Portage Biotech Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase 1a Trial of PORT-6 in Select Solid Tumors
“We are excited to announce the first patient dosed in the Phase 1a safety portion of the ADPORT-601 trial in collaboration with our academic partners. This trial is a critical next step in our comprehensive exploration of how targeting the adenosine pathway could improve outcomes in multiple cancer types,” said Dr.
ADPORT-601 is an adaptive Phase 1a/1b trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of PORT-6 (A2AR). The trial also plans to evaluate Portage’s adenosine 2B receptor (A2BR) antagonist (PORT-7) and integrate proprietary biomarkers to select patients with high A2A and A2B expression. This approach is expected to allow for customization of treatment for any given tumor type to identify patients that are more likely to respond and have potential to benefit most from treatment.
“Preclinical, translational, and clinical trials have demonstrated the critical role of the adenosine signaling pathway in contributing to tumor evasion of the immune system. Portage appears to have the best-in-class A2AR and A2BR antagonists to target this immunosuppressive pathway,” said Dr.
Dr.
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About Adenosine
A critical mechanism of cancer immune evasion is the generation of high levels of immunosuppressive adenosine within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Research suggests that the TME has significantly elevated concentrations (100-500 fold) of extracellular adenosine. Engagement with adenosine receptors A2A and A2B triggers a dampening effect on the immune response, suppressing effector cell function and stabilizing immunosuppressive regulatory cells. Over-expression of the A2A and A2B receptors leads to poor prognosis in multiple cancers, including prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and lung adenocarcinoma, driven by a reduced ability to generate an immune response against the tumor. These findings have made A2A and A2B high-priority targets for immunotherapeutic intervention. Portage is advancing four first-in-class adenosine antagonist which together represent the full suite of adenosine-targeting approaches and will enable a comprehensive exploration of how targeting the adenosine pathway could improve response in multiple cancer and non-cancer indications.
About ADPORT-601
The ADPORT-601 adaptive Phase 1a/1b study will explore Portage Biotech’s small molecule adenosine antagonists, PORT-6 and PORT-7, as monotherapies, in combination with one another and potentially in combination with other Portage assets. Phase 1a will evaluate the safety of PORT-6 and PORT-7 both as monotherapy and in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors, with the goal of identifying a recommended Phase 2 dose. Phase 1b is designed to explore PORT-6 and PORT-7 monotherapies in an enriched population and in randomized trials vs. standard of care. To learn more about the study, visit clinicaltrials.gov.
About
Portage is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company advancing multi-targeted therapies to extend survival and significantly improve the lives of patients with cancer. Lead programs in the Portage portfolio include first-in-class invariant natural killer T cell (iNKT) small molecule engagers and best-in-class adenosine antagonists. These programs are being advanced using innovative trial designs and translational data to identify the patient populations most likely to benefit from treatment. The Company’s unique business model leverages a strong network of academic experts and large pharma partners to rapidly and efficiently advance multiple products. For more information, please visit www.portagebiotech.com, follow us on Twitter at @PortageBiotech or find us on LinkedIn at
Forward-Looking Statements
All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding about the Company’s information that are forward-looking in nature and, business strategy, plans and objectives of management for future operations and those statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," “will,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “continue,” or similar expressions or variations on such expressions are forward-looking statements. For example, statements regarding the Company's belief that targeting the adenosine pathway could improve outcomes in multiple cancer types; the Company's belief that PORT-6 is more potent, durable and selective than other agents; the Company's commitment to advancing the PORT-6 program along with its ongoing development of its iNKT agonist; the Company's plan to evaluate PORT-7 as part of the ADPORT Phase 1a/1b trial; the Company's expectation that PORT-7 will allow for customization of treatment for any given tumor type to identify patients that are likely to respond and have potential to benefit most from treatment; the ability of the PORT-6 A2AR inhibitor and PORT-7 A2BR inhibitor trial should provide insight into understanding of the therapeutic implications of targeting each pathway alone or in combination at optimum biologic doses in multiple cancer types; the ability of such trial to provide insights into potentially improving patient selection strategies by selecting patients whose tumors have a high level of adenosine expression; expected benefits of adenosine and its potential impact on the future of cancer treatment are forward-looking statements. As a result, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, but are not limited to: the Company’s plans and ability to develop and commercialize product candidates and the timing of these development programs; the Company’s clinical development of its product candidates, including the results of current and future clinical trials; the benefits and risks of the Company’s product candidates as compared to others; the Company’s maintenance and establishment of intellectual property rights in its product candidates; the Company’s need for financing and its estimates regarding its capital requirements and future revenues and profitability; the Company’s estimates of the size of the potential markets for its product candidates; its selection and licensing of product candidates; and other factors set forth in “Item 3 - Key Information-Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended
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Source: Portage Biotech, Inc.