Breakthrough Cancer Trial in Australia: Immune Cell Retraining Provides Hope for Patients
3 min read
AABT | Breakthrough Cancer Trial in Australia: Immune Cell Retraining Provides Hope for Patients
ADELAIDE, Australia and BOSTON, USA | In a significant advancement in cancer research, Australian patients with advanced-stage cancer have experienced positive outcomes from SUPLEXA, a personalized treatment that trains the patient’s own immune cells to combat cancer.
Dr. Frank Borriello, Scientific Founder and CEO of Alloplex Biotherapeutics in Boston, explains the innovative approach: “Cancer often weakens the immune system. Our method involves isolating immune cells from this suppressive environment, activating their inherent cancer-fighting abilities in a lab, and reintroducing them to the patient.”
Despite the complexity of the science behind SUPLEXA, the process for patients and healthcare providers is straightforward. A simple 50 mL blood draw is all that is needed to develop a complete course of SUPLEXA therapy. Using Alloplex’s ENLIST immune cell training technology, the patient’s white blood cells are isolated and trained outside the body before being infused back into the patient about a month later. These enhanced cells not only target and eliminate cancer cells that previously evaded the immune system but also enhance the patient’s overall immune health.
The results of the first-in-human trial conducted in Adelaide and Brisbane will be presented at the 2024 SITC conference in November. The study demonstrated no serious adverse events related to the treatment, particularly in patients who had exhausted all standard treatment options. SUPLEXA, derived from the patient’s own immune cells, revitalizes and improves their function before reintroduction.
Notably, SUPLEXA showed promising results in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Several CRC patients experienced significant clinical benefits, including complete responses, partial responses, and stable disease. Similarly, RCC patients showed positive outcomes with partial responses and stable disease, while patients with other solid tumors also demonstrated long-term stable disease.
Assoc. Professor Rohit Joshi of Cancer Research SA, the principal investigator of the study, noted the remarkable impact of SUPLEXA on patients’ quality of life. Patients reported improvements in well-being, reduced pain, and better symptom control, allowing them to continue with normal activities and spend time with loved ones.
Encouraged by the FDA, Alloplex Biotherapeutics plans to conduct Phase 2 clinical trials of SUPLEXA in early 2025, combining it with immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with colorectal cancer. This combination therapy aims to enhance outcomes for patients and offer hope to individuals worldwide affected by cancer.
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Notes:
- Alloplex Biotherapeutics is a private Boston-based company founded in 2016 with a singular focus on developing its ENLIST immune cell training platform for cancer. SUPLEXA cells represent the first candidate to emerge from this platform that harnesses and amplifies the innate capabilities of the immune system.
- The company’s first-in-human clinical trial enrolled 35 patients with a variety of advanced cancer types. It was an open label, single-agent, basket study across three clinical sites in Australia and concluded in June 2024. Full clinical and scientific results of the trial will be presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer ‘SITC’ meeting in Houston, Texas 7-9 November 2024. Abstracts #378 and #678 will be presented in the Immune Engineering Workshop and at the Annual Meeting.
- Assoc. Professor Rohit Joshi, MBBS, MD, FRACP, FACP, FRCP, is a highly published and renowned medical oncology consultant. He is an Associate Professor at the University of South Australia and University of Adelaide; and Director of Cancer Research SA (‘CRSA’).
- The three sites in Australia where the SUPLEXA trial was carried out are: (1) Cancer Research SA (‘CRSA’) in Adelaide, South Australia; (2) Southern Oncology Research United (‘SOCRU’) in Adelaide, South Australia, and (3) Greenslopes Private Hospital / Gallipoli Medical Research Foundation, in Brisbane, Queensland
- Cancer in Australia: With approximately 162,000 new cases diagnosed of the disease last year (or more than 440 new diagnoses every day), tragically, cancer is also Australia’s leading cause of mortality. An estimated 51,550 deaths are projected this year (equivalent to over 140 deaths each day). The lifetime risk of being diagnosed with cancer in Australia is substantial, with 1 in 2 Australians expected to develop the disease by the age of 85. While advanced in early detection and treatment have improved outcomes for many, a considerable proportion of patients, particularly those with cancers like lung and colorectal, are still diagnosed at an advanced stage, highlighting the ongoing need for innovative therapies like SUPLEXA.
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Media Contact Email: media@alloplexbio.com
Source: Alloplex Biotherapeutics Inc.
