News

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., September 15, 2021 – Obsidian Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering engineered cell and gene therapies, today announced that the Company will present data highlighting its cytoTIL15™ program at the upcoming European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, which will be hosted virtually September 16-21, 2021.

The abstract for the poster describes how Obsidian’s cytoTIL15 product (TIL engineered with membrane-bound IL15, or mbIL15) demonstrates enhanced in vitro potency and phenotype and in vivo persistence in the absence of IL-2, paving the way for more durable efficacy and improved safety in patients with solid tumor malignancies. The abstract has been published in ESMO Immuno-Oncology Congress 2021 Abstract Book.

Details of the poster presentation:

Title: cytoTIL15: A novel TIL therapy for melanoma with superior potency and enhanced persistence without IL2 to improve safety & efficacy and expand patient eligibility

Abstract Number: 1008P

Session: Investigational Immunotherapy

Abstract Summary: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have generated promising data in clinical trials as therapy for heavily pretreated patients with solid tumor malignancies, such as metastatic melanoma. TIL therapy currently requires IL2 for in vivo maintenance of TILs, significantly limiting its application due to patient safety and eligibility hurdles. Obsidian’s cytoTIL product is comprised of TILs engineered with mbIL15 that is regulatable using a drug responsive domain (DRD) designed via our cytoDRiVE® platform. Our cytoTIL15 product displays a favorable cytotoxic CD8+ T cell phenotype while maintaining TCR Vbeta repertoire diversity during manufacturing. cytoTIL15 exhibit superior in vitro anti-tumor cytotoxicity as well as polyfunctionality, compared to conventional TILs + IL2. In vivo, cytoTIL15 demonstrate greater antigen-independent expansion and persistence compared to conventional TILs treated with IL2.

Jan ter Meulen, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Obsidian, commented, “We are very excited about the superior persistence and cytotoxicity profile exhibited by cytoTIL15 in our preclinical models, and are eager to continue to advance our mission to translate these benefits to patients with metastatic melanoma and other solid tumor malignancies.”

About cytoTIL15

cytoTIL15 is Obsidian’s lead cytoTIL program, currently in preclinical development for the treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma and other solid tumors. cytoTIL15 is a novel engineered tumor infiltrating lymphocyte therapy engineered with regulated membrane-bound IL15 that does not require patients to receive concomitant IL2 therapy, a toxic and costly requirement for conventional TILs. The Company expects to submit an IND for cytoTIL15 in mid-2022.

About Obsidian Therapeutics

Obsidian Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company pioneering engineered cell and gene therapies to deliver transformative outcomes for patients with intractable diseases. Obsidian’s proprietary cytoDRiVE technology provides a way to control protein degradation using FDA-approved small molecules, permitting precise control of the timing and level of protein expression. Obsidian is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass.  The Company has collaborations with Bristol Myers Squibb and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.  For more information, please visit www.obsidiantx.com.

Media Contact:
Maggie Beller
Russo Partners, LLC
Maggie.beller@russopartnersllc.com
646-942-5631