Anti-MUC1 MAb AR20.5 Induces Specific Cell Mediated Immune Response to MUC1 Antigen in Pre-Clinical Pancreatic Cancer Model

Abstract of the study wins "Scholar-in Training Award" for presentation at the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy in Boston in October of 2016

EDMONTON, Oct. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - OncoQuest Inc. ("OncoQuest"), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of immunotherapeutic products for the treatment of cancer, today announced positive results from its pre-clinical pharmacology studies using its Anti-MUC1 antibody, MAb AR20.5, against pancreatic cancer in a human MUC1 expressing transgenic mouse model. The pre-clinical studies are being conducted at the Eppley Institute for Cancer and Allied Disease at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, under the direction of Dr. Michael Hollingsworth. The results will be presented at the upcoming AACR Special Conference on Tumor Immunology and Immunotherapy in Boston in October of 2016.

The study concludes that the combination of MAb AR20.5, together with a checkpoint inhibitor and a TLR-3 agonist based immune adjuvant, induced rejection or significant inhibition of tumor growth when challenged with MUC1 expressing pancreatic tumor cell lines. The MUC1 specific immune response is persistent, and can be adoptively transferred to other mice, which protects them against subsequent tumor challenge. The author of the abstract, Dr. Kamiya Mehla, has won a Scholar-in-Training Award based on the quality of the abstract.

"The pancreatic cancer market is among the highest unmet therapy needs within the overall oncology market," said Dr. Madi Madiyalakan, Chief Executive Officer of Quest PharmaTech Inc. and OncoQuest. "OncoQuest's combinatory immunotherapy technology has the potential to help cancer patients generate a clinically meaningful immune response to the disease, which is being investigated with our lead product, oregovomab, in ovarian cancer. We are encouraged by the positive pre-clinical results, which will help guide on the clinical development of our second product using our anti-MUC1 antibody, AR20.5, as a therapeutic treatment for pancreatic cancer."

About Anti-MUC1 MAb AR20.5
Anti-MUC1 MAb-AR20.5 is a novel immunotherapeutic drug for investigational use in the treatment of patients with malignancies expressing the tumor-associated antigen known as MUC1.  MAb-AR20.5 binds with high affinity to MUC1, recognizing the tandem repeat peptide sequence DTRPAP of the high molecular weight MUC1 glycoprotein. MUC1 is expressed on many adenocarcinomas including pancreatic, breast, lung, colon and prostate as well as in multiple myeloma. A Phase I clinical study has established bioactivity associated with dosage along with a favorable safety profile. OncoQuest is developing this antibody in conjunction with OncoVent Co., Ltd. ("OncoVent), a Chinese joint venture between OncoQuest and Shenzhen Hepalink, for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

About OncoQuest
OncoQuest is a subsidiary of Quest PharmaTech Inc. (TSXV-QPT), and is a privately held, Canadian based pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of immunotherapies for cancer. OncoQuest's technology platform includes a panel of tumor antigen specific monoclonal immunoglobulins including CA125, MUC1, PSA and Her2/neu; and the application of combinatorial immunotherapy to enhance tumor specific immunity and clinical outcome. OncoQuest's lead product, oregovomab, is currently undergoing a confirmatory phase IIb clinical trial involving 80 ovarian cancer patients in Italy and the United States. Additional clinical studies are underway or planned for oregovomab in combination with other therapeutic modalities for the treatment of pancreatic and ovarian cancers to identify optimal design for a product registration trial. OncoQuest's MUC1 program has already undergone a phase I clinical trial in breast cancer patients. OncoQuest's next-generation products are based on immunoglobulin E licensed from UCLA, Stanford University and Advanced Immune Therapeutics, Inc. These antigen-specific monoclonal IgE antibodies are currently in preclinical development.  OncoQuest's current clinical and preclinical programs are funded by a U.S. $13 Million private placement made to Hepalink USA Inc., a subsidiary of Shenzhen Hepalink.   

SOURCE Quest PharmaTech Inc.