Immutep Reports that LAG-3 Enhances Activity of a Cellular Cancer Immunotherapy in Preclinical Studies

Immutep S.A., a biopharmaceutical company specialized in immunostimulatory and immunomodulatory treatments of cancer and infectious or autoimmune disease, announced the publication of research conducted by Cell Genesys, Inc. showing that a lymphocyte activation gene-3 fusion protein increases the potency of a granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF)-secreting tumor cell immunotherapy. These data were published in the June issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

The research team found that combining mLAG-3Ig with a murine GM-CSF-secreting tumor cell immunotherapy prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing animals compared to animals treated with either therapy alone.

Prolonged survival correlated with increased numbers of systemic IFN gamma-secreting CD8+ T-cells and a significantly increased infiltration of activated effector CD8+ T-cells into the tumor.

The mLAG-3Ig fusion protein is a murine homologue of Immutep's lead product ImmuFact® IMP321, a potent natural human immunostimulatory factor designed to amplify the T cell immune response.

IMP321 can be used either as an immunopotentiator in therapeutic vaccines or alone at higher doses as a monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. Six clinical trials have been initiated with ImmuFact IMP321 in the last three years.