SEA-BCMA is an investigational antibody empowered using Seattle Genetics’ proprietary Sugar Engineered Antibody (SEA) technology designed to enhance antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity.
The target of SEA-BCMA, the cell surface protein B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), is broadly expressed on malignant plasma cells in multiple myeloma. SEA-BCMA has demonstrated encouraging antitumor activity in preclinical studies.
Seattle Genetics chief medical officer Dr Roger Dansey said: “Despite recent advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma, it remains an incurable disease with a need for active and well-tolerated agents.
“BCMA is a validated therapeutic target for multiple myeloma. SEA-BCMA represents a novel empowered antibody treatment approach that has demonstrated antitumor activity and an acceptable safety profile in preclinical evaluation to date.
“We look forward to evaluating SEA-BCMA through our clinical development program and hope to meaningfully improve outcomes for multiple myeloma patients.”
The phase 1 trial is an open-label, multi-center, dose-escalation and expansion clinical study designed to enroll approximately 65 patients with relapsed or refractory MM in the United States.
The study is expected to be conducted in two parts, with a dose escalation cohort to evaluate safety and tolerability and to determine the maximum tolerated dose of SEA-BCMA, followed by an expansion cohort to obtain further data regarding safety and antitumor activity.
Data presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2018 demonstrate that SEA-BCMA exhibits encouraging preclinical antitumor activity and has the potential to be an active, tolerable and combinable agent.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is an aggressive cancer that forms in white blood cells called plasma cells. Cancerous plasma cells can crowd out healthy blood cells, impair bone strength and weaken the immune system.
SEA-BCMA is a novel investigational antibody empowered using Seattle Genetics’ proprietary Sugar Engineered Antibody (SEA) technology that leads to enhanced antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity.
SEA-BCMA is a non-fucosylated BCMA-directed antibody that is designed to block proliferative tumor cell signaling, mediate antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis and induce enhanced cell lysis through antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity.
The cell surface protein BCMA is expressed on cells of several cancer types, including multiple myeloma and other B-cell malignancies. BCMA is a validated therapeutic target for multiple myeloma.
Source: Company Press Release