BNT142 for Solid Tumors
Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
+22 other locations
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Phase 1 & 2
Recruiting
Sponsor: BioNTech SE
Must not be taking: Chemotherapy, Immunotherapy, Steroids, others
Disqualifiers: Infection, Brain metastases, Pregnancy, others
No Placebo Group
Trial Summary
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial tests BNT142, an experimental drug, on patients with advanced cancers that have a specific protein (CLDN6). The drug aims to help the immune system target and destroy these cancer cells.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial requires that you stop taking chemotherapy, molecularly-targeted agents, and immunotherapy at least 3 weeks before starting the study treatment. If you're on steroids, you must not exceed a daily dose equivalent to 10 mg of prednisone.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment BNT142 for solid tumors?
Research on similar treatments, like bispecific T cell engagers (BiTEs), shows they can help the immune system attack cancer cells in solid tumors. Studies suggest that these treatments work better when combined with other therapies that boost immune response, especially in tumors that don't naturally attract many immune cells.12345
What safety data exists for BNT142 or similar treatments in humans?
The research mentions that bispecific antibodies, which are similar to BNT142, have an excellent safety profile and are being developed for cancer treatment. However, some bispecific T-cell engagers have shown severe toxicity at therapeutic doses in solid tumors, indicating potential safety concerns.45678
What makes the drug BNT142 unique for treating solid tumors?
BNT142 is a novel treatment that uses mRNA technology to encode a T-cell engager, which helps the immune system target and destroy cancer cells more effectively. This approach is different from traditional treatments because it directly recruits T-cells to attack the tumor, potentially offering a more targeted and potent response against solid tumors.1491011
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for adults with solid tumors that are CLDN6-positive, metastatic or cannot be surgically removed. They must have tried all standard treatments without success and not received certain therapies within specific time frames before the trial. Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, those with new brain metastases, or on high-dose steroids are excluded.Inclusion Criteria
My tumor is CLDN6 positive based on a specific tissue test.
My cancer has spread or cannot be removed by surgery, confirmed by a pathology report.
I have advanced cancer and standard treatments haven't worked or aren't suitable for me.
See 1 more
Exclusion Criteria
I have not had major surgery in the last 4 weeks.
I am not pregnant, breastfeeding, nor planning to become pregnant soon.
I haven't had cancer treatments like radiotherapy or chemotherapy in the last 3 weeks or more.
See 5 more
Trial Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
2-4 weeks
Dose Escalation
First-in-human, open-label, dose escalation safety and PK study of BNT142 in patients with advanced/metastatic CLDN6-positive solid tumors
Duration not specified
Expansion
Phase IIa proof-of-concept study in expansion cohorts of CLDN6 positive advanced/metastatic ovarian cancer, NSCLC of non-squamous type, and testicular cancer patients
Duration not specified
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment
Up to 36 months
Treatment Details
Interventions
- BNT142 (Monoclonal Antibodies)
Trial OverviewThe clinical trial is testing BNT142 in patients with advanced CLDN6-positive tumors. It's an early-phase study to determine safe dosage levels and initial effectiveness while monitoring how the body processes the drug across multiple centers.
Participant Groups
1Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: BNT142Experimental Treatment1 Intervention
Find a Clinic Near You
Research Locations NearbySelect from list below to view details:
Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterLos Angeles, CA
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterHouston, TX
NEXT VirginiaFairfax, VA
Duke University Medical CenterDurham, NC
More Trial Locations
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Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
BioNTech SELead Sponsor
References
Immunotherapy combinations overcome resistance to bispecific T cell engager treatment in T cell-cold solid tumors. [2021]Therapeutic approaches are needed to promote T cell-mediated destruction of poorly immunogenic, "cold" tumors typically associated with minimal response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy. Bispecific T cell engager (BiTE) molecules induce redirected lysis of cancer cells by polyclonal T cells and have demonstrated promising clinical activity against solid tumors in some patients. However, little is understood about the key factors that govern clinical responses to these therapies. Using an immunocompetent mouse model expressing a humanized CD3ε chain (huCD3e mice) and BiTE molecules directed against mouse CD19, mouse CLDN18.2, or human EPCAM antigens, we investigated the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters and immune correlates associated with BiTE efficacy across multiple syngeneic solid-tumor models. These studies demonstrated that pretreatment tumor-associated T cell density is a critical determinant of response to BiTE therapy, identified CD8+ T cells as important targets and mediators of BiTE activity, and revealed an antagonistic role for CD4+ T cells in BiTE efficacy. We also identified therapeutic combinations, including ICB and 4-1BB agonism, that synergized with BiTE treatment in poorly T cell-infiltrated, immunotherapy-refractory tumors. In these models, BiTE efficacy was dependent on local expansion of tumor-associated CD8+ T cells, rather than their recruitment from circulation. Our findings highlight the relative contributions of baseline T cell infiltration, local T cell proliferation, and peripheral T cell trafficking for BiTE molecule-mediated efficacy, identify combination strategies capable of overcoming resistance to BiTE therapy, and have clinical relevance for the development of BiTE and other T cell engager therapies.
Conformation-selective rather than avidity-based binding to tumor associated antigen derived peptide-MHC enables targeting of WT1-pMHC low expressing cancer cells by anti-WT1-pMHC/CD3 T cell engagers. [2023]T cell engagers, a category of T cell-retargeting immunotherapy, are rapidly transforming clinical cancer care. However, the lack of tumor-specific targets poses a significant roadblock for broad adaptation of this therapeutic modality in many indications, often resulting in systemic on-target off-tumor toxicity. Though various tumor-derived intracellular mutations provide a massive pool of potential tumor-specific antigens, targeting them is extremely challenging, partly due to the low copy number of tumor associated antigen (TAA)-derived pMHC on tumor cell surface. Further, the interplay of binding geometry and format valency in relation to the capacity of a T cell engager to efficiently target low density cell-surface pMHC is not well understood. Using the Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) oncoprotein as a proof-of-principle TAA, combined with an array of IgG-like T cell engager modalities that differ in their anti-TAA valency and binding geometry, we show that the ability to induce an immunological synapse formation, resulting in potent killing of WT1 positive cancer cell lines is primarily dependent on the distinct geometrical conformations between the Fab arms of anti-WT1-HLA-A*02:01 and anti-CD3. The augmented avidity conferred by the binding of two anti-WT1-HLA-A*02:01 Fab arms has only minimal influence on cell killing potency. These findings demonstrate the need for careful examination of key design parameters for the development of next-generation T cell engagers targeting low density TAA-pMHCs on tumor cells.
Mouse Models Provide Insight into Factors Affecting BiTE Efficacy. [2022]In mice, response to bispecific T cell engagers (BiTE) is influenced by tumor inflammation and T-cell infiltration.
A T-cell engaging bispecific antibody with a tumor-selective bivalent folate receptor alpha binding arm for the treatment of ovarian cancer. [2022]The use of T-cell engagers (TCEs) to treat solid tumors is challenging, and several have been limited by narrow therapeutic windows due to substantial on-target, off-tumor toxicities due to the expression of low levels of target antigens on healthy tissues. Here, we describe TNB-928B, a fully human TCE that has a bivalent binding arm for folate receptor alpha (FRα) to selectively target FRα overexpressing tumor cells while avoiding the lysis of cells with low levels of FRα expression. The bivalent design of the FRα binding arm confers tumor selectivity due to low-affinity but high-avidity binding to high FRα antigen density cells. TNB-928B induces preferential effector T-cell activation, proliferation, and selective cytotoxic activity on high FRα expressing cells while sparing low FRα expressing cells. In addition, TNB-928B induces minimal cytokine release compared to a positive control TCE containing OKT3. Moreover, TNB-928B exhibits substantial ex vivo tumor cell lysis using endogenous T-cells and robust tumor clearance in vivo, promoting T-cell infiltration and antitumor activity in mouse models of ovarian cancer. TNB-928B exhibits pharmacokinetics similar to conventional antibodies, which are projected to enable favorable administration in humans. TNB-928B is a novel TCE with enhanced safety and specificity for the treatment of ovarian cancer.
Humanization of a strategic CD3 epitope enables evaluation of clinical T-cell engagers in a fully immunocompetent in vivo model. [2022]T-cell engagers (TCEs) are a growing class of biotherapeutics being investigated in the clinic for treatment of a variety of hematological and solid tumor indications. However, preclinical evaluation of TCEs in vivo has been mostly limited to xenograft tumor models in human T-cell reconstituted immunodeficient mice, which have a number of limitations. To explore the efficacy of human TCEs in fully immunocompetent hosts, we developed a knock-in mouse model (hCD3E-epi) in which a 5-residue N-terminal fragment of murine CD3-epsilon was replaced with an 11-residue stretch from the human sequence that encodes for a common epitope recognized by anti-human CD3E antibodies in the clinic. T cells from hCD3E-epi mice underwent normal thymic development and could be efficiently activated upon crosslinking of the T-cell receptor with anti-human CD3E antibodies in vitro. Furthermore, a TCE targeting human CD3E and murine CD20 induced robust T-cell redirected killing of murine CD20-positive B cells in ex vivo hCD3E-epi splenocyte cultures, and also depleted nearly 100% of peripheral B cells for up to 7 days following in vivo administration. These results highlight the utility of this novel mouse model for exploring the efficacy of human TCEs in vivo, and suggest a useful tool for evaluating TCEs in combination with immuno-oncology/non-immuno-oncology agents against heme and solid tumor targets in hosts with a fully intact immune system.
Rejuvenation of tumour-specific T cells through bispecific antibodies targeting PD-L1 on dendritic cells. [2022]Bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) preferentially targeting tumour-associated antigens and stimulating CD3-mediated signalling are being used in patients to treat acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia. However, the potency of BiTEs in solid tumours is limited by their short half-life and their severe toxicity at relevant therapeutic doses. Here we report the design and in vivo performance of a bispecific antibody that simultaneously targets the murine T-cell co-receptor CD3ε and the murine immune checkpoint programmed-death ligand 1 (PD-L1). In multiple syngeneic tumour models, the bispecific antibody generated higher antitumour immune responses than conventional BiTEs targeting tumour-associated antigens and CD3ε. We found that the durable antigen-specific T-cell responses resulted from the rejuvenation of CD8 T cells, owing to the blockade of PD-L1 on dendritic cells (but not on tumour cells) and co-stimulation by B7-1&2 (a peripheral membrane protein on dendritic cells). Bispecific T-cell engagers targeting dendritic cells rather than tumour cells may represent a general means of T-cell rejuvenation for durable cancer immunotherapy.
Tetraspecific scFv construct provides NK cell mediated ADCC and self-sustaining stimuli via insertion of IL-15 as a cross-linker. [2018]The design of a highly effective anti-cancer immune-engager would include targeting of highly drug refractory cancer stem cells (CSC). The design would promote effective antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and simultaneously promote costimulation to expand and self-sustain the effector NK cell population. Based on our bispecific NK cell engager platform we constructed a tetraspecific killer engager (TetraKE) comprising single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) binding FcγRIII (CD16) on NK cells, EpCAM on carcinoma cells and CD133 on cancer stem cells in order to promote ADCC. Furthermore, an Interleukin (IL)-15-crosslinker enhanced NK cell related proliferation resulting in a highly active drug termed 1615EpCAM133.
Recombinant Antibodies to Arm Cytotoxic Lymphocytes in Cancer Immunotherapy. [2020]Immunotherapy has the potential to support and expand the body's own armamentarium of immune effector functions, which have been circumvented during malignant transformation and establishment of cancer and is presently considered to be the most promising treatment option for cancer patients. Recombinant antibody technologies have led to a multitude of novel antibody formats, which are in clinical development and hold great promise for future therapies. Among these formats, bispecific antibodies are extremely versatile due to their high efficacy to recruit and activate anti-tumoral immune effector cells, their excellent safety profile, and the opportunity for use in combination with cellular therapies. This review article summarizes the latest developments in cancer immunotherapy using immuno-engagers for recruiting T cells and NK cells to the tumor site. In addition to antibody formats, malignant cell targets, and immune cell targets, opportunities for combination therapies, including check point inhibitors, cytokines and adoptive transfer of immune cells, will be summarized and discussed.
Bi- and trispecific immune cell engagers for immunotherapy of hematological malignancies. [2023]Immune cell engagers are engineered antibodies with at least one arm binding a tumor-associated antigen and at least another one directed against an activating receptor in immune effector cells: CD3 for recruitment of T cells and CD16a for NK cells. The first T cell engager (the anti-CD19 blinatumomab) was approved by the FDA in 2014, but no other one hit the market until 2022. Now the field is gaining momentum, with three approvals in 2022 and 2023 (as of May): the anti-CD20 × anti-CD3 mosunetuzumab and epcoritamab and the anti-B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) × anti-CD3 teclistamab, and another three molecules in regulatory review. T cell engagers will likely revolutionize the treatment of hematological malignancies in the short term, as they are considerably more potent than conventional monoclonal antibodies recognizing the same tumor antigens. The field is thriving, with a plethora of different formats and targets, and around 100 bispecific T cell engagers more are already in clinical trials. Bispecific NK cell engagers are also in early-stage clinical studies and may offer similar efficacy with milder side effects. Trispecific antibodies (engaging either T cell or NK cell receptors) raise the game even further with a third binding moiety, which allows either the targeting of an additional tumor-associated antigen to increase specificity and avoid immune escape or the targeting of additional costimulatory receptors on the immune cell to improve its effector functions. Altogether, these engineered molecules may change the paradigm of treatment for relapsed or refractory hematological malignancies.
Bispecific light T-cell engagers for gene-based immunotherapy of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive malignancies. [2019]The recruitment of T-cells by bispecific antibodies secreted from adoptively transferred, gene-modified autologous cells has shown satisfactory results in preclinical cancer models. Even so, the approach's translation into the clinic will require incremental improvements to its efficacy and reduction of its toxicity. Here, we characterized a tandem T-cell recruiting bispecific antibody intended to benefit gene-based immunotherapy approaches, which we call the light T-cell engager (LiTE), consisting of an EGFR-specific single-domain VHH antibody fused to a CD3-specific scFv. We generated two LiTEs with the anti-EGFR VHH and the anti-CD3 scFv arranged in both possible orders. Both constructs were well expressed in mammalian cells as highly homogenous monomers in solution with molecular weights of 43 and 41 kDa, respectively. In situ secreted LiTEs bound the cognate antigens of both parental antibodies and triggered the specific cytolysis of EGFR-expressing cancer cells without inducing T-cell activation and cytotoxicity spontaneously or against EGFR-negative cells. Light T-cell engagers are, therefore, suitable for future applications in gene-based immunotherapy approaches.
Preclinical Assessment of a MUC12-Targeted BiTE (Bispecific T-cell Engager) Molecule. [2022]MUC12 is a transmembrane mucin that is highly expressed in >50% of primary and metastatic colorectal tumors. MUC12 is also expressed by normal epithelial cells of the colon and small intestine. Although MUC12 localization in normal epithelial cells is restricted to the apical membrane, expression in tumors is depolarized and shows broad membrane localization. The differential localization of MUC12 in tumor cells as compared with normal cells makes it a potential therapeutic target. Here, we evaluated targeting of MUC12 with a BiTE (bispecific T-cell engager) molecule. We generated a panel of proof-of-concept half-life extended (HLE) BiTE molecules that bind MUC12 on tumor cells and CD3 on T cells. We prioritized one molecule based on in vitro activity for further characterization in vivo In vitro, the MUC12 HLE BiTE molecule mediated T-cell-redirected lysis of MUC12-expressing cells with half-maximal lysis of 4.4 ± 0.9 to 117 ± 78 pmol/L. In an exploratory cynomolgus monkey toxicology study, the MUC12 HLE BiTE molecule administered at 200 μg/kg with a step dose to 1,000 μg/kg was tolerated with minimal clinical observations. However, higher doses were not tolerated, and there was evidence of damage in the gastrointestinal tract, suggesting dose levels projected to be required for antitumor activity may be associated with on-target toxicity. Together, these data demonstrate that the apically restricted expression of MUC12 in normal tissues is accessible to BiTE molecule target engagement and highlight the difficult challenge of identifying tumor-selective antigens for solid tumor T-cell engagers.