ASH 2023 | Autologous SIRPα- low macrophages (SIRPant-M) enhance immune anti-tumor activity in R/R NHL

So for the last several years, we’ve been trying to engineer monocytes and macrophages to be able to attack lymphoma cells in humans, but this has been extremely difficult to accomplish. And we’ve also tried indirectly to activate macrophage anti-tumoral properties to agents targeting CD47 or CRP-alpha, but historical data have shown that the activity tends to be limited and short-lasting. With SIRPant-M, we have been able to engineer, without actually directly affecting the DNA of monocytes and macrophages, autologous macrophages, mainly through just exposing those to a cocktail of cytokines, which is able to induce downregulation of CRP-alpha. So, these very low CRP-alpha autologous macrophages in preclinical models of lymphoma have shown to be extremely effective, in particular as compared to other agents currently available within clinical trials for the targeting of macrophage biology, including magrolimab or ALX148. So we’re very excited to, hopefully in the next few weeks, activate at MD Anderson this first-in-human Phase I trial, where we will utilize autologous macrophages, again called SIRPant-M, in this case with low expression of CRP-alpha, for patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma, including B-cell and T-cell. There will be two dose levels looking into the single agent activity, but also in combination with low-dose radiation. The product will be injected directly in the tumor, on day one, three and five, during one cycle of treatment. And hopefully we’ll generate some safety data next year, and I’m confident that hopefully we’ll see also some promising efficacy data.