TILT Biotherapeutics has submitted an IND for its Phase I trial of immunotherapeutic TILT-123 in ovarian cancer.
The trial will evaluate the company’s adenoviral cancer immunotherapy TILT-123, a double cytokine armed oncolytic adenovirus, in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), MSD’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in a dose escalation trial in platinum resistant or refractory ovarian cancer patients.
About the trial
The trial will include 15 to 30 patients and will be led by Dr. Matt Block at the Mayo Clinic (Minnesota, USA). During the first month of the trial, patients will receive TILT-123 monotherapy, and thereafter TILT-123 in conjunction with pembrolizumab. The trial’s objective is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of TILT-123 in combination with pembrolizumab and is designed to also deliver insights about the mechanism of action of TILT-123 in humans. The company is looking to expand the trial to multiple sites, building on its clinical experience in Finland, France and Denmark.
Changes to the board of directors
TILT Biotherapeutics’ also announces changes to the board of directors, with Jyrki Liljeroos, formerly a board advisor, appointed as Chairman. Jyrki brings over 30 years of expertise in pharmaceuticals and life sciences from his positions held in Europe, USA and Japan.
Furthermore, the company has recently appointed Swedbank as its lead financial advisor to explore different financing options, including possibilities for an Initial Public Offering (IPO), it states.
“We are delighted to be progressing our pipeline of immunotherapeutics, hitting the milestone of submitting an IND filing for a TILT-123 trial. Appointing Swedbank helps us in exploring further financing options to speed up our product development in the US and Europe, and to advance our assets towards Phase II clinical trials. I’m also looking forward to working closely with our new chairman, Jyrki Liljeroos, who brings a wealth of relevant industry experience,” says Akseli Hemminki, CEO, TILT Biotherapeutics.
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