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Sensei Biotherapeutics Announces New Preclinical Data Demonstrating Favorable Pharmacokinetic and Immunologic Effects of SNS-101, a pH-selective VISTA-blocking Antibody
BOSTON, Mass., Aug. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNSE), an immuno-oncology company focused on the discovery and
About this update from Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"BOSTON, Mass., Aug. 31, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNSE), an immuno-oncology company focused on the discovery and development of next-generation therapeutics for cancer, today reported preliminary preclinical data from mouse and non-human primate studies of SNS-101, a monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint VISTA (V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation). “These preclinical data demonstrate that our conditionally active, pH-selective antibody successfully overcomes pharmacokinetic issues associated with targeting the VISTA immune checkpoint, including target-mediated drug disposition and cytokine release syndrome, in these models. The data also differentiate SNS-101 from non-selective antibodies by showing expansion of naïve and memory T cell phenotypes in vivo, as well as significant enhancement of anti-tumor effects in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies as compared to anti-PD-1 antibodies alone,” said Robert Pierce, M.D., Chief R&D Officer. “These results represent important progress for our SNS-101 program and a potential breakthrough for the field of VISTA inhibition as a novel therapeutic approach in multiple solid tumor indications. We are thrilled with these preliminary results and the potential of SNS-101 to provide a new standard of care to patients in need of innovative treatment options.” In a whole-blood assay at neutral pH, a clinical-stage, pH-independent VISTA antibody induced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IFNy and TNF, at substantially higher levels of concentration compared with Sensei’s pH-selective VISTA antibody SNS-101, across doses ranging from 1 g/mL to 100 g/mL. These preclinical data support the Company’s hypothesis that pH-driven, conditional binding of SNS-101 could be an effective mechanism for preventing the on-target, off-tumor VISTA binding that has been shown to drive cytokine release syndrome in human patients. SNS-101 also displayed a favorable pharmacokinetic profile in non-human primates compared with a clinical-stage, pH-independent VISTA antibody. Whereas the pH-independent antibody exhibited target-mediated drug disposition and clearance from the blood within hours of administration due to interaction with VISTA-positive immune cells, the SNS-101 concentration declined linearly with a median half-life of approximately t...