Interim Phase I/IIa Update: cNeT Therapy in Advanced Cancers with Enhanced Conditioning

Achilles Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical firm, has reported interim Phase I/IIa findings from its CHIRON and THETIS studies, which focus on the application of clonal neoantigen reactive T cells (cNeT) in treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and malignant melanoma. The interim data included results from 18 patients, with three having received enhanced chemo-conditioning and IL-2 dosing as part of a new Cohort C. This enhanced regimen aims to assess the impact on cNeT engraftment and persistence beyond the standard 28 days.

All participants were at an advanced stage with checkpoint refractory diseases and showed a favorable tolerability profile, similar to standard TIL therapy. The VELOS™ manufacturing process has seen significant improvements, with a median cNeT dose of 172 million for the 18 patients, a substantial increase from the 18 million cNeT in the December 2022 update.

Dr. Iraj Ali, CEO of Achilles Therapeutics, expressed optimism about the safety, tolerability, and translational science data, highlighting the company's progress in optimizing the VELOS manufacturing process and understanding host conditioning's role in cNeT engraftment. Dr. Karl Peggs, the Chief Medical Officer, noted the absence of new objective responses but attributed this to limited cNeT persistence, prompting the introduction of Cohort C to extend engraftment duration.

Dr. Sergio Quezada, the Chief Scientific Officer, reported improved cNeT engraftment levels and persistence in patients who received the enhanced conditioning. The summary of the new patients treated revealed that 25% of those with higher doses demonstrated stable disease with some tumor volume reduction, although no new objective responses were observed.

Achilles Therapeutics is developing AI-powered precision T cell therapies targeting unique protein markers found on the surface of every cancer cell. The company utilizes DNA sequencing data and its PELEUS™ bioinformatics platform to identify and target these clonal neoantigens.

The company is committed to advancing its therapies and plans to report a significant data update in the second half of 2024, with ongoing efforts to enhance the manufacturing process and evaluate cNeT persistence and clinical activity in patients with enhanced host conditioning.