Business
Citius Pharmaceuticals Announces Publication in Frontiers of Immunology of Positive Results from Solid Tumor Study of LYMPHIR™ in Combination with Checkpoint Inhibitor
Preclinical study demonstrates that adding LYMPHIR to anti-PD-1 treatment augments anti-tumor activity and improves overall survival compared to monotherapy
About this update from Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Preclinical study demonstrates that adding LYMPHIR to anti-PD-1 treatment augments anti-tumor activity and improves overall survival compared to monotherapy alone by transiently depleting Tregs in the tumor microenvironment \nCRANFORD, N.J., Oct. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (\"Citius\" or the \"Company\") (Nasdaq: CTXR) today announced that preclinical research on LYMPHIR (\"denileukin diftitox\" or \"E7777\") was published today in Frontiers in Immunology1, a leading peer-reviewed journal in the immunology field. The article reported positive results from a preclinical study that showed that denileukin diftitox in combination with an anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor was more effective in the treatment of solid tumors (liver and colon) than either therapy alone. Data from this study contributed to the design and dosing regimen of two Phase 1 investigator-initiated studies currently underway at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Minnesota.\n\"We are excited to share the published results of this important animal study with the broader scientific community. The compelling results of this study showed that LYMPHIR administered in combination with an anti-PD-1 inhibitor, either sequentially or concurrently, led to significantly increased anti-tumor activity and prolonged survival compared to either treatment alone. Based on the strong signal of the study, two ongoing Phase 1 trials were initiated by investigators at leading cancer research institutions. We intend to share interim data from these studies when it becomes available. Importantly, the results of the preclinical study highlight LYMPHIR's additional potential as a combination therapy in the treatment of solid tumors, which may allow Citius to explore substantially larger market opportunities for LYMPHIR in the future,\" stated Leonard Mazur, Chairman and CEO of Citius. \nIn recent years, one of the most important advances in solid tumor management has been the use of anti-PD-1/PDL1 antibody therapy. However, the effectiveness of treatment has varied, with not all tumors or patients responding with equivalent sensitivity to the treatment. The primary role of Treg-targeted cancer immunotherapy is to transiently deplete Treg cells. It is believed that regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the tumor microenvironment play an important role in pat...