iOmx to Present New Pre-Clinical Data on SIK3 Checkpoint Inhibitor OMX-0407 at AACR 2022

iOmx Therapeutics AG (iOmx), a biopharmaceutical company developing cancer therapeutics based on next-generation immune checkpoint targets, has announced the presentation of new preclinical data for its lead program IMT-07 with product candidate OMX-0407, a first-in-class oral SIK3 inhibitor.

The data will be presented in a poster session at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2022 being held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 8 -13, 2022.

“Our mission is to develop novel targeted cancer immunotherapies that break down the inherent resistance mechanisms of tumors against immune attacks and are effective in patients who are unresponsive to current immune checkpoint inhibitors. Previously, we have shown that an underlying mechanism of tumor immune evasion is mediated via the SIK3 pathway. With OMX-0407, we have identified an oral SIK3 inhibitor with strong anti-tumor activity as single agent and in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy. We are working at full steam to prepare the first-in-human trial with OMX-0407 and plan to enter the clinic in patients with advanced cancer later this year,” said Dr. Apollon Papadimitriou, CEO of iOmx.

The company explained that the poster titled “OMX-0407, a highly potent SIK3 inhibitor, sensitizes tumor cells to cell death and eradicates immune-ckeckpoint-resistant tumors synergistically in combination with PD-1 inhibition” describes the therapeutic potential of OMX-0407 as a single agent as well as in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy. OMX-0407 is shown to accelerate tumor cell death by potentiating death-receptor-mediated apoptosis (e.g., TNF and TRAIL) in mouse and human cancer cell lines. In a murine colorectal carcinoma model, dose-dependent exposure in plasma, tumor and skin tissues together with a correlating pharmacodynamic modulation of the SIK3-pHDAC4-NFkB pathway axis is demonstrated. OMX-0407 is highly effective as a monotherapy, showing strong tumor growth inhibition along with re-polarization of the tumor micro-environment towards an anti-tumoral immune profile in murine cancer models. In addition, OMX-0407 acts synergistically in combination with anti-PD-1 treatment in an immune-excluded breast cancer model as well as an immune-checkpoint inhibitor-resistant squamous cell lung carcinoma model.