Cantargia: Preclinical studies of IL1RAP and CAN04 in solid tumours presented at EACR-AACR-SIC in Florence

Results generated with Cantargia AB’s (“Cantargia”) CAN04 product candidate were presented at the joint meeting of the European, American and Italian cancer research organisations EACR, AACR and SIC in Florence on 24-27 June (The Challenges of Optimizing Immuno- and Targeted Therapies: From Cancer Biology to the Clinic). The preclinical studies show that IL1RAP is expressed in cell lines from triple negative breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, and that CAN04 can block and kill the same cell lines.

Cantargia is developing the humanised antibody CAN04, against the target molecule Interleukin-1 Receptor Associated Protein (“IL1RAP”), for treatment of cancer. Cantargia has previously shown that antibodies targeted at IL1RAP can block IL-1 signalling and stimulate the killing of cancer cells in various preclinical cancer models. The data that was presented shows that IL1RAP is expressed in several cell lines from triple negative breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. CAN04 blocks the release of the tumorigenic molecules IL-6 and IL-8. CAN04 can also stimulate the immune system’s NK cells to kill these cell lines. The studies were conducted by Dr Ramin Massoumi’s team at Lund University and the results were presented as a poster by Dr Wondossen Sime.

“Presentations of our CAN04 antibody at international scientific conferences are important for Cantargia”, CEO Göran Forsberg says. “This data highlights the potential of CAN04. In addition to our focus on non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, triple negative breast cancer could be an important future disease in the context of CAN04 development”.

For further information, please contact 
Göran Forsberg, CEO
Telephone: +46 (0)46-275 62 60
E-mail: goran.forsberg@cantargia.com

This constitutes information that Cantargia is required to publish under the EU’s Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication through the above contact person on 26 June 2017, at 8.30am.

About Cantargia 

Cantargia AB (publ), reg.no. 556791-6019, is a biotech company that is developing an antibody-based cancer treatment, which aims to attack cancer cells and arrest the inflammation of the tumour. The original discovery by the research team behind Cantargia was the overexpression of a specific target molecule, interleukin 1 receptor accessory protein “IL1RAP”, in cancer stem cells in patients with leukemia that is not found in normal stem cells in the bone marrow. In preclinical studies (in vitro and in vivo) the antibody, targeted at IL1RAP, has been shown to have two potential mechanisms of action, which are complementary. The Company has selected a product candidate, CAN04, for future studies in humans and development activities have been focused on non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. 

Cantargia is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm First North (ticker: CANTA). Sedermera Fondkommission is the company’s Certified Adviser. More information about Cantargia is available at http://www.cantargia.com.

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