CAMBRIDGE, England & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bicycle Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering a new class of therapeutics based on its proprietary bicyclic peptide (Bicycle®) product platform, announced today that it has been selected for one invited lecture and three poster presentations at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), being held from April 14 through April 18 in Chicago, Illinois.
A presentation describing the discovery of BT1718 will be given by Bicycle’s Chief Scientific Officer Nicholas Keen, Ph.D. in the New Drugs on the Horizon Session. BT1718 is a Bicycle Toxin Conjugate offering a completely new approach to the treatment of cancer, and it is currently being evaluated in a Phase I/IIa study sponsored by Cancer Research UK, the world’s leading charity dedicated to cancer research.
“We are honoured to have been selected to describe the discovery of BT1718 in the New Drugs on the Horizon session and look forward to sharing our preclinical data as well as providing a clinical update,” said Dr. Keen. “BT1718 represents a new and highly differentiated approach to the treatment of cancer and is being developed through a unique collaborative partnership with Cancer Research UK, which provides important access to world-class operational infrastructure and strong drug development expertise.”
In the three poster presentations, Bicycle will present new data on its rapidly expanding preclinical pipeline, including two posters on the development of BT5528, a Bicycle Toxin Conjugate targeting EphA2, which is a tumour antigen highly expressed in difficult to treat cancers associated with poor prognosis. The company will also present new data describing the discovery and chemical optimisation of the first fully synthetic CD137 agonist, representing a new class of multimeric Bicycle T-cell modulators.
Details of the presentations are as follows:
Oral Presentation:
The
discovery of BT1718: A novel bicyclic peptide drug conjugate drug
conjugate for the treatment of solid tumors expressing MT1-MMP
Session
Title: New Drugs on the Horizon 1
Time: April 15, 2018,
1:24 p.m. – 1:48 p.m.
Poster Presentations:
Small
synthetic, multivalent bicyclic peptides that activate T cell
costimulatory protein CD137
Session Title:
Immunomodulatory Agents and Interventions 1
Abstract Number: 3756/6
Time:
April 17, 2018, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Bicycle
Drug Conjugates targeting EphA2 for the treatment of solid tumors:
Discovery and selection of BT5528
Session Title: Novel
Targets and Therapeutics
Abstract Number: 5855/2
Time:
April 18, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
BT5528,
a Bicycle Toxin Conjugate targeting EphA2 has potent anti-tumor activity
without bleeding or coagulation abnormalities in preclinical models
Session
Title: Novel Targets and Therapeutics
Abstract Number: 5854/1
Time:
April 18, 2018, 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
ABOUT BT1718
BT1718 is a first-in-class Bicycle Toxin
Conjugate being developed by Bicycle Therapeutics that targets Membrane
Type 1 Matrix Metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP), also known as MMP-14, which
has an established role in cell invasion and metastasis, is linked to
poor outcomes and is over expressed in many solid tumours. BT1718 has
demonstrated promising target-dependent efficacy in preclinical models,
including both cell- and patient-derived xenografts that are resistant
to treatment with standards of care. In addition, it shows only a subset
of the toxicities typically associated with other highly potent cancer
treatments.
Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development (CDD) is sponsoring a Phase I/IIa study of BT1718. The trial is co-managed by Cancer Research UK and Bicycle Therapeutics. Under the terms of the agreement, Bicycle retains the right to further advance the BT1718 program, at which point an undisclosed payment split between cash and equity, success based milestones and royalty payments would be made to Cancer Research UK. For more information about Cancer Research UK’s CDD, visit www.cancerresearchuk.org/funding-for-researchers/our-research-infrastructure/our-centre-for-drug-development.
ABOUT BICYCLE THERAPEUTICS
Bicycle Therapeutics is
developing a unique class of chemically synthesized medicines based on
its proprietary bicyclic peptide (Bicycle®) product platform to
address therapeutic needs unreachable with existing treatment
modalities. Bicycle’s internal focus is in oncology, where the company
is developing targeted cytotoxics (Bicycle Toxin Conjugates),
targeted innate immune activators and T-cell modulators for cancers of
high unmet medical need. Bicycles’ small size and exquisite
targeting deliver rapid tumour penetration and retention while clearance
rates and routes of elimination can be tuned to minimize exposure of
healthy tissue and bystander toxicities. The company’s lead program,
BT718, is being evaluated in a Phase I/IIa trial in collaboration with
Cancer Research UK. The company’s unique intellectual property is based
on the work initiated at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in
Cambridge, U.K., by the scientific founders of the company, Sir Gregory
Winter and Professor Christian Heinis. Bicycle has its headquarters in
Cambridge, U.K., with many key functions and members of its leadership
team located in the biotech hub of Boston, Mass. For more information,
visit www.bicycletherapeutics.com or
follow us on Twitter at @Bicycle_tx.
