Microbiotica Presents Impressive New Data on MB097 at AACR IO Meeting
Microbiotica, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering microbiome-based therapeutics, has unveiled promising new preclinical data on MB097 at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Immuno-Oncology (IO) meeting in Los Angeles.
MB097 is an orally administered precision microbiome medicine currently in development as a co-therapy with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) for advanced melanoma patients. The latest findings reinforce its potential to enhance immunotherapy efficacy by modulating the gut microbiome.
At the conference, Microbiotica’s Senior Vice-President of Research presented data in a poster titled: ‘Clinical response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma is associated with distinct gut bacterial species that promote anti-tumour immunity by different mechanisms’.
The research highlights how specific bacterial strains within MB097 interact directly with dendritic cells to activate cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), a critical component of the immune system’s cancer-fighting response.
Furthermore, some MB097-associated bacteria were shown to produce metabolites that enhance CTL-mediated tumour cell destruction, while one particular strain released metabolites that counteracted the inhibitory effects of tumour-associated macrophages.
The senior VP explained that these data begin to identify the different mechanisms by which gut commensal bacteria drive immunotherapy response. The findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in modulating responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in melanoma patients.
MB097 is currently being evaluated in an international phase 1b clinical study in combination with KEYTRUDA® for patients with cutaneous melanoma who have not responded to prior immunotherapies. A key data readout from this trial is expected by the end of 2025.
In conclusion, Microbiotica remains committed to advancing its pipeline of live biotherapeutic products (LBPs) aimed at harnessing the human microbiome to improve patient outcomes across a range of diseases.
The latest findings on MB097 mark another step forward in the pursuit of precision microbiome-based therapies, offering new hope for patients who currently face limited treatment options in melanoma and potentially beyond.
News Credits: Microbiotica unveils new data on MB097 at AACR IO meeting
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