CHRS - Coherus Announces Toripalimab Data at 2023 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics | Benzinga
— Data demonstrate preclinical potent T cell activation and differentiated mechanism of action and enhanced clinical efficacy irrespective of PD-L1 status when administered in combination with chemotherapy —
— Toripalimab demonstrated twelve-fold higher binding affinity to PD-1 compared to pembrolizumab —
— In vitro studies show significantly higher activation of T cells compared to pembrolizumab in multiple assay systems —
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 14, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Coherus BioSciences, Inc. (("Coherus", NASDAQ:CHRS), today announced a presentation of toripalimab data at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics being held October 11-15, 2023 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.
PD-L1, a protein found on the surface of some cancer cells, suppresses T cell activation and inhibits the ability of the body's immune system to kill cancer cells. Toripalimab is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody that binds with high affinity to a unique site on PD-1, thereby blocking the interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1. Preclinical mechanistic data demonstrate statistically significantly higher activation of T cells and higher expression of key immune system activators with toripalimab compared to pembrolizumab, clinically a widely used anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of cancer patients. These data may provide a mechanistic explanation for the improvements in overall survival irrespective of PD-L1 expression levels observed in clinical trials in multiple tumor types evaluating toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy. A biologics license application (BLA) for toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy as treatment for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"PD-1 inhibition has been a significant advancement in cancer treatment across tumor types but better treatments are needed to increase response rates and drive improved outcomes for patients. These data support toripalimab as a next-generation PD-1 inhibitor that, in combination with chemotherapy, may have greater antitumor activity in less inflamed tumors than more commonly used PD-1 inhibitors in certain cancers due to its unique binding properties," said Theresa LaVallee, Ph.D., Coherus' chief development officer. "We look forward to delivering this important new treatment option to patients, first in NPC, if approved, and continuing to evaluate its efficacy in combination with chemotherapy in multiple cancer types and in combination with novel I-O agents."
Poster presentation data are summarized as follows:
- Toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival irrespective of PD-L1 status in post hoc analyses of 3 randomized controlled clinical trials, including in NPC, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC)
- Toripalimab exhibits a 12-fold higher binding affinity for PD-1 compared to pembrolizumab that is driven by a slow-off rate
- Toripalimab is more potent than pembrolizumab in enhancing levels of Th1 cytokines and cytotoxicity in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)
- In comparison to pembrolizumab, binding of toripalimab to PD-1 induced low levels of SHP1 and SHP2 recruitment, thereby minimizing ...