 2/3 studies.

Dr. Kim-Hien Dao, DO, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Electra Therapeutics, expressed enthusiasm about sharing the latest results from the ELA026 study with the medical and research communities. Dr. Dao highlighted the potential of ELA026 to meet the substantial unmet needs of sHLH patients, who currently lack effective treatment options. The company's hypothesis is that selectively eliminating pathogenic immune cells could provide a more effective approach to mitigating the cytokine storm and improving survival rates in this highly fatal disease. The encouraging data from ELA026 supports this hypothesis.

The oral presentation, titled "ELA026, a monoclonal antibody targeting signal regulatory protein (SIRP)-α/β1/γ rapidly controls inflammation and improves 2-month survival in treatment-naïve malignancy-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis," will be delivered by Dr. Abhishek Maiti, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The session, named "201. Granulocytes, Monocytes, and Macrophages: From Inflammation to Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis," is scheduled for Monday, December 9, 2024, at 2:45 p.m. PT, in Room 6DE of the San Diego Convention Center.

Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) is a rare and severe hyperinflammatory condition, with no approved treatment options. It can be triggered by various factors, including cancer, infection, autoimmune diseases, or immunotherapy. The disease is characterized by an extreme inflammatory response that necessitates immediate medical intervention. Without effective treatment, patients with sHLH are at high risk of multiple organ failure and death. The mortality rate is particularly high during the initial months following diagnosis, with patients suffering from malignancy-associated HLH (mHLH) facing the worst outcomes.

Electra Therapeutics is focused on developing therapies targeting novel biological pathways for the treatment of immunological diseases and cancer. ELA026, the company's flagship product, is being developed to target SIRP on the cell surface of myeloid cells and T lymphocytes. It is designed to selectively deplete the pathological immune cells responsible for hyperinflammation in sHLH. Besides sHLH, ELA026 is also being investigated for other disease indications.