Investee Company Update

RNS Number : 0791R

FastForward Innovations Limited

04 March 2016

 

4 March 2016

FastForward Innovations Limited

("FastForward" or the "Company")

Investee Company Update

FastForward notes the announcement made by Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. ("Intensity Therapeutics") yesterday in relation to the agreement that its lead product, INT230-6, will be presented at two upcoming industry congresses. Fastforward has a 3.5% equity interest in Intensity Therapeutics and believes these presentations will assist in publicising the positive results achieved by INT230-6 to date.

"Oral Presentations Planned at Keystone Symposium and World Vaccine Conference

WESTPORT, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Intensity Therapeutics, Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company developing proprietary immune cell-activating cancer treatments, announced that preclinical research from the Company and its collaborators at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) were selected for oral presentation at two important upcoming congresses. The results demonstrate the ability of Intensity's proprietary product, INT230-6, to create a robust anti-cancer immunological effect in a murine model of cancer.

In preclinical studies conducted by Intensity Therapeutics in collaboration with the NCI, injection of INT230-6 into large colon cancer tumors in mice caused tumor shrinkage in 100% of the subjects, with up to 80% experiencing a complete response. Complete responders further experienced an immunologically based, durable vaccine-like effect that protected the animals from multiple re-inoculation challenges using the same colon cancer cell type. To confirm that the effect was immunologically based, a portion of complete responders were depleted of CD4- and/or CD8-positive T-cells prior to the re-challenge. CD4 and CD8 T-cell depletion indeed reversed the protection. This data indicates that a local intratumoral injection of INT230-6 causes the release of antigens that induce specific T-cell responses, enabling distant tumor regression and immunological memory.

Intensity Therapeutics' Chief Executive Officer Lewis H. Bender added, "We believe that INT230-6, a locally administered and potentially low-toxicity product, could be a major advance in the treatment of cancer. Data suggest that our approach could activate a personalized, systemic immunologic response to attack both the patient's primary, visible tumors and kill distal cancer metastases to place the patient in remission and prevent disease recurrence."

Presentation Details

Keystone Symposia - Cancer Vaccines: Targeting Cancer Genes for Immunotherapy (X1)

Presentation - INT230-6 administered intratumorally converts tumor to an endogenous vaccine in mouse colon cancer

Presenter - Anja Bloom, Ph.D., Fellow, Vaccine Branch, National Cancer Institute

Session - March 8, 2016, Workshop 2: Cell-Based Vaccines (2:30-4:30pm local time)

Location - Macdonald DEF, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

World Vaccine Conference

Presentation - Combining immunotherapy with a novel chemotherapy in mouse tumor models

Presenter - Jay A. Berzofsky, M.D., Ph.D., Branch Chief, Vaccine Branch, National Cancer Institute

Plenary Session - March 31, 2016 (12:00pm local time)

Location - Grand Hyatt Hotel, Washington D.C.

About INT230-6 

INT230-6 is a novel, anticancer drug product able to disperse through tumors and diffuse into cancer cells. The product was identified from Intensity's DfuseRx^SM platform technology. Using in vivo preclinical models of severe cancer, INT230-6 treatment results in substantial improvement in overall survival compared to standard therapies. The product can completely clear large tumors in animal models. Complete responders have long-term protection even after multiple re-inoculations of the cancer. INT230-6 administration has shown an increased recruitment of immune cells to the tumor micro-environment. Intensity Therapeutics anticipates making an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the U.S. FDA in 2016 to commence Phase 1 clinical studies.

About Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. 

Intensity Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company whose mission is to greatly extend the lives of patients with cancer. Intensity Therapeutics is pioneering a new immune-based approach to treat cancer - in situ vaccination. The Company uses its DfuseRx^SM platform technology to create new products capable of attenuating (killing) a tumor in a manner that allows for the adaptive immune system to recognize the cancer and attack tumors. Further information can be found at www.intensitytherapeutics.com "

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For further information, please visit www.fstfwd.co or contact:

FastForward Innovations Limited Tel: [phone] Elysium Fund Management Limited

Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nomad) Tel: [phone] James Biddle / Michael Cornish

Peterhouse Corporate Finance Limited (Broker) Tel: [phone] Guy Miller / Lucy Williams

 

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