iOmx Therapeutics' iOTarg™ Genetic Screening Platform Featured in Podium Presentation at PEGS Europe 2019

MARTINSRIED, Germany and MUNICH, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- iOmx Therapeutics AG (iOmx), a biopharmaceutical company developing cancer therapeutics based on novel immune checkpoint targets, announced today that its Vice President, Antibody Development, Stefanie Urlinger, PhD, delivered a podium presentation highlighting the discovery of IGSF11, a novel immune checkpoint molecule on tumor cells, using its iOTarg™ discovery platform at the 11^th PEGS Europe Protein & Antibody Engineering Summit (PEGS Europe 2019) in Lisbon, 12-18 November, 2019. 

The podium presentation, titled, "A Comprehensive Screening Platform to Identify the Next Generation of Cancer Immunotherapy Targets," reports the identification of IGSF11, a postulated VISTA interaction partner, as an important immune checkpoint molecule on tumor cells using iOTarg, the company's proprietary, high-throughput target discovery platform. In an MC38 murine colon adenocarcinoma mouse model, CRISPR knockout of IGSF11 resulted in a >70% reduction in tumor growth, independently validating the target. Interestingly, patients refractory to anti-PD1 or anti-CTLA4 therapies overexpress IGSF11 and exhibit poor progression-free survival.

Based on these findings, iOmx is developing a novel anti-IGSF11 antibody as monotherapy in patients with solid tumor indications that are resistant to PD-1/PD-L1 therapies. The company presented data showcasing their IGSF11-specific antibodies which block the interaction to VISTA and exhibit strong immune lysis of tumor cells in vitro. Additionally, beyond IGSF11, iOTarg resulted in the identification of other novel immune checkpoint targets and unique immune evasion biologies against which iOmx is pursuing first-in-class drug development projects - all in the pre-clinical stage.

"Current limitation of the approved immune checkpoint inhibitors to induce response in majority of cancer patients requires us to identify and drug additional key vulnerabilities in refractory tumors," said Nisit Khandelwal, Ph.D., co-founder and Senior Vice President of iOmx Therapeutics. "PEGS Europe 2019 Summit is an ideal event to showcase the ability of iOmx' iOTarg genetic screening platform to systematically identify novel and druggable immune checkpoint targets, such as IGSF11, that are expressed by PD-L1 non-responsive tumors. Based on our findings, we have initiated pre-clinical development of a first-in-class IGSF11-targeting antibody that eliminates tumor induced immune suppression, especially in anti-PD-1 refractory tumors. Furthermore, we continue to investigate new immuno-oncology targets with our unique iOTarg discovery engine."

About iOmx Therapeutics
iOmx (www.iomx.com) focuses on the development of first-in-class cancer therapeutics addressing novel immune checkpoints hijacked by cancer cells. The company's proprietary platform, iOTarg™, systematically screens tumor cells for expression of immune checkpoint modulators, that, when knocked-down, increase T cell immunity against cancer cells. iOmx is building a pipeline of promising cancer immunotherapeutics based on novel, proprietary targets with a known mode of action. Founded in 2016 based on the work of its scientific founders Philipp Beckhove and Nisit Khandelwal conducted at the German Cancer Research Center, the company has been funded by MPM Capital (both its BV2014 and UBS Oncology Impact Funds), Sofinnova Partners, Wellington Partners and Merck Ventures and is based in Martinsried / Munich, Germany.

Contact:
Investor / Media Contacts:
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Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.
212-375-2694 / 2665
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SOURCE iOmx Therapeutics AG