Eureka Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology firm that focuses on immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer, has reportedly commenced an ARYA-1 clinical trial to evaluate ET140203 ARTEMIS® T cell therapy in adult patients with HCC (Hepatocellular Carcinoma). The Phase I portion of this clinical is now open for enrollment.

Sources cite that ARYA-1 is a phase I/II, open-label, dose-escalation, and multi-center clinical study of ARTEMIS® T cell therapy aimed to primarily evaluate the tolerability and safety of ET140203 T in AFP-positive HCC patients and to decide the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D). The first site is at City of Hope, a California-based well-known independent treatment center for cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

ET140203 follows on the knowledge gained from the company’s clinical study of ET140202. ET140203 and ET140202 leverage the company’s proprietary ARTEMIS® cell receptor platform designed with a TCR-mimic antibody to target an AFP (alpha-fetoprotein)-peptide/HLA-A2 complex on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

ET140203 ARTEMIS® T cells also implement the company’s proprietary tumor infiltration technology which has shown a promising safety outcomes and improved ability to penetrate solid tumors in animal models – possibly leading to enhanced efficacy in patients.

Speaking on which, Dr. Cheng Liu, CEO, and President at Eureka Therapeutics said that the company is extremely excited to commence its ET140203 ARYA-1 clinical study. The company believes that decreased infiltration of T cells into solid tumors is an important barrier to innovating T cell therapies with curative potential, he states.

Mr. Liu added that ET140203 can address this limitation related to the present generation of TCR and CAR therapies, and the company is pleased to bring this therapy into the clinic.”

Apparently, liver cancer is the fourth cause of cancer death across the globe, accounting for around 782,000 deaths in 2018. Around 30,000 deaths and 43,000 new cases from liver cancer are anticipated to occur in the United States in 2020. American Cancer Society estimates that the rate of liver cancer diagnosis has tripled since 1980. Currently, adult patients with advanced HCC have limited treatment options.

Source credit -https://www.eurekatherapeutics.com/media/press-releases/100520/