Gamida Cell Ltd (fka GMDAQ)

[midastouch017]

Gamida Cell Announces Opening to Enrollment of Company-Sponsored Phase 1/2 Study of NK Cell Therapy Candidate GDA-201

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gamida-cell-announces-opening-enrollment-110000783.html

BOSTON, June 01, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gamida Cell Ltd. (Nasdaq: GMDA), the leader in the development of NAM-enabled cell therapy candidates for patients with hematologic and solid cancers and other serious diseases, today announced the activation of the initial clinical sites to screen and enroll patients in the company-sponsored Phase 1/2 study evaluating a cryopreserved formulation of GDA-201, a readily available cell therapy candidate for the treatment of follicular and diffuse large B cell lymphomas (NCT05296525). On April 26, 2022, Gamida had announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared its investigational new drug (IND) application and removed the clinical hold for a cryopreserved formulation of GDA-201.

"We are excited to be screening patients for enrollment in our company-sponsored Phase 1/2 clinical study of our novel, cryopreserved formulation of GDA-201, which has the potential to address the significant unmet need that exists for patients with follicular and diffuse large B cell lymphomas having relapsed or refractory disease," said Ronit Simantov, M.D., chief medical and scientific officer of Gamida Cell. "As described in previously announced clinical data, an investigator-sponsored (IS) study evaluating the fresh formulation of GDA-201 demonstrated encouraging results in heavily pretreated patients with lymphoma. With the initiation of enrollment, we look forward to dosing the first patient in our clinical study of the novel cryopreserved formulation of GDA-201."

GDA-201 leverages Gamida Cell’s proprietary NAM technology platform to expand the number and functionality of NK cells to direct tumor cell killing properties and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). In an investigator-sponsored Phase 1/2 study in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma, treatment with the fresh formulation of GDA-201 with rituximab demonstrated significant clinical activity. Of the 19 patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), 13 complete responses and one partial response were observed, with an overall response rate of 74% and a complete response rate of 68%. The most common Grade 3/4 adverse events were thrombocytopenia, hypertension, neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, and anemia. At the December 2021 Annual Meeting of American Society of Hematology, two-year follow-up data were reported on outcomes and cytokine biomarkers associated with survival. The data demonstrated a median duration of response of 16 months (range 5-36 months) and an overall survival at two years of 78% (95% CI, 51%–91%). In the IS study, GDA-201 was well-tolerated and no dose-limiting toxicities were observed in 19 patients with NHL and 16 patients with multiple myeloma.

The study of the cryopreserved formulation of GDA-201 is currently open to enrollment at Henry Ford Health (Detroit, MI) and the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota; additional sites will be added in the coming months and updated in Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05296525). The Phase 1 portion of the study is designed to evaluate the safety of GDA-201 in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL), diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL)/high grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBCL), marginal zone lymphoma or mantle cell lymphoma. The Phase 2 expansion phase is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of GDA-201 in two patient cohorts, FL and DLBCL/HGBCL. The study will include patients who have relapsed or refractory lymphoma after at least two prior treatments, which may include CAR-T or stem cell transplant.

About NAM Technology

Our NAM-enabling technology, supported by positive Phase 3 data, is designed to enhance the number and functionality of targeted cells, enabling us to pursue a curative approach that moves beyond what is possible with existing therapies. Leveraging the unique properties of NAM (nicotinamide), we can expand and metabolically modulate multiple cell types — including stem cells and natural killer cells — with appropriate growth factors to maintain the cells’ active phenotype and enhance potency. Additionally, our NAM technology improves the metabolic fitness of cells, allowing for continued activity throughout the expansion process.

About GDA-201

Gamida Cell applied the capabilities of its nicotinamide (NAM)-enabled cell expansion technology to develop GDA-201, an innate NK cell immunotherapy candidate for the treatment of hematologic and solid tumors in combination with standard of care antibody therapies. GDA-201, the lead candidate in the NAM-enabled NK cell pipeline, has demonstrated promising initial clinical trial results. GDA-201 addresses key limitations of NK cells by increasing the cytotoxicity and in vivo retention and proliferation in the bone marrow and lymphoid organs. Furthermore, GDA-201 improves antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and tumor targeting of NK cells. There are approximately 40,000 patients with relapsed/refractory lymphoma in the US and EU, which is the patient population that will be studied in the GDA-201 Phase 1/2 clinical trial.

For more information about GDA-201, please visit https://www.gamida-cell.com. For more information on the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of GDA-201, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

GDA-201 is an investigational therapy, and its safety and efficacy have not been established by the FDA or any other health authority.