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HCW Biologics Showcases Scientific Paper in Molecular Therapy Highlighting Potential of HCW9218 as Novel, Bifunctional Cancer Immunotherapeutic
Lead Drug Candidate Engineered Using Tissue FactOr-Based FusIon (TOBI™) Platform Preclinical Data Demonstrated HCW9218 Antitumor Activity as Single-Agent
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[{"type":"text","content":"Lead Drug Candidate Engineered Using Tissue FactOr-Based FusIon (TOBI™) Platform Preclinical Data Demonstrated HCW9218 Antitumor Activity as Single-Agent Monotherapy and as an Adjunct to Enhance Potency of Therapeutic Antibodies Investigational New Drug Application (“IND”) for Chemotherapy-Refractory Pancreatic Cancer Expected to be Filed by Year-End 2021 MIRAMAR. Fla., Aug. 24, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HCW Biologics Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HCWB), an innovative, biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel immunotherapies to lengthen health span by disrupting the link between chronic, low-grade inflammation and age-related diseases, today announced the publication of a scientific paper, authored by the Company’s scientific research team in the peer-reviewed journal, Molecular Therapy. Entitled, “Bifunctional TGF-β trap/IL-15 Protein Complex Elicits Potent NK Cell and CD8+ T Cell Immunity Against Solid Tumors,” the paper highlights preclinical data from in vivo studies demonstrating the potential of the Company’s lead investigational candidate, HCW9218, as a novel immunostimulant with the ability to simultaneously lessen immunosuppression in patients with cancer. This novel immunotherapeutic, HCW9218 is a heterodimeric, bifunctional fusion protein complex comprising extracellular domains of the human transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) receptor II, as TGF-β trap for TGF-β neutralization, and a human interleukin (IL)-15/IL-15 receptor α complex for immune-cell stimulation. HCW9218 was engineered using the TOBI™ platform technology developed internally by HCW Biologics with Company-owned technology. The unique combination of a TGF-β receptor that neutralizes a highly immunosuppressive cytokine secreted by tumors, combined with IL-15, a potent cytokine that stimulates the NK- and CD8+- cell cytotoxicity, creates an immunotherapeutic with the potential to drive significant bifunctional antitumor activity. As detailed in the paper, preclinical data demonstrated that HCW9218, administered as a monotherapy, was well tolerated and showed potent anti-cancer activity in animal models of melanoma. The data showed limited side effects, with none of the bleeding episodes often associated with high doses of other antibody-based TGF-β neutralizers. HCW9218 showed an ability to promote proliferation and metabolic ...