Sona Nanotech Inc (CSE:SONA, OTCQB:SNANF) revealed promising new study results indicating that its Targeted Hyperthermia Therapy (THT) in combination with immunotherapy cleared tumors in 38% of animals in a preclinical colon cancer study, signaling potential for cancers that typically resist immunotherapy.
The results, published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology, evaluated the therapy in an immunologically “cold” colorectal cancer (CT26) model.
The study tested a combination protocol in which tumor-bearing animals received two consecutive treatments of THT along with a standard PD-1 inhibitor, followed by three additional PD-1 treatments. Animals were monitored for 45 days following the start of treatment.
Results showed that 38% of animals receiving the combined therapy were alive and disease-free at the end of the study period.
“This timely preclinical evidence of strong immune activation in colon cancer using our THT/immunotherapy combination protocol reaffirms our confidence in pursuing Sona's THT to spark immunity in typically immunotherapy-resistant cancers," Sona CEO David Regan said in a statement.
"We are certainly proud of the quality of this peer-reviewed research and its acceptance in the highly respected Journal of Nanobiotechnology.”
Carman Giacomantonio, Sona's chief medical officer and principal investigator of the study, highlighted that this research marks the third cancer type in which the company has observed immune activation with THT and the first study to focus on the biological mechanisms behind the therapy.
“This is the third preclinical cancer-type in which we have confirmed our hypothesis, and our first publication delving deeply into the biology of our treatments,” Giacomantonio said.
Giacomantonio noted that 38% of treated tumors were fully cleared within 24 days of treatment initiation and remained cancer-free for the duration of the study. “This is remarkably fast by any standard of measure, and these important findings will inform the protocol for our next clinical study,” Giacomantonio added.
Shares of Sona Nanotech rose over 3% on Tuesday morning in Canada.