Medicenna Therapeutics reports developments as a clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing proprietary Superkines for cancer, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Recurring updates center on MDNA11, a long-acting IL-2 Superkine; MDNA113, a tumor-targeted and conditionally activated anti-PD-1 x IL-2 bifunctional Superkine; and bizaxofusp, formerly MDNA55, an IL-4 Empowered Superkine studied in glioblastoma.
Company news also includes clinical and preclinical data presentations at oncology and healthcare conferences, corporate and financial updates, collaborations around investigator-initiated trials, and governance changes such as board and medical leadership appointments.
Medicenna Therapeutics announced updated clinical data from its Phase 1/2 ABILITY-1 study, highlighting significant progress in cancer treatment. A notable achievement includes the first complete response (CR) in a 70-year-old patient with advanced anal cancer within 8 weeks of treatment combining MDNA11 with KEYTRUDA®.
The study demonstrates promising disease control rates of 55% in monotherapy and 78% in combination arms. Key findings include durable complete regression in two CPI-resistant patients, with one melanoma patient remaining tumor-free at week 63 and a pancreatic cancer patient maintaining response for 11 months post-study.
Safety profile shows over 90% of treatment-related adverse events were Grade 1-2 and transient. Additional clinical data will be presented at medical conferences in Q1 and Q2 of 2025.
Medicenna Therapeutics announced it will present updated clinical data from its ongoing Phase 1/2 ABILITY-1 study at the 2024 Immunotherapy Bridge Conference in Naples, Italy. The presentation will showcase results from both monotherapy and combination arms evaluating MDNA11, a long-acting 'beta-enhanced not-alpha' interleukin-2 super-agonist, in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Dr. Arash Yavari will deliver the presentation on December 5, 2024, focusing on safety and efficacy results from this first-in-human study.
Medicenna Therapeutics presented preclinical data on MDNA11 and bizaxofusp at the 2024 SNO Annual Meeting. The data showed significant results in treating glioblastoma (GBM). MDNA11, a long-acting IL-2 Superkine, demonstrated survival benefits and enhanced immune cell expansion, while bizaxofusp selectively targeted tumor cells and immune-suppressive cells. The combination therapy showed synergistic tumor-killing effects in GBM tumoroids. Key findings included MDNA11's significant survival benefit (p = 0.031) in GBM models and bizaxofusp's selective elimination of Tregs (IC50 = 0.011 nM). The results suggest potential breakthrough treatment for cancers not responding to current immunotherapies.
Medicenna Therapeutics reported Q2 fiscal 2025 results highlighting strong performance of MDNA11 in the ABILITY-1 study. The drug showed a 30% objective response rate in monotherapy dose expansion and demonstrated effectiveness against ICI-resistant cancers. Notable results include 66.7% response rate in MSI-H patients with pancreatic cancer. The company reported $30.4 million in cash and equivalents, with an additional $1.9 million from warrant exercises, extending runway through mid-2026. The study's combination with KEYTRUDA® showed favorable safety profile with no dose-limiting toxicities at 90 µg/kg dose.
Medicenna Therapeutics (TSX: MDNA, OTCQX: MDNAF) has announced upcoming presentations at two major medical conferences. At the 29th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) in Houston (November 21-24, 2024), the company will present pre-clinical data on MDNA11 and IL-2 Superkines in glioblastoma models.
Additionally, at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) (December 10-13, 2024), Medicenna will present pre-clinical data on MDNA11's effectiveness as a neoadjuvant treatment in aggressive metastatic breast cancer models. Both presentations will focus on the company's innovative immunotherapy approaches using Superkines.
Medicenna reported positive results from its Phase 1/2 ABILITY-1 study of MDNA11, showing a 30% objective response rate in monotherapy dose expansion cohort among advanced solid tumor patients who failed immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Among phase 2-eligible patients, the response rate was 25%, including 1 complete response and 4 partial responses. The drug demonstrated encouraging safety profile in combination with KEYTRUDA®, with no dose limiting toxicities observed. Notable responses included 2 partial responses in MSI-H pancreatic cancer patients and tumor control in 4 out of 5 evaluable patients in the combination arm, including a partial response in MSS colon cancer.
Medicenna Therapeutics presented new preclinical data from its BiSKIT (MDNA113) and IL-2 super agonist (MDNA11) programs at the 39th Annual SITC Meeting. MDNA113, a novel tumor-targeted BiSKIT, achieved complete tumor regression in IL-13Rα2 expressing tumors and showed 100% survival in breast cancer models. The treatment demonstrated reduced peripheral lymphocyte expansion and better tolerability compared to unmasked alternatives. Additionally, independent UK research showed promising results with MDNA11 and anti-PD1-IL-2SK BiSKIT in glioblastoma models, significantly extending overall survival and enhancing immune cell response in patient-derived samples.
Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (TSX: MDNA, OTCQB: MDNAF) announced it will present three posters at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) from November 6-10, 2024 in Houston, Texas. The presentations will include:
1. Updated clinical data from the ongoing Phase 1/2 ABILITY-1 Study of MDNA11, a long-acting 'beta-enhanced not-alpha' IL-2 super-agonist, in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors.
2. New preclinical data on MDNA113, a novel first-in-class, masked, tumor-targeted bifunctional anti-PD1-IL-2 Superkine.
3. Preclinical data on Medicenna's IL-2 agonists in glioblastoma.
The full abstracts will be available on the SITC 2024 website, and posters will be accessible on Medicenna's website after the conference.
Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (TSX: MDNA, OTCQB: MDNAF) held its annual meeting of shareholders on September 26, 2024. All nominees listed in the management information circular were elected as directors. The voting results for each nominee were as follows:
- Dr. Fahar Merchant: 99.44% votes for
- Mr. Albert Beraldo: 99.77% votes for
- Dr. John (Jack) Geltosky: 99.26% votes for
- Ms. Karen Dawes: 99.41% votes for
- Dr. John H. Sampson: 77.42% votes for
- Mr. Karim Lalji: 99.73% votes for
Shareholders also voted for the appointment of MNP LLP as the Company's auditor. A total of 45.89% of the issued and outstanding common shares were represented at the meeting.
Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. (TSX: MDNA, OTCQB: MDNAF) presented preclinical results for two programs at The Promise of Interleukin-2 Therapy Conference. MDNA209, an IL-2 Super-antagonist, showed potential for treating autoimmune diseases and graft versus host disease (GvHD), extending overall survival by 400% in an animal model. MDNA113, a BiSKIT (Bifunctional SuperKine for ImmunoTherapy), demonstrated enhanced efficacy in tumors overexpressing IL-13Rα2, targeting 'cold tumors' like pancreatic and breast cancers.
Both programs leverage Medicenna's IL-2 Superkine platform, which has shown promise in the Phase 1/2 ABILITY-1 trial of MDNA11 for solid tumors. The company aims to address unmet needs in cancer treatment and autoimmune diseases, potentially benefiting millions of patients globally.