Lytix Biopharma has announced a clinical collaboration with the US-based company Iovance Biotherapeutics to evaluate Lytix’s oncolytic peptide, LTX-315, in combination with Iovance’s T cell therapy.

Lytix Biopharma is focused on the development of oncolytic molecules based on research in “host defense peptides”. The company’s lead compound, LTX-315, is administrated intra-tumorally and works by inducing lysis of intracellular organelles of tumor cells thereby unleashing a broad spectra of tumor antigens. Clinical trials have demonstrated an increase in CD8+ TILs in the majority of evaluated patients with solid tumors resulting in size reduction of distant non-treated lesions.

A non-exclusive collaboration

Iovance Biotherapeutics intends to improve patient care by making T cell-based immunotherapies broadly accessible for the treatment of patients with solid tumors and blood cancers. Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy uses a patient’s own immune cells to attack cancer. TIL cells are extracted from a patient’s own tumor tissue, expanded through a proprietary process, and infused back into the patient. After infusion TILs reach tumor tissue where they attack tumor cells.

The collaboration is a non-exclusive collaboration where both parties will maintain ownership of their own assets.

“We are very excited about the collaboration with Iovance, and the combination of our technologies can be a potential new approach to T cell therapy for cancers. This agreement affirms that we remain committed to the further development of LTX-315 as a single agent and in combination with other therapies,” says Øystein Rekdal, CEO of Lytix Biopharma.