CDX-1307: a novel vaccine under study as treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Abstract

Cancer vaccines have demonstrated clinical benefit, however greater efficacy could be achieved by enhancing their immunogenicity. Owing to cancer vaccines depending on uptake and cross-presentation of tumor antigens by antigen-presenting cells (APCs), we hypothesized that greater immunogenicity would accompany strategies that direct antigen to APC-expressed mannose receptors, initiating a pathway increasing class I and II presentation to T cells. CDX-1307 consists of a human monoclonal antibody targeting the mannose receptor, fused to the human chorionic gonadotropin-β chain (hCG-β), a tumor antigen frequently expressed by epithelial cancers including bladder cancer. In Phase I studies of cancer patients, CDX-1307 was well tolerated and induced significant hCG-β-specific cellular and humoral immune responses when co-administered with GM-CSF and the Toll-like receptor agonists resiquimod and poly-ICLC. An ongoing Phase II trial evaluates CDX-1307 in patients with newly diagnosed, resectable, hCG-β-expressing bladder cancer, where low tumor burden and early intervention may provide greater potential for benefit.

Keywords::

• bladder cancer
• cancer immunotherapy
• cancer vaccines
• CDX-1307
• hCG-β
• human chorionic gonadotropin-β chain

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Michael Morse, Deborah A Bradley and Brant A Inman are investigators in Celldex-sponsored clinical trials being conducted at the Duke University Medical Center. Jennifer A Green, Thomas A Davis and Tibor Keler are employees of and stockholders in Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.