SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Silverback Therapeutics (“Silverback”), a biopharmaceutical company advancing a pipeline of therapies that are systemically delivered but locally active, today announced that preclinical data for its lead ImmunoTAC™ candidate, SBT6050, will be presented at AACR Virtual Annual Meeting 2020 Session II at 9:00 a.m. ET on June 22, 2020.
The presentation, titled “SBT6050, a HER2-Directed TLR8 ImmunoTAC™ Therapeutic, is a Potent Human Myeloid Cell Agonist that Provides Opportunity for Single Agent Clinical Activity,” shows that TLR8 agonism potently and uniquely activates human myeloid cells, driving a broad spectrum of anti-tumor immune mechanisms, including those not dependent on T cells.
In preclinical studies, SBT6050 activates human myeloid cells in the presence of HER2 expressing tumor cells, resulting in proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine production, inflammasome activation, and the indirect activation of cytolytic activity associated with T and NK cells. SBT6050’s functional profile was not replicated with conjugates comprised of TLR7-specific or resiquimod-derived agonists.
Robust, durable single agent activity is observed with the SBT6050 mouse surrogate in multiple tumor models, including those with low tumor infiltrating lymphocytes. In a human xenograft model lacking T, B, and NK cells, the SBT6050 mouse surrogate is curative as a single agent, demonstrating the ability of myeloid cells to mediate strong anti-tumor activity.
“TLR8’s robust expression and functional profile in human myeloid cells uniquely positions SBT6050 to potentiate anti-tumor responses through the activation of these innate immune cells present in tumors,” said Valerie Odegard, Ph.D., Silverback’s chief scientific officer. “Our preclinical data highlight SBT6050’s potential to maximize anti-tumor immune responses, even in tumors lacking T cells. We are excited to be developing a much-needed immunotherapy for patients with HER2-expressing disease and will enter the clinic later this year.”
About Silverback Therapeutics
Silverback Therapeutics™ is a privately held biopharmaceutical company advancing a pipeline of therapies that are systemically delivered, but locally active and target fundamental disease pathways. Silverback’s pipeline is derived from the ImmunoTAC™ platform, which strategically pairs antigen binding domains with disease pathway-modulating payloads to create molecules that enable innovative therapeutic approaches for oncology, virology, and fibrosis. Silverback’s lead candidate, SBT6050, is a novel immuno-oncology therapeutic comprised of a TLR8 specific agonist conjugated to a HER2-directed monoclonal antibody. Solid tumors, including those resistant to T cell targeted immunotherapy, are replete with myeloid cells. Activation and reprogramming of myeloid cells drives an innate immune response resulting in direct tumor killing and can also nucleate a T cell response. Successful activation of myeloid cells can lead to anti-tumor immunity, even in tumors that are resistant to immune checkpoint blockade. Clinical investigation of SBT6050 is expected to begin in 2H 2020. Silverback Therapeutics is located in Seattle, Washington. To learn more, visit www.silverbacktx.com.