SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#AMSM—AVM Biotechnology has been selected as a 2023-2024 National Cancer Institute (NCI) showcase company for the SBIR Investor Initiatives. Selection is based on competitive review of applications from a review team that includes between 65 to 80 venture capitalists/strategic partners. Reviewers for previous years competitive applications have included representatives from AbbVie, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, OrbiMed, Siemens, and Takeda Ventures. AVM Biotechnology has previously been awarded five (5) highly competitive National Institute of Health SBIR grants; three (3) of these from the NCI.
“We are excited to have been selected, after competitive review, to be a 2023-2024 showcase company for the NCI’s SBIR Investor Initiative. The NCI Initiative is intended to connect funded small businesses with targeted investors and strategic partners. AVM’s application was scored by reviewers from venture capital, validating that the company is well-positioned to bring-in significant funds in 2023-2024 to support our enrolling Phase 2 adaptive-design expansion trial in no-option Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma/Leukemia patients and to broaden our clinical trial activity to solid tumor patients who represent 80% of all cancers diagnosed,” Daniel G Spina, Director, AVM Biotechnology, Inc., formerly Managing Director JP Morgan.
Dr. Ching-Hon Pui, Co-Leader, Hematological Malignancies Program, St. Jude, Memphis, TN and 2020 American Cancer Society Medal of Honor Awardee, “I am very impressed with your previous efforts to help my former patient. You provided AVM0703 in a record time (less than 24 hours) to my patient by sending your colleague by plane to hand deliver the medication to St. Jude from Seattle, WA. The drug yielded an amazing response. Even though my patient had very advanced leukemia, AVM0703 helped to control the disease and bridged him to CAR T cells therapy.”
About AVM Biotechnology Inc:
AVM Biotechnology is a clinical stage company headquartered in Seattle, WA developing immunomodulatory therapies for hematological cancer, infectious and autoimmune diseases. AVM’s lead drug, immunomodulatory AVM0703 has demonstrated relatively broad anti-cancer activity against a variety of solid tumors and blood cancers. Over 55 patients have been treated to date. AVM0703’s relatively broad anti-cancer activity is hypothesized to be due to mobilization of a highly active gamma/delta T-cell receptor expressing immune cell, which is programmed to recognize special stress signals produced by most cancer cells but not normal cells. Requests for additional information about immunomodulatory AVM0703 and its relatively broad activity against solid tumors and blood cancers can be made by contacting compassionateuse@avmbiotech.com and for information about our enrolling clinical trial for relapsed/refractory Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma/Leukemia patients please contact V.Radosevic@Medpace.com or tdeisher@avmbiotech.com. AVM’s pipeline also includes a small molecule that triggers blood cell formation to replace transfusions, and an allogeneic γδTCR+invTCR+ NKT-like cell.
About AVM0703:
AVM0703 is small molecule immunomodulatory drug enrolling Phase 2 trials in US in relapsed/refractory Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (NHL) which began enrollment H1 2023 (partially funded by NCI Ph II FastTrak grant 1R44CA272096). AVM0703 mobilizes a novel endogenous bispecific gamma delta TCR+ invariant TCR+ Natural Killer T-like cell with profound antitumor activity. AVM0703 has shown an absence of safety concerns with side-effects limited to grades 1-3. Clinical responses in the enrolling NHL trial and in FDA-approved expanded access/compassionate use include multiple NHL sub-types and diverse solid tumor types. Responses to AVM0703 are quite rapid, reported from 30 minutes to 14 days after infusion. Preclinical data also demonstrates a significant response against autoreactive lymphocytes in the NOD Type 1 diabetes model (Funded by NIDDK SBIR Ph I grant 1R43DK121634 and NIDDK SBIR Ph II grant 2R44DK121634). Gamma delta TCR+ lymphocytes recognize phosphoantigens expressed by stressed, cancer and infected cells and autoreactive lymphocytes, but not normal cells. Adoptive transfer of AVM0703 induced gamma delta TCR+ immune cells has potent activity against preclinical melanoma (funded by NCI SBIR Ph I grant 1R43CA246896). Additionally, AVM0703 has been shown to have potent neo-adjuvant activity before chemotherapy against immune-resistant, aggressive mouse A20 lymphoma (Funded by NCI SBIR Ph I 1R43_CA271951). Based on its ability to penetrate collagen-encased desmoplastic tumors, AVM0703 has promise as a neoadjuvant prior to chemoimmunotherapy to improve outcomes for metastatic advanced pancreatic cancer patients.
Forward Looking Statements: This contains certain statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and they may be accompanied by words such as “could,” “would,” “may,” “potentially,” “suggest,” “believes,” “expects,” “should,” and similar words or expressions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views as of the date this is published, and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, changes in circumstances, and other factors; drug development and commercialization are highly risky and early clinical results in animals or humans may not reflect the full results from later stage or larger scale clinical trials. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results, performance, and expectations to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these statements, including statements about: future and ongoing drug development and timing; the applications of drugs to specific diseases; the potential for ongoing preclinical or clinical trial results; FDA or other regulatory findings and approvals; potential market opportunities; and the occurrence of future events or circumstances. There are risks and uncertainties involving and not limited to our ability to progress in our research and development efforts, complete clinical testing, achieve our expected results, commercialize our products, avoid infringement of patents, trademarks and other proprietary rights of third parties, protect products from competition, navigate the political environment, maintain sufficient capital and funding, avoid problems with our manufacturing processes, maintain our operations, and obtain regulatory approval to sell and market the drugs in the United States and elsewhere. The reader should not place any undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We have no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any of our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date these statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as may be required by law.
Contacts
AVM Biotechnology
Theresa Deisher
tdeisher@avmbiotech.com
info@avmbiotech.com
Compassionate Use
Mia Lor
mlor@avmbiotech.com
Partnering/Investing
Todd Bertsch
tbertsch@avmbiotech.com