Ernexa Therapeutics announced new preclinical data demonstrating that its lead cell therapy candidate, ERNA-101, in combination with PD-1 blockade, drives complete tumor clearance and 100% long-term survival in syngeneic ovarian cancer models.
In the study, treatment with ERNA-101 in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy resulted in loss of detectable tumor signal by bioluminescence imaging and 100% survival through long-term follow-up. According to Ernexa, these outcomes significantly exceeded those observed with either therapy alone and suggest potential curative activity.
“These findings underscore the potential of ERNA-101 to overcome one of the biggest challenges in ovarian cancer – an immunologically ‘cold’ TME – and to unlock the full potential of checkpoint inhibition,” said Robert Pierce, MD, Ernexa chief scientific officer.
ERNA-101 is an allogeneic induced mesenchymal stem cell (iMSC) therapy derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and engineered to home to tumors and secrete a potent IL-7/IL-15 fusion cytokine directly within the TME. This localized cytokine delivery approach is designed to maximize immune activation while minimizing systemic toxicity.
Ernexa plans to incorporate the lastest findings into its development strategy as it advances ERNA-101 toward a first-in-human clinical trial in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Ongoing studies are evaluating ERNA-101 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and other immuno-oncology agents.
Read more about Ernexa’s work in our cover story, MSCs rising
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