-- Medicenna Therapeutics (MDNA.TO), trading near 52 week lows, on Tuesday presented new "positive" preclinical data from MDNA113, its lead superkine candidate, in a poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting in San Diego.
In a head-to-head non-human primate study, MDNA113 was well tolerated at doses up to 50 mg/kg while a comparator could not be administered a second dose at a fraction of that exposure due to severe toxicity, including evidence of vascular leak syndrome, a statement said.
MDNA113 is designed to address the safety and dosing limitations that have constrained first-generation molecules in this class. "Taken together, these data demonstrate that MDNA113 is a first-in-class PD-1 x IL-2 bifunctional with exquisite design that delivers superior tolerability and a significantly wider therapeutic window compared with first-generation approaches," said Fahar Merchant, Medicenna chief executive.
Medicenna shares closed down $0.01 to $0.60, and near 52 week lows, on Monday, on the Toronto Stock Exchange.