Bellicum Pharmaceuticals Announces BPX-501 Clinical Data Updates
EBMT oral presentations highlight encouraging preliminary outcomes from ongoing BP-004 clinical study in children with genetic diseases and cancers
In the ongoing BP-004 clinical trial, malignant and nonmalignant pediatric patients receive a haploidentical, T cell-depleted hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) followed by an add-back of BPX-501 donor T cells. The trial is designed to evaluate whether this regimen is safe and improves immune reconstitution, infection control and overall outcomes.
In an oral presentation reviewing the preliminary outcomes from the BP-004 clinical trial in 17 high-risk pediatric patients with blood cancers, the data showed that BPX-501 cells expand in vivo and persist over time, contributing to adaptive immunity. There was no transplant-related mortality due to infections, GvHD or other transplant-related complications. Additionally, the relapse rate to date compares favorably with that of historical controls, with 16 of 17 patients in the trial with acute leukemias showing disease-free outcomes. The median follow-up period to date for these patients was approximately seven months.
In a feature presentation during the Presidential Symposium session, initial outcomes for nonmalignant patients were reviewed. The data included children with genetic diseases including Fanconi anemia (5), beta thalassemia major (5), severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID or “bubble boy” disease) (5), Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (4) and other orphan diseases (5). All 24 children treated remain disease-free with no treatment-related mortality (median follow-up period of approximately seven months), consistent with earlier results presented at ASH 2015.
“These interim results continue to be very encouraging and indicate that
a haploidentical transplant, with the addition of BPX-501-modified donor
T cells, can be an attractive option for children in need of a
transplant,” said lead investigator Dr.
“In both malignant and nonmalignant patients, the results show that
treatment with BPX-501 appears safe, well-tolerated, and provides
important immune benefits,” commented
A copy of the slides presented at the meeting is available in the Events & Presentations section of bellicum.com.
About BPX-501
BPX-501 is an adjunct T cell therapy of genetically modified donor T cells incorporating Bellicum’s proprietary CaspaCIDe® safety switch. The product candidate is designed to provide a safety net to eliminate the BPX-501 alloreactive T cells should severe GvHD occur, enabling physicians to more safely perform haploidentical stem cell transplants by adding back the BPX-501 genetically engineered T cells to speed immune reconstitution and provide control over viral infections.
BP-004 Clinical Trial Design
In
About
Bellicum is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing cellular immunotherapies for cancers and orphan inherited blood disorders. Bellicum is using its proprietary Chemical Induction of Dimerization (CID) technology platform to engineer and control components of the immune system. Bellicum is developing next-generation product candidates in some of the most important areas of cellular immunotherapy, including hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and CAR T and TCR cell therapies. More information can be found at www.bellicum.com.
*CaspaCIDe® is a trademark registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes
of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Bellicum may, in some cases, use terms such as
"predicts," "believes," "potential," "proposed," "continue," “designed,”
"estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "may,"
"could," "might," "will," "should" or other words that convey
uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these
forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include
statements regarding our intentions, beliefs, projections, outlook,
analyses or current expectations concerning, among other things: the
timing and success of our clinical trials, including the rate and
progress of enrollment in our BP-004 clinical trial; the timing of
regulatory filings for BPX-501; our research and development activities
relating to BPX-501; the effectiveness of BPX-501, its possible range of
application and its potential curative effects and safety in the
treatment of blood cancers and inherited blood diseases; and the
potential applications and effectiveness of our product candidates,
including as compared to other treatment options and competitive
therapies. Various factors may cause differences between Bellicum’s
expectations and actual results as discussed in greater detail under the
heading “Risk Factors” in Bellicum’s filings with the
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Source:
Investors:
Bellicum Pharmaceuticals
Alan Musso, CFO,
832-384-1116
amusso@bellicum.com
or
Media:
BMC
Communications
Brad Miles, 646-513-3125
bmiles@bmccommunications.com
