NexImmune ( NASDAQ: NEXI ) stock rose ~55% premarket on Thursday after the company said that new positive, preclinical data showed that AIM ACT T cells enhance the response to bispecific T cell engager therapy.
The data in the abstract titled, 'Prior Antigen Exposure Enhances the T cell Response to Bispecific T cell Engager Therapy' will be presented at the 2023 Tandem Meetings: Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT and CIBMTR.
The company said the AIM ACT T cells are non-engineered CTLs against 5 multiple myeloma antigen-peptide targets and include subtype populations (Tscm, Tcm, Tem) linked with anti-tumor activity and immunologic memory.
The abstract describes the ability of multi-TAA AIM ACT T cells to work synergistically with BiTE therapy, showing important advantages over endogenous TAA nonspecific CD8 T cells + BiTE, according to the company.
NexImmune added that the results show that BiTE potency, as measured by a reduction in tumor burden in vivo , is markedly increased in the presence of AIM T cells.
In addition, after withdrawal of BiTE therapy, recipients of the AIM ACT T cell combination remained tumor free or had a low tumor burden, while those that had received the bulk CD8+ T cell combination died within two weeks.
The company noted that this observation suggests that AIM ACT T cells provide immunosurveillance after withdrawal of the BiTE, an advantage over bulk CD8+ T cells, which should contribute to the maintenance of remission.
"Our preclinical findings hold the promise that clinically, the AIM multi-TAA specific T cells can significantly enhance the activity of BiTEs over the current standard of care and also provide immunosurveillance, potentially helping extension and maintenance of remission in patients," said Principal Investigator Johannes Zakrzewski.
NEXI +57.90% to $0.65 premarket Feb. 16
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NexImmune stock surges ~55% on preclinical data linked to T cell response