- The study demonstrates the importance of tumor and lymph node-derived B cells for the discovery of antibodies directed at potentially novel targets
- The study results provide a framework for understanding the evolution of B cell families in cancer patients
EXTON, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Immunome, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMNM), a biopharmaceutical company that utilizes its human memory B cell platform to discover and develop first-in-class antibody therapeutics, today announced the publication of a peer-reviewed article in Clinical & Translational Immunology characterizing B cell repertoires in tissue samples from patients with breast cancer. In collaboration with groups at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania, the preclinical study combined next-generation sequence analysis and phage panning to characterize and enrich clonal lineages of tumor-specific B cells in discrete tissues from cancer patients.
“We are pleased to announce these results, which help refine our current understanding on the evolution of B cell clonal families in cancer patients,” said Purnanand Sarma, PhD, President & CEO of Immunome. “We believe that studies such as these – which augment our knowledge of B cell responses in people with cancer, in combination with Immunome’s powerful screening platform, will enhance our ability to identify novel targets and enable innovative strategies that can be used to treat multiple solid tumors.”
The mechanisms underlying successful anti-tumor immune responses are not well understood and remain an area of intense investigation. In particular, leveraging information from patients whose immune systems can fight cancer is critical for guiding the discovery and development of transformational drugs. The results published by Immunome and its collaborators provide a framework for understanding (1) how features of tumors relate to the potential for B cells to target cancer cells, and (2) how these cancer-specific B cells are disseminated across tumors, sentinel lymph nodes and blood in the same patient. Using transcriptional analysis, next-generation sequencing and phage display, the authors compared features of the tumor microenvironment with the clonality and tumor specificity of the B cells within each compartment. Several important observations were identified through this analysis:
- Increased frequencies of tumor-specific B cells were observed in tumors and sentinel lymph nodes compared to blood, but differed between patients
- Enrichment of tumor-binding antibodies using phage panning showed enrichment of specific clonal families of B cells
- B cells within tumors demonstrated similarities in the composition of their antibody sequences compared to those from lymph nodes and blood
About Immunome
Immunome is a biopharmaceutical company that utilizes its proprietary human memory B cell platform to discover and develop first-in-class antibody therapeutics that are designed to change the way diseases are treated. The company’s initial focus is developing therapeutics to treat oncology and infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Immunome’s proprietary discovery engine identifies novel therapeutic antibodies and their targets by leveraging the highly educated components of the immune system, memory B cells, from patients whose bodies have learned to fight off their disease. For more information, please visit www.immunome.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain disclosures that contain “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the “safe harbor” from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, express or implied statements regarding Immunome’s beliefs and expectations on the advancement of its discovery engine, the importance of B-cell families in patients, execution of its regulatory, research, clinical and strategic plans and anticipated upcoming milestones for its platform and programs, including expectations regarding, among other things: the timing and results of its preclinical studies and clinical trials; clinical plans; general regulatory actions; translation of preclinical data into clinical safety and efficacy; and therapeutic potential and benefits of, and possible need and demand for, our product candidates that are not historical fact. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “suggest,” “can,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “seek,” “potential” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on Immunome’s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, those risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Immunome’s business, operations, strategy, goals and anticipated milestones; the fact that research and development data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments; Immunome’s ability to execute on its strategy, including with respect to its R&D efforts, IND submissions and other regulatory filings, timing of these filings and the timing and nature of governmental authority feedback regarding the same, initiation and completion of any clinical studies, confirmatory testing and other anticipated milestones as and when anticipated; the effectiveness of Immunome’s product candidates, including the possibility that further preclinical data and any clinical trial data may be inconsistent with the data used for advancing the product candidates and that further variants of concern could emerge; Immunome’s ability to fund operations and raise capital; Immunome’s reliance on vendors; the competitive landscape; and the additional risks and uncertainties set forth more fully under the caption “Risk Factors” in Immunome’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 28, 2022, and elsewhere in Immunome’s other filings and reports with the SEC. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Immunome undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable law. In this press release, we may discuss our current and potential future product candidates that have not yet completed clinical trials or been approved for marketing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other governmental authority, including expectations about their therapeutic potential and benefits thereof. No representation is made as to the safety or effectiveness of these current or potential future product candidates for the use for which such product candidates are being studied.
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