MabVax Therapeutics Signs Research Agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to Develop Novel CAR T-Cell Based Anti-Cancer Immunotherapies for Treatment of Pancreatic and Small Cell Lung Cancers

SAN DIEGO, May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- MabVax Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBVX), a clinical stage oncology drug development company, announced today it entered into a sponsored research agreement with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) for the development of novel Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapeutics using antibody targeting sequences derived from MabVax's fully-human antibodies for pancreatic, small cell lung, and other solid tumor cancers.  CAR T-cell therapeutics are unique anti-cancer immunotherapies that genetically modify a patient's own T-cells to recognize an antigen on targeted tumor cells.

Under the new agreement, MabVax will provide funding to evaluate the efficacy of multiple CAR T-cell products incorporating several different antibody targeting sequences.  The research program will evaluate in xenograft models of pancreatic and small cell lung cancer targeting sequences from MabVax's leading monoclonal antibody clinical development candidate HuMab-5B1. Multiple CAR T-cell constructs have been created and tested in cell based assays demonstrating utility and warranting continued testing in animal models of pancreatic cancer and other CA19-9 expressing tumors. 

MabVax has provided a second set of novel antibody targeting sequences from its clinical and research programs to MSK for development into new CAR T-cell constructs for the treatment of solid tumors.  MSK will evaluate the new CAR T-cell constructs and test in both in vitro and in animal models of solid tumors with a goal of completing investigational new drug (IND) enabling pre-clinical studies.  The work will be conducted in the laboratory of Michel Sadelain, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Center for Cell Engineering and Gene Transfer and Gene Expression at MSK.

MabVax has certain rights to the new CAR T-cell inventions developed during the collaboration, including an exclusive time-limited option to license MSK's rights in such inventions.

"We are excited that we have finalized this important research opportunity with MSK," stated J. David Hansen, Chief Executive Officer of MabVax.  "We believe that the human targeting sequences derived from our antibody program have demonstrated remarkable specificity for antigens that are over-expressed on difficult to treat cancers. Importantly, this collaboration will bring us another step forward as we aim to further understand the depth, breadth and utility of our pipeline.  Incorporating those discoveries into promising CAR T-cell technology developed at MSK holds real promise for patients suffering from solid tumor cancers.  We look forward to working with MSK to evaluate these novel CAR T-cell products."

About MabVax

MabVax Therapeutics Holdings, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the development of antibody-based products to address unmet medical needs in the treatment of cancer.  MabVax has discovered a pipeline of human monoclonal antibody products based on the protective immune responses generated by patients who have been vaccinated against targeted cancers with the Company's proprietary vaccines.  MabVax has filed three INDs in the last 14 months and received FDA authorization to proceed on all three.   Two products are currently in phase I clinical trials.  The first is a therapeutic product, MVT-5873, which is being evaluated as a single agent and in combination with a standard of care chemotherapy in a dose escalation safety trial in pancreatic cancer and other CA19-9 expressing cancers.  The second product is MVT-2163, a PET imaging agent also being evaluated as a novel diagnostic agent in pancreatic cancer.    The third product, MVT-1075, is a novel radioimmunotherapy product and the Company recently received authorization from FDA to proceed from FDA with our planned phase I clinical investigation.  The Company anticipates that patient enrollment for the MVT-1075 study will be initiated in the second quarter 2017.  Additional information is available at www.mabvax.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" regarding matters that are not historical facts, including statements relating to the company's research agreement with MSK for a CAR T development program, and progress in three phase I clinical trials of MVT-5873, MVT-2163, MVT-1075, and plans for 2017.  We have no assurance that any of the product development pipeline will be fully developed by the Company.   Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  Words such as "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "will," "potential," "hope" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements.  These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations of the Company and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect.  Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements because of various risks and uncertainties.  Detailed information regarding factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by statements in this press release relating to the company may be found in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the factors described in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, and the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as such filings may be amended and supplemented from time to time, and other filings and reports by the Company with the SEC, copies of which may be obtained from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.  The parties do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release.

Investor Contact:
Jenene Thomas
Jenene Thomas Communications, LLC
Phone: +1 (908) 938-1475
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE MabVax Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

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