Cancer Research UK and Teon Therapeutics announce first patient dosed in clinical trial for hard-to-treat solid cancers

Cancer Research UK, and Teon Therapeutics (Teon) today (8 March, 2022) announce that the first patient has been successfully dosed in their Phase I/II trial of Teon’s first-in-class oral, once-daily dosed adenosine receptor antagonist, TT-702, for the treatment of patients with a range of difficult-to-treat cancers. 

Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives. Teon is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company targeting metabolic signalling pathways and pioneering the development of G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) immuno-oncology therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers. 

The Phase I/II clinical trial is being sponsored and conducted by Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development and led by Chief Investigator Johann De Bono, MD, PhD, Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. The trial is currently open to recruitment at The Royal Marsden and additional sites are anticipated to open shortly. 

People with hard-to-treat solid tumours that have advanced despite intensive interventions have limited treatment options open to them. New treatments are desperately needed for this group of patients. 

The first group of patients with a range of advanced cancers will receive increasing doses of TT-702 in order to define the safety and tolerability of the drug and to determine the maximum dose of TT-702 that can safely be given to patients. The first of these patients has safely completed their first cycle of treatment and the decision has been made to increase the dose of TT-702 in the next patient. Subsequent groups of patients will then be treated with TT-702 in combination with PD-1 immunotherapy or hormonal therapy to determine whether TT-702 can improve the effects of these therapies.  

TT-702 is the first of Teon’s pipeline of small molecules that target metabolic signalling pathways to enter the clinic. TT-702 is an adenosine receptor antagonist and specifically targets the A2B receptor, which is over expressed on several types of tumour cells and immune cells. Elevated levels of adenosine in the tumour microenvironment* activate the A2B receptor, triggering tumour cells to grow and suppress T-cells, allowing the cancer cells to avoid immune detection. TT-702 prevents the A2B receptor from being activated by high levels of adenosine, which may prevent cancer cell growth and enhances the anti-tumour immune response.  

Iain Foulkes, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, said: “It is absolutely crucial that we maintain our laser-like focus on finding new and effective treatments for difficult-to-treat cancers, which is why we are so delighted that we have successfully advanced TT-702 into human trials with Teon, safely dosing the first patient, with the second soon to follow."  

Serge Messerlian, CEO of Teon Therapeutics, said: “Teon is proud to partner with CRUK as we pursue clinical development of TT-702, a treatment with the potential to greatly improve oncology care. As a daily, oral A2B antagonist treatment, TT-702 is unique and demonstrates our team’s commitment to leveraging novel science to benefit people, families, and communities. The outstanding team at CRUK are helping to bring this important potential therapy to patients.”  

Professor Johann De Bono, Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are delighted to be taking this new anti-cancer drug, TT-702, into clinical trials. The drug works by fighting cancer’s ‘cloaking’ strategy and exposing it to the immune system so it can be destroyed. We will be testing TT-702 in several different cancer types to determine the best dose that can safely be given to patients.”