Drug development group Poolbeg Pharma PLC (AIM:POLB, OTCQB:POLBF) has announced the strategic expansion of its drug, POLB 001, into oncology.
The company discovered an 'overt’ immune response in CAR T cell patients while investigating the role of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in severe influenza.
As a result, the company has submitted a patent application for the use of POLB 001 in addressing the impact of CRS in CAR T cell patients.
CAR T cell therapies are a form of immunotherapy for cancer that have produced remarkable results across a range of blood-borne malignancies, including cases of complete and durable responses in patients with advanced leukaemia and lymphoma who failed on previous therapies.
However, a significant number of patients suffer treatment-related side effects, including CRS, which in severe form can be life-threatening.
Poolbeg has identified POLB 001 as a potentially valuable companion therapy to be used in conjunction with existing CAR T cell therapies to address this significant unmet need.
The filed patent application is expected to provide class protection for the use of p38 inhibitors in CAR T cell treatment and opens up a significant new market opportunity for POLB 001 in addition to severe influenza, Poolbeg said.
Professor Brendan Buckley, a member of the company’s Scientific Advisory Board, said: "With 18-19 million cases of cancer diagnosed globally each year, the use of cell therapies is predicted to expand significantly over the coming years with the CAR T cell market expected to grow to an estimated US$6 billion by 2031.
“With oncology clinical trial enabling activities for POLB 001 underway, we look forward to updating the market as to the progress of this exciting programme."
Poolbeg will lay the groundwork to enable a clinical trial for cancer in 2024.