Laverock Therapeutics ('Laverock'), a biotechnology company developing disease-responsive advanced therapies through its unique, programmable gene control technology, today announced key in-vivo functional milestones across its T-cell and macrophage oncology programs for solid tumor indications. The data support lead program selection and progression towards the clinic.
Image Credit: Laverock Therapeutics
Laverock's platform technology enables programmable, tunable and multiplex gene control for both endogenous targets and for transgenically expressed payloads. In its T-cell program (LVK201), the platform is designed to improve CAR-T cell anti-tumor activity without compromising safety. The latest data from ovarian cancer models, presented at the American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy (ASCGT) Annual Meeting in May, demonstrate that the Company's technology can improve solid tumor control by targeting three distinct immunomodulatory pathways simultaneously. Previous studies have also shown that, because the technology harnesses T-cell activation dynamics to act only when needed, safety can be significantly improved compared with alternative approaches.
These findings inform development of Laverock's lead program whilst also providing broader validation of the platform, establishing a foundation for future tailored therapies across a range of solid tumor types. To realize this Laverock will apply AI and single-cell analytical approaches backed by recently announced grant funding.
In its macrophage program (LVK301), Laverock's platform technology is used to control macrophage cell phenotype and regulate the delivery of an immunomodulatory payload. The Company has shown that these engineered cells can both control tumor growth, and convert the 'cold', immunosuppressive solid tumor microenvironment to a 'hot' state, enabling the body's immune system to attack the tumor. These findings provide strong validation of Laverock's macrophage program for oncology and open the way to applying myeloid biology to address additional disease classes.
Laverock is now engaged with a range of partner organizations, defining non-clinical and clinical strategy, to provide a de-risked route to early clinical validation.
These key data points from our oncology programs highlight the capabilities and strength of our platform technology, and provide a clear route to lead program selection and progression into non-clinical studies. Solid tumors remain an area of huge unmet need for cancer patients, and we look forward to moving our differentiated therapies towards the clinic."
David Venables, CEO, Laverock Therapeutics