Menarini publishes promising activity of MEN1309/OBT076 in solid tumors expressing CD205

Menarini Ricerche’s study showed that a transmembrane glycoprotein, is robustly expressed in a number of solid tumours, liek pancreatic and bladder tumors, as well as triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Menarini in an announcement of results, that have been published by the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics , noted that these settings, MEN1309/OBT076 showed substantial in vitro antitumor activity. These results were confirmed in vivo where MEN1309/OBT076 demonstrated potent antitumor activity in TNBC, pancreatic, and bladder xenografts and patient-derived PDX models, resulting in durable responses and complete tumor regressions, Menarini said in the press release.

“These non-clinical data show the promising activity of MEN1309/OBT076 in solid tumors expressing CD205, thus supporting the clinical development of MEN1309, which is being evaluated in the phase I SHUTTLE study” (NCT03403725), said Monica Binaschi, PhD, Director of the Preclinical and Translational Sciences Department of Menarini Ricerche.

She further explained that these results provide a strong rationale for one of the key elements of the clinical development strategy of MEN1309/OBT076, represented by the specific targeting of patients with tumors expressing CD205 as confirmed by an appropriate assay developed in-house.

According to Binaschi, the published study represents an example of fruitful scientific collaboration between academic centers of excellence in oncology research and industry, involving Joaquin Arribas and his team at the Vall D’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) in Barcelona, as well as Menarini Rcerche’s partner Oxford BioTherapeutics (OBT).