Phoenix, Nov. 6, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – BriaCell Therapeutics Corp. (“BriaCell,” the “Company”) (TSX-V: BCT) (OTCQB:BCTXF), an immuno-oncology focused biotechnology company with a proprietary targeted immunotherapy technology, is pleased to announce that Dr. Bill Williams, BriaCell’s president and CEO, was recently interviewed by Everett Jolly of Stock Day.
“BriaCell is developing the first off-the-shelf, personalized immunotherapy targeting advanced breast cancer,” Williams stated during the interview. “We have a proprietary technology that allows us to target immune responses in breast cancer in a personalized fashion. (The solution) we are working towards is an off-the-shelf immunotherapy which is very similar in some ways to other successful targeted personalized immunotherapies that are not off-the-shelf, are costly, and have been associated with complex manufacturing.”
Williams went on to say that he is very excited about where the Company is and noted that immunotherapy is on the forefront of cancer treatment right now. He said BriaCell is right on the cutting edge, developing applications that are efficacious and safe.
During the interview, Jolly asked about the key aspects of BriaCell’s technology. Williams explained that BriaCell currently has two major programs: Bria-IMT, which is in the clinic right now, and Bria-OTS, which is in development.
“Bria-OTS is being developed based on the insights we’ve learned from working on Bria-IMT,” Williams explained. He added that in developing Bria-OTS, the Company will be genetically engineering immunotherapy cell lines that can then induce specific immune responses, targeting breast cancer tumors in a way that is personally tailored for the individual patient using an HLA allele matching system.
Williams added that BriaCell has reached this point by analyzing the clinical trial data of Bria-IMT. The Company has noted that numerous advanced breast cancer patients have responded to Bria-IMT treatments with marked tumor shrinkage.
Jolly then noted that the company is in Phase 2a for Bria-IMT in advanced breast cancer patients. Williams said, “That is correct. Bria-IMT has been tested in the clinic for a couple of years now.”
“We’ve dosed over 20 patients now with Bria-IMT,” Williams continued. ”It has been very safe and well tolerated. We’ve seen this strong anti-tumor response in these patients who match Bria-IMT at HLA alleles, so we are very excited about the prospects of these findings.”
Williams said BriaCell’s current timeline calls for the Company to engage in discussions with the FDA regarding the design of the pivotal registration trial of Bria-IMT in 2019. The next step will then be to start the registration study in 2020, with ultimate approval for Bria-IMT expected by 2023. Williams said Bria-OTS, the personalized, off-the-shelf version of the immunotherapy, is about two years behind the schedule for Bria-IMT. He noted there may be a possibility for fast tracking.
“There is a huge unmet medical need right now for patients with advanced breast cancer, and we expect this immunotherapy to qualify for fast track designation and accelerated review by the FDA,” he said.
Jolly then wanted to know how the Company’s immunotherapy technology compares with others. William said there are other immunotherapy technologies available, but they don’t work in everyone and have some serious side effects.
“What we basically do is put the foot on the gas of the immune response, just in a very targeted way, so that it’s more like a guided missile. The immune response is being generated … against the cancer and not against normal cells,” Williams said. “So, we believe we have not only some advantages in our safety profile, but on the other hand we should very easily be able to combine Bria-IMT with some of the other approved immunotherapies.”
Williams added that BriaCell is conducting a Phase 2a clinical study of Bria-IMT with KEYTRUDA® in advanced breast cancer. Jolly then mentioned that the Company must be getting feedback from some of the bigger corporations. Williams replied that BriaCell has been in conversations with the major big pharma players.
“Most of the big pharma companies are very interested in what we’re doing. They are waiting for some more clinical data. We have that data now and are just trying to put it into a format that we can share with people who are very scientifically advanced. We should be coming back to them within the next couple of months, hopefully generating some additional excitement,” he said.
To hear the entire interview with Dr. Williams, listen to the Stock Day Podcast here:
About BriaCell
BriaCell is an immuno-oncology focused biotechnology company developing targeted and safe approaches for the management of cancer.
BriaCell is currently conducting a Phase I/IIa clinical trial of Bria-IMT™, its lead candidate, in a combination study with pembrolizumab [KEYTRUDA®; manufactured by Merck & Co., Inc.] or ipilimumab [YERVOY®; manufactured by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company]. The combination study is listed in ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03328026.
BriaCell is developing Bria-OTS™, an off-the-shelf personalized immunotherapy, for advanced breast cancer. Bria-OTS™ immunotherapy treatments are personalized to match the patient without the need for personalized manufacturing. Bria-OTS™, which is expected to cover over 90% of the patient population, is designed to produce a potent and selective immune response against the cancer of each patient while eliminating the time, expense, and complex manufacturing logistics associated with other personalized immunotherapies.
For additional information on BriaCell, please visit website: http://www.briacell.com
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation which involves known and unknown risks relevant to the Company in particular and to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries in general, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. These risks are more fully described in the Company’s public filings available at www.sedar.com.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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Contact Information
For further information, please contact:
BriaCell Therapeutics Corp.:
Farrah Dean
Manager, Corporate Development
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-888-485-6340