- Preclinical and clinical data indicate that Oncoprex immunogene therapy may be effective alone or in combination with targeted small molecule therapies; pre-clinical data also indicate potential effectiveness in combination with immunotherapies
- Lung cancer is the second-most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide
- Genprex holds an exclusive license to more than 30 issued patents and several pending applications covering its platform technologies, including patents covering the therapeutic use of the TUSC2 tumor suppressor gene
- The value of the global immunotherapy drugs market is expected to surpass $385 billion by 2025, recording a CAGR of more than 14 percent from 2018 to 2025
Clinical-stage gene therapy company Genprex Inc. (NASDAQ: GNPX) is pioneering a new approach to treating cancer with its lead drug candidate, Oncoprex immunogene therapy, an investigational therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”). Oncoprex is designed to interrupt cell signaling pathways that cause replication and proliferation of cancer cells, to target and kill cancer cells via receptor pathways, and to stimulate natural immune responses against cancer. Oncoprex consists of the TUSC2 tumor suppressor gene encapsulated in a positively charged lipid nanoparticle. It is injected intravenously, specifically targeting cancer cells, which generally have a negative electrical charge. Once Oncoprex is taken up into a cancer cell, the TUSC2 gene is expressed in a protein that is capable of restoring certain defective functions arising in the cancer cell (http://nnw.fm/1w2WY).
Genprex collaborators from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center presented positive preclinical data for use of the TUSC2 gene in combination with the immunotherapy pembrolizumab (marketed as Keytruda by Merck & Co. Inc.) for the treatment of lung cancer in a poster presented at the 2019 American Association of Cancer Research Meeting. The data is available on the Genprex website (http://nnw.fm/wgP5C).
“These data further support and solidify existing preclinical data showing that Oncoprex immunogene therapy is synergistic with anti-PD1 therapy and could result in a stronger antitumor response compared to either agent alone,” Julien L. Pham, MD, MPH, president and chief operating officer of Genprex, stated in a news release. “It also demonstrates how Oncoprex could be used in combination with other immunotherapies as a viable treatment option for late-stage non-small cell lung cancer.”
According to the World Health Organization, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, killing more people than breast, colon, kidney, liver, prostate and skin cancers combined. Non-small cell lung cancer represents 80 percent of all lung cancers. New lung cancer cases have been maintaining a steady level among men but are increasing more rapidly in women. In the period from 2015 to 2030, standardized lung cancer mortality rates among women are expected to increase from 11.2 to 16.0, marking an increase of over 40 percent (http://nnw.fm/WuT4Q).
Genprex already holds more than 30 issued patents for its platform technologies. The company is also in the process of conducting research to find biomarkers to identify patients most likely to benefit from Genprex treatments, as well as other drugs that will be synergistic with Genprex’s gene therapies. Given the enormous potential and vast unmet medical need, Genprex plans to apply for Fast Track, Breakthrough or RMAT designation from the FDA (http://nnw.fm/p7Ffm).
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Genprex.com
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to GNPX are available in the company’s newsroom at http://nnw.fm/GNPX
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