Lead Researcher at City of Hope Presents MT APOLLO Clinical Findings at Global Hematologic Malignancies Summit

Initial findings from a clinical trial for lymphoma patients at City of Hope National Medical Center were showcased at the 11th Global Summit on Hematologic Malignancies in Whistler, Canada. The trial focused on MT-601, a novel T cell therapy targeting various tumor antigens, and was well-tolerated by participants, leading to sustained objective responses. Notably, a Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma patient who had relapsed after anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy showed a complete response nine months post-MT-601 treatment. 

Geoffrey Shouse, D.O., Ph.D., the leading investigator at City of Hope, shared insights from the APOLLO study, which is assessing the efficacy of MT-601 in lymphoma patients who are not candidates for or have failed anti-CD19 CAR T cell therapy. The first participant, suffering from diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), maintained a complete response for nine months after the initial MT-601 treatment, indicating a more enduring response than CAR T cell therapy. Two additional patients treated at City of Hope were also reported. One, with transformed follicular NHL, achieved a complete response three months after MT-601 treatment, following 12 failed therapies. The third patient, with DLBCL and cutaneous involvement, ineligible for CAR T cell therapy, showed partial response with reduced lesion size. The treatment's safety was highlighted, with no significant adverse events, including cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity. Patients will continue to be monitored for long-term effects and response durability. 

MT-601's potential is supported by data showing its effectiveness against lymphoma cells resistant to anti-CD19 CAR T cells. Unlike CAR T cell therapy, which carries risks of severe adverse events and secondary cancers, multiTAA-specific T cell therapies have demonstrated better tolerance in clinical trials. MT-601's non-genetic modification approach is believed to offer a safer alternative, with potential benefits over gene-modified therapies. 

Juan Vera, M.D., CEO of Marker Therapeutics, emphasized the significance of the sustained response in the first participant as an indicator of MT-601's durability and efficacy. The company is enrolling more patients in the APOLLO study to confirm these preliminary but promising results. MT-601 is part of a non-genetically modified cell therapy platform that targets a range of tumor antigens upregulated in lymphoma cells. The APOLLO trial is a Phase 1 study evaluating MT-601's safety and efficacy in approximately 30 participants across nine U.S. clinical sites. Marker Therapeutics is a clinical-stage company in Houston, Texas, dedicated to developing T cell-based immunotherapies for hematological malignancies and solid tumors, with a focus on operational excellence and financial resource preservation. The company's therapies have shown good tolerance and durable responses in over 200 patients across various indications.

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