PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Seneca Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of oncolytic immune-therapeutics based on Seneca Valley Virus (SVV-001), announced today the company has licensed TEM 8 intellectual property from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). TEM8 may enable pre-screening of solid tumors to determine if SVV-001 might be effective in that patient. This discovery is based on research from Charles Rudin, MD., Ph.D. and colleagues at MSK. Researchers at MSK discovered that a protein called TEM 8 is the receptor of SVV. This discovery supports other work in the scientific field that TEM 8 is very selectively expressed on the surface of tumor cells in many solid cancer indications. Dr. Rudin and his laboratory demonstrated that the level of expression of TEM 8 and genes in the innate immune system could predict with a high degree of certainty what type of cancer cells would support SVV replication in and killing of the tumor cells. This research, originally published in 2017, will be utilized in upcoming SVV-001 clinical trials to pre-select patients that might best respond to SVV–mediated cancer therapy.
Dr. Rudin is the Sylvia Hassenfeld Professor and Chief of Thoracic Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Rudin and his colleagues have been investigating SVV as a novel and promising cancer immunotherapeutic since 2005. Dr. Rudin said, “I couldn’t be more pleased to see this new exciting enabling technology head toward POC Phase II trials to demonstrate that SVV is efficacious and synergistic with checkpoint inhibitors.”
Dr. Paul Hallenbeck, Founder, President, and Chief Scientific Officer at Seneca Therapeutics added, “Unlike most other oncolytic viruses SVV only replicates and kills cells that express TEM 8, namely solid tumor cells. MSK’s technology should also enable the wise selection of cancer indications best able to benefit from SVV therapy and enhance the number of patients that should respond.”
About Seneca Therapeutics
Seneca Therapeutics was founded by Dr. Paul Hallenbeck to develop SVV-001. Seneca Therapeutics is also developing armed versions of SVV-001 that will selectively express gene product(s) that are inserted into the genome of SVV-001 and create additional anti-tumor effects.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” concerning the development of Seneca Therapeutics products, the potential benefits and attributes of those products, and the company’s expectations regarding its prospects. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results may vary. Seneca Therapeutics undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Disclosures
Dr. Rudin has intellectual property interests related to TEM 8. Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) has intellectual property and associated interests related to Seneca by virtue of the licensing agreement between MSK and Seneca.
