Gritstone bio's Virtual Event on Personalized Cancer Vaccine for MSS-CRC

Gritstone bio, Inc., a biotechnology firm known for its focus on developing powerful vaccines, has announced an upcoming virtual event featuring key opinion leaders (KOLs) on August 2 at 9:00 AM ET. The event will highlight discussions on the current treatment landscape and unmet needs for patients suffering from metastatic microsatellite stable colorectal cancer (MSS-CRC). The session will be led by Dr. Randolph Hecht, a professor at the UCLA Gastrointestinal Oncology Program, and Howard Brown, a cancer survivor and patient advocate.

Dr. Randolph Hecht, currently a Professor of Clinical Medicine at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine, is a prominent figure in the field of gastrointestinal cancers. He holds the Carol and Saul Rosenzweig Chair for Cancer Therapies Development and directs the UCLA Gastrointestinal Oncology Program. Dr. Hecht's extensive academic background includes medical school at Eastern Virginia Medical School, an internal medicine residency at Northwestern, and fellowships in gastroenterology research at the University of Chicago, alongside gastroenterology and medical oncology at UCLA. His research has extensively covered molecular biology, early detection, and treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. Dr. Hecht has led several small-scale trials with new molecules and large international randomized trials. His ongoing research includes preclinical models of biological therapies, early studies with gene therapy vectors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and leading Phase II and III clinical trials with novel therapeutic agents.

Howard Brown is a two-time Stage IV cancer survivor, technology entrepreneur, and advocate who brings a personal and compelling perspective to the event. In 1989, at the age of 23, Brown was diagnosed with Stage IVe Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Despite undergoing three unsuccessful chemotherapy treatments, his life was saved by an allogeneic bone marrow transplant from his twin sister, coupled with extensive chemotherapy and full-body radiation. After 26 years in remission, Brown was diagnosed with Stage III Colon Cancer at age 50. The cancer later metastasized to Stage IV, spreading to his liver, peritoneum, omentum, and small bowel. Intensive chemotherapy and a failed clinical trial were followed by Cytoreduction Surgery (CRS) and Heated intra-peritoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), eventually leading to his current status of No Evidence of Disease (NED) after nine consecutive clear CT scans. Brown is the Board Chair and President of Colontown, an organization supporting over 11,000 patients and caregivers dealing with colorectal cancer. He is a proud alumnus and past trustee of Babson College and resides in Birmingham, Michigan with his family.

During the virtual event, Gritstone bio's management will delve into the company's personalized neoantigen vaccine program, GRANITE, which aims to treat immunologically "cold" tumors such as MSS-CRC. Mature progression-free survival data from a randomized Phase 2 trial of GRANITE in frontline MSS-CRC patients are anticipated in the third quarter of 2024. The event will conclude with a live Q&A session following the formal presentations.

Gritstone bio, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing some of the most powerful vaccines in the world. Utilizing innovative vectors and payloads, the company aims to train multiple components of the immune system to target critical diseases. The company is independently and collaboratively pushing forward a portfolio of product candidates designed to treat and prevent viral diseases and solid tumors, ultimately aspiring to enhance patient outcomes and eradicate diseases.