Cue Biopharma to Present at AACR Virtual Annual Meeting

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 18, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cue Biopharma, Inc. (CUE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engineering a novel class of injectable biologics to selectively engage and modulate targeted T cells within the body, announced today a poster presentation featuring pre-clinical data on CUE-102/A02 and CUE-102/A24, the company’s second and third drug candidates from the CUE-100 series at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting II. CUE-102 biologics are Immuno-STATs™ (Selective Targeting and Alteration of T cells) designed to selectively target and expand Wilms’ tumor 1 (WT1) specific T cells for the treatment of patients with solid and hematological cancers.

Presentation Details
Title: CUE-102 Immuno-STATs for selective targeting and expansion of WT-1-specific T cells for the
treatment of HLA-A02+ and/or HLA-A24+ patients with WT1+ malignancies
Session category/title: Immunology/Immunomodulatory Agents and Interventions 3
Abstract number: 2938
Poster number: 6699
Presenter: Saso Cemerski, Ph.D., senior director of immuno-oncology discovery and translational immunology
Presentation Type: E-poster with audio presentation
Date: June 22, 2020
Link to the abstract: https://bit.ly/3cwnXJn

The research presented highlights the description, characterization and bioactivity of CUE-102/A02 and CUE-102/A24 from the company’s proprietary Immuno-STAT platform to selectively engage and modulate targeted T cells directly in the patient’s body. CUE-102 Immuno-STATs represent the company’s second drug program with CUE-102/A02 and CUE-102/A24 as the second and third drug candidates from the IL-2 based CUE-100 series designed to directly engage and activate T cells to target WT1-positive solid and hematological cancers in patients having the HLA-A*02 or HLA-A*24 alleles. In preclinical studies, CUE-102 Immuno-STATs demonstrated selective binding, activation and expansion of WT1-specific CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, the expanded T cells exhibited polyfunctional responses to WT1-presenting target cells including effective cytolytic activity.

“We are delighted to share these robust preclinical data that validate the specificity and potency of CUE-102 Immuno-STATs which have the potential for the treatment of patients with WT1-positive hematological and solid tumor malignancies, including AML, ovarian, endometrial, breast, lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancer,” said Anish Suri, Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer of Cue Biopharma. “CUE-102 is our second drug program being developed in collaboration with our Asia partner LG Chem Life Sciences, and we are grateful for their continued support and valuable contributions.”

About the CUE-100 Series
The CUE-100 series consists of Fc-fusion biologics that incorporate peptide-MHC (pMHC) molecules along with rationally engineered IL-2 molecules. This singular biologic is anticipated to selectively target, activate and expand a robust repertoire of tumor-specific T cells directly in the patient. The binding affinity of IL-2 for its receptor has been deliberately attenuated to achieve preferential selective activation of tumor-specific effector T cells while reducing potential for effects on regulatory T cells (Tregs) or broad systemic activation, potentially mitigating the dose-limiting toxicities associated with current IL-2-based therapies.

About Immuno-STAT
Immuno-STAT™ biologics are designed for targeted modulation of disease-associated T cells in the areas of immuno-oncology and autoimmune disease. Each of our biologic drugs is designed using our proprietary scaffold comprising: 1) a peptide-MHC complex (pMHC) to provide selectivity through interaction with the T cell receptor (TCR), and 2) a unique co-stimulatory signaling molecule to modulate the activity of the target T cells.

The simultaneous engagement of co-regulatory molecules and pMHC binding mimics the signals delivered by antigen presenting cells (APCs) to T cells during a natural immune response. This design enables Immuno-STAT biologics to engage with the T cell population of interest, resulting in highly targeted T cell modulation. Because our drugs are delivered directly in the patient’s body (in vivo), they are fundamentally different from other T cell therapeutic approaches that require the patients’ T cells to be extracted, modified outside the body (ex vivo), and reinfused.

About Cue Biopharma
Cue Biopharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, is engineering a novel class of injectable biologics to selectively engage and modulate targeted T cells within the body to transform the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company’s proprietary platform, Immuno-STAT™ (Selective Targeting and Alteration of T cells) is designed to harness the body’s intrinsic immune system without the need for ex vivo manipulation.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we are led by an experienced management team and independent Board of Directors with deep expertise in the design and clinical development of protein biologics, immunology and immuno-oncology.

For more information, visit www.cuebiopharma.com and follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/CueBiopharma.

Forward-Looking Statements
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Investor Contact
Ashley R. Robinson
LifeSci Advisors
arr@lifesciadvisors.com

Media Contact
Alison Chen
LifeSci Communications
achen@lifescicomms.com