First Patient Dosed in Treatment Cohorts was successfully treated with SonoTran®

First-in-human clinical data shows SonoTran® is safe and well-tolerated

OxSonics CEO, Jérôme Marzinski, gives interview to The Medicine Maker.

Jérôme Marzinski appointed as Chief Executive Officer

Preclinical data demonstrates SonoTran® increased efficacy of ADCT-601 in human renal cancer model

OxSonics presents preclinical data demonstrating SonoTran® enhanced the delivery and efficacy of an oncolytic virus in a murine bladder cancel model

OxSonics to present efficacy data from its collaboration with ADC Therapeutics at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium

OxSonics strengthens management team with appointment of Dr Marianna Lalla as Chief Medical Officer

Gene Saragnese joins OxSonics’ Board of Directors

First Patient Dosed in Ground-Breaking Clinical Investigation

OxSonics Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company focused on transforming cancer treatment through SonoTran®, its breakthrough ultrasound-based drug delivery platform,
reports that the first patient had been dosed in the treatment cohorts of its first-in-human clinical investigation (ISRCTN17598292) on May 23, 2023. This is the first patient to receive chemotherapy drugs in addition to SonoTran® and was completed without issues as well as recruited in Cohort 3 of the clinical study. Many patients are under screening for recruitment in both Cohort 2 & 3 on an ongoing basis.

This follows successful completion of cohort 1 evaluating the tolerability of SonoTran® at each of three different doses of Particles (nine patients in total) as well as SonoTran Particle cavitation at each dose level using the company’s proprietary “see as you treat” passive acoustic mapping technology. SonoTran® is being evaluated in a phase I/IIa multicenter clinical investigation in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

The clinical investigation now includes two patient treatment cohorts to evaluate:
Cohort 2. SonoTran®’s ability to enhance the delivery of cetuximab and irinotecan into tumors in resectable mCRC patients; and
Cohort 3. SonoTran®’s ability to enhance tumor response to standard of care first-line chemotherapy (cetuximab + FOLFIRI) in unresectable mCRC patients.

Cohorts 2 and 3 are currently recruiting patients at the Oxford Cancer Centre, Churchill Hospital,

Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust. Cohort 2 is additionally recruiting patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust. The coordinating investigator of the whole trial and the OUH site Principal Investigator is Professor Rachel Kerr (Department of Oncology, University of Oxford).

Jérôme Marzinski, CEO commented: “We’re delighted that the investigation of SonoTran® is continuing to treatment phase and that we can show the technology is, as predicted by the wealth of preclinical evidence, able to deliver more anti-cancer therapy into and through the tumor. This is a significant milestone achieved by OxSonics that creates a new positive momentum aiming to bring compelling comparative effectiveness of SonoTran® for solid tumor treatment.”

About CEeDD Clinical Study
SonoTran® is being evaluated in a phase I/IIa multicenter clinical investigation in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

Data presented at the European Symposium on Ultrasound Contrast Imaging also demonstrated consistent SonoTran® Particle activation

Recruitment underway for Delivery and Efficacy cohorts of Phase 1/2a proof of concept study

Oxford, UK – 23 January 2023 – OxSonics Therapeutics, a clinical-stage medtech company focused on transforming cancer treatment through SonoTran®, its proprietary ultrasound-based drug delivery platform, today announces that first-in-human clinical data demonstrated that SonoTran® is safe and well-tolerated, with consistent Particle activation observed and mapped using OxSonics’ proprietary “see-as-you-treat” technology. The clinical data was presented by Dr Jeffrey Rubasingham, an oncologist at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, Churchill Hospital, and the background and pre-clinical research by Professor Coussios, Statutory Chair of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Oxford and Director of the Oxford Institute of Biomedical Engineering, at the 28th European Symposium on Ultrasound Contrast Imaging, 19-20 January 2023.

The data is part of an ongoing Phase 1/2a multicentre clinical investigation funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), where SonoTran® is being evaluated in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). SonoTran® is in clinical development to enhance the delivery and improve the efficacy of oncology drugs, particularly targeted biological therapies that struggle to penetrate tumors. It combines innovative Particles that are independently co-administered with an anti-cancer drug, which are then activated by a novel ultrasound device at the tumor site, creating a localised pumping effect that increases the delivery and penetration of the drug throughout the tumor.

Nine patients were enrolled in the Safety Cohort, of which the primary objective was to evaluate the safety and tolerability of SonoTran® at three different doses of Particles, (three patients per dose). SonoTran® was safe and well tolerated at all three dose levels, with no serious adverse events reported. Particle activation (i.e. the generation of the Particle expansion and collapse that causes the localised pumping effect) at each dose level was also assessed using the Company’s “see as you treat” passive acoustic mapping technology. Consistent Particle activation was observed and mapped at all three dose levels. Based on these results, the lowest Particle dose (200mg) was selected for use in the Delivery and Efficacy Cohorts of the study, which are now both recruiting patients.

The Delivery Cohort will assess how much SonoTran® can enhance the delivery of cetuximab and irinotecan into tumors in resectable mCRC patients and the Efficacy Cohort will evaluate SonoTran®’s ability to enhance tumor reduction when combined with standard of care first-line treatment (cetuximab and FOLFIRI), compared with the standard of care alone.

Dr Marianna Lalla, Chief Medical Officer, OxSonics, commented: “We are delighted by our first-in-human clinical data, in which we see that SonoTran® is safe and well tolerated in patients. Pre-clinical data has shown that SonoTran® increases the tumour penetration of drugs, leading to reduced tumor size and increased survival, and we look forward to seeing if this is replicated in the clinic in the Delivery and Efficacy Cohorts.”

Jérôme Marzinski, Chief Executive Officer, OxSonics, commented: “This clinical data is an important milestone for OxSonics showing that SonoTran® is safe and well tolerated, as well as that the SonoTran® Particles were consistently activated at the lowest dose. We believe that this Particle activation will be able to translate to enhanced delivery of drugs into solid tumors and ultimately potentially transform cancer treatment.”

For more information on how SonoTran® works, click here.

Please find the PDF version of this press release here.

Enquiries

About OxSonics Therapeutics

OxSonics is a clinical-stage medtech company, transforming cancer treatment by harnessing its first-in-class, proprietary technology platform SonoTran® to enhance the delivery and improve the efficacy of oncology drugs.

Current oncology drugs are restricted by their poor ability to penetrate solid tumors.

SonoTran® is being developed to provide a step-change in the therapeutic index of the drugs without the development costs or delays associated with drug reformulation. It combines Particles that are co-administered independently with an anti-cancer drug, and activated by a novel ultrasound device, creating a localised pumping effect that increases the delivery and penetration of the anti-cancer drug throughout the tumor. SonoTran® is designed to increase the dose and distribution of anti-cancer agents within solid tumours, thereby increasing the efficacy and/or reducing the toxicity of these agents across the majority of the most challenging solid tumor cancers.

The approach has been specifically designed to fit seamlessly into existing oncology clinical workflows, and has the major advantage of enabling healthcare professionals to “see-as-they-treat” by providing visualisation on-screen and in real time.

SonoTran® is currently being evaluated in a phase 1/2a proof of concept clinical study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with liver metastases.

The SonoTran® drug delivery platform is based on ground-breaking technological advances, originally invented at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

OxSonics is based in Oxford in the UK.

For more information please visit: www.oxsonics.com

About the phase 1/2a SonoTran® proof of concept clinical study

SonoTran® is being evaluated in a phase 1/2a multicentre clinical investigation in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

The clinical investigation includes three patient cohorts to evaluate:

1. The safety of the SonoTran® Platform (“Safety Cohort”);
2. SonoTran®’s ability to enhance the delivery of cetuximab and irinotecan into tumors in resectable mCRC patients (“Delivery Cohort”); and
3. SonoTran®’s ability to enhance tumor response to standard of care first-line chemotherapy (cetuximab + FOLFIRI) in unresectable mCRC patients (“Efficacy Cohort”).

Cohorts 1, 2 and 3 will recruit patients at the Oxford Cancer Centre, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust. Cohort 2 will additionally recruit patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust. The coordinating investigator of the whole trial and the OUH site principal investigator is Professor Rachel Kerr (Department of Oncology, University of Oxford).

About the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

The mission of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:

• Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
• Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
• Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
• Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
• Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
• Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.

NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.

For more information please visit: www.nihr.ac.uk.

Oxford, UK – 2^nd January 2023 – OxSonics CEO, Jérôme Marzinski, was interviewed by The Medicine Maker as part of their DISCOVERY & DEVELOPMENT series.

Please find the print version of the interview here:

https://themedicinemaker.com/discovery-development/oxford-university-spinout-takes-on-cancer-in-a-different-way

– ENDS –

Enquiries 

About OxSonics Therapeutics

OxSonics is a clinical-stage therapeutics company, transforming cancer treatment by harnessing its first-in-class, proprietary technology platform SonoTran® to enhance the delivery and improve the efficacy of oncology drugs. 

Current oncology drugs are restricted by their poor ability to penetrate solid tumors.

SonoTran® is being developed to provide a step-change in the therapeutic index of the drugs without the development costs or delays associated with drug reformulation. It combines Particles that are co-administered independently with an anti-cancer drug, and activated by a novel ultrasound device, creating a localised pumping effect that increases the delivery and penetration of the anti-cancer drug throughout the tumor. SonoTran® is designed to increase the dose and distribution of anti-cancer agents within solid tumours, thereby increasing the efficacy and/or reducing the toxicity of these agents across the majority of the most challenging solid tumor cancers.

The approach has been specifically designed to fit seamlessly into existing oncology clinical workflows, and has the major advantage of enabling healthcare professionals to see-as-they-treat by providing vizualisation on-screen and in real time.

SonoTran® is currently being evaluated in a phase I/IIa proof of concept clinical study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with liver metastases.

The SonoTran® drug delivery platform is based on ground-breaking technological advances, originally invented at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

OxSonics is based in Oxford in the UK. 

For more information please visit: www.oxsonics.com

Seasoned medtech leader with a proven track record in scaling companies

Oxford, UK – 7 November 2022 – OxSonics Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company focused on transforming cancer treatment through SonoTran®, its ultrasound-based drug delivery platform, announces that it has appointed Jérôme Marzinski as its Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect.

Jérôme is a seasoned medtech leader, having held a variety of senior roles over a more than 25 year career, with significant experience in scaling venture capital and private equity-funded businesses in the sector, having completed 15 M&A transactions and raised over €50m of growth capital. 

Jérôme is an independent Board member of Cimon Medical, a Norwegian ultrasound specialist focusing on cerebral blood flow monitoring, where he was also the Interim Chief Executive Officer from January 2022, helping secure CE mark clearance for the Company’s lead product under new Medical Device Regulations. Prior to this, he spent three years as Chief Executive Officer at Visiometrics, an ophthalmic diagnostic company, that has developed and commercialized a breakthrough diagnostic for vision impairment and cataract detection. There, he oversaw a threefold increase in revenues, led the US commercial launch of a new product and completed the trade sale of the company’s asset to Keeler UK. He also spent six years in senior positions at ev3, which was sold to Covidien in 2012, and served as Chief Operating Officer of Vexim as it sourced a $15m Series C financing.

He is an independent Board member and strategic advisor to life sciences start-up Aniling and also owns MedCape Advisors, a management consulting agency for life sciences companies, providing advice on go-to-market strategy as well as international expansion.

Jérôme has an MA in corporate financing and accounting from the University of Lille, and in 2012 completed theTRIUM Global Executive MBA, jointly issued by New York University Stern School of Business, London School of Economics and Political Science, and HEC Paris School of Management.

Dr Allison Jeynes, Non-Executive Chair of OxSonics, said: 

“We are delighted to welcome Jérôme to OxSonics. He is an experienced business leader who brings a wealth of relevant international sector knowledge, and a proven track record in leading medtech companies. His extensive experience of both capital raises and the commercial launch of products, will be invaluable as we continue to execute our growth strategy, expanding the clinical use of SonoTran® and building a broad pipeline of combinations.” 

Jérôme Marzinski, Chief Executive Officer of OxSonics, said:

“I am excited by the opportunity to lead OxSonics. I have been very impressed by both the calibre of the team and the potential of SonoTran® to transform cancer treatment and address the urgent need for new technologies to increase the tumor penetration of oncology drugs. Through our Phase I/IIa study, as well as the existing partnerships, the Company is approaching a number of key value inflection points. I look forward to working with the rest of the Board and management team to take OxSonics to the next stage of its development.”

Enquiries 

About OxSonics Therapeutics

OxSonics is a clinical-stage therapeutics company, transforming cancer treatment by harnessing its first-in-class, proprietary technology platform SonoTran® to enhance the delivery and improve the efficacy of oncology drugs. 

Current oncology drugs are restricted by their poor ability to penetrate solid tumors.

SonoTran® is being developed to provide a step-change in the therapeutic index of the drugs without the development costs or delays associated with drug reformulation. It combines Particles that are co-administered independently with an anti-cancer drug, and activated by a novel ultrasound device, creating a localised pumping effect that increases the delivery and penetration of the anti-cancer drug throughout the tumor. SonoTran® is designed to increase the dose and distribution of anti-cancer agents within solid tumours, thereby increasing the efficacy and/or reducing the toxicity of these agents across the majority of the most challenging solid tumor cancers.

The approach has been specifically designed to fit seamlessly into existing oncology clinical workflows, and has the major advantage of enabling healthcare professionals to see-as-they-treat by providing vizualisation on-screen and in real time.

SonoTran® is currently being evaluated in a phase I/IIa proof of concept clinical study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with liver metastases.

The SonoTran® drug delivery platform is based on ground-breaking technological advances, originally invented at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

OxSonics is based in Oxford in the UK. 

For more information please visit: www.oxsonics.com

Data from collaboration with ADC Therapeutics presented at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium showed SonoTran® increased potency of ADCT-601 by 3.3 times

Oxford, UK – 31 October 2022 – OxSonics Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company focused on transforming cancer treatment through SonoTran®, its ultrasound-based drug delivery platform, today announces positive preclinical efficacy data for SonoTran® in combination with ADC Therapeutics’ (“ADCT”) antibody drug conjugate (“ADC”), ADCT-601. The data was presented in a poster entitled ‘Ultrasound-induced cavitation enhances therapeutic efficacy of AXL-targeting ADC leading to improved survival in a human xenograft model of renal cancer’ at the EORTC-NCI-AACR (ENA) Symposium, Barcelona, Spain on 28 October by Dr Massimo Masiero, Senior Development Scientist, OxSonics.

ADCs are targeted medicines that combine a monoclonal antibody with an anti-cancer drug, which enables the specific killing of cancer cells whilst reducing the chances of systemic toxicity. In recent years, they have proven to be a promising new therapeutic class, particularly for the treatment of hematological malignancies and breast cancer. However, given their relatively large size, it is difficult for them to penetrate into and throughout solid tumor tissue. SonoTran®, OxSonics’ proprietary technology platform, is being developed to enhance the delivery and improve the efficacy of systemically administered oncology drugs. It combines innovative Particles that are co-administered independently with an anti-cancer drug, which are activated by a novel ultrasound device at the tumor site, creating a localised pumping effect that increases the delivery and penetration of the anti-cancer drug throughout the tumor.

The data presented in the poster was a collaboration between OxSonics Therapeutics and ADCT to assess the ability of SonoTran® to enhance the efficacy of ADCT-601 in a human xenograft model of renal cancer. ADCT-601 is currently in phase 1b clinical development in patients with selected advanced solid tumors.

The study evaluated two doses of ADCT-601, one known to be efficacious (1mg/kg) when administered alone and one that is ineffective alone (0.3mg/kg). During the study, the lower dose was administered with and without SonoTran®. The results showed the mice treated with 0.3mg/kg ADCT-601 + SonoTran® had significant tumor growth delay, which led to a significant improvement in survival compared to the control groups. The efficacy of the 0.3mg/kg ADCT-601 + SonoTran® was equivalent to that seen with 1mg/kg ADCT-601, indicating that the SonoTran® combination enhanced potency by 3.3 times.

SonoTran® is currently being evaluated in a phase I/IIa proof of concept clinical study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with liver metastases.

Christian Coviello, Chief Technology Officer, OxSonics, commented: “The data presented at ENA is further evidence of the potential of SonoTran® to increase the delivery and efficacy of a wide variety of anti-cancer treatments. It follows data presented at IOVC last week, which demonstrated SonoTran’s ability to increase the delivery and efficacy of a systemically administered oncolytic virus. We are particularly encouraged by the significant increase in the potency of ADCT-601 when combined with SonoTran®, which was greater than threefold. This indicates SonoTran’s potential to increase the therapeutic index of anti-cancer drugs by enhancing efficacy at lower systemic doses.”The poster is available on the Company’s website at: Scientific Publications – OxSonics Therapeutics

Enquiries 

About The EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium

Hosted by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), ENA is the drug development and translational research meeting, focusing on preclinical and phase I studies, enabling and facilitating in-depth scientific discussions on the latest developments in targets and drugs. It attracts academics, scientists and pharmaceutical industry representatives from across the globe to discuss the latest innovations in drug development, target selection and the impact of new discoveries in molecular biology. More information can be found at www.eortc.org/ena.

About OxSonics Therapeutics

OxSonics is a clinical-stage therapeutics company, transforming cancer treatment by harnessing its first-in-class, proprietary technology platform SonoTran® to enhance the delivery and improve the efficacy of oncology drugs. 

Current oncology drugs are restricted by their poor ability to penetrate solid tumors.

SonoTran® is being developed to provide a step-change in the therapeutic index of the drugs without the development costs or delays associated with drug reformulation. It combines Particles that are co-administered independently with an anti-cancer drug, and activated by a novel ultrasound device, creating a localised pumping effect that increases the delivery and penetration of the anti-cancer drug throughout the tumor. SonoTran® is designed to increase the dose and distribution of anti-cancer agents within solid tumours, thereby increasing the efficacy and/or reducing the toxicity of these agents across the majority of the most challenging solid tumor cancers.

The approach has been specifically designed to fit seamlessly into existing oncology clinical workflows, and has the major advantage of enabling healthcare professionals to see-as-they-treat by providing visualisation on-screen and in real time.

SonoTran® is currently being evaluated in a phase I/IIa proof of concept clinical study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with liver metastases.

The SonoTran® drug delivery platform is based on ground-breaking technological advances, originally invented at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

OxSonics is based in Oxford in the UK. 

For more information please visit: www.oxsonics.com

Data presented at the International Oncolytic Virus Conference (IOVC) from a collaboration with Turnstone Biologics.

Oxford, UK – 25 October 2022 – OxSonics Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company focused on transforming cancer treatment through SonoTran®, its ultrasound-based drug delivery platform, today announces positive preclinical efficacy and delivery data for SonoTran® in combination with Turnstone Biologic’s enhanced oncolytic vaccinia virus. The data was presented in a poster entitled ‘Ultrasound-enhanced delivery and improved efficacy of an oncolytic vaccinia virus in a murine bladder cancer model’ at the International Oncolytic Virus Conference (IOVC), Karuizawa, Japan on 24 October by Dr Erika Vojtasova.

Oncolytic viruses have shown great potential as cancer treatments through their stimulation of the immune system. However, poor pharmacokinetics and low tumor penetration have limited their effectiveness and restricted their clinical application. SonoTran®, OxSonics’ proprietary technology platform, is being developed to enhance the delivery and improve the efficacy of oncology drugs. It combines innovative Particles that are co-administered independently with an anti-cancer drug, which are activated by a novel ultrasound device at the tumor site, creating a localised pumping effect that increases the delivery and penetration of the anti-cancer drug throughout the tumor.

The data from the two-part project presented in the poster was a collaboration between OxSonics Therapeutics and Turnstone Biologics to assess the ability of SonoTran® to improve delivery and efficacy of an unarmed enhanced oncolytic vaccinia virus (VV) in a murine bladder cancer model. 

The initial pilot study evaluated high and low doses of VV, which were intravenously administered either with or without SonoTran®. The results showed the tumors treated with SonoTran® demonstrated higher viral spread in their tumors at both dose levels compared with those treated with the virus alone. In the second study, this increase in viral spread in the tumor translated into better efficacy, with 78% of the mice treated with VV + SonoTran® surviving to the end of the study vs 56% in the mice treated with VV alone. Both studies showed that SonoTran® resulted in a smaller average tumor size, and increased the numbers of responders to the treatment.

SonoTran® is currently being evaluated in a phase I/IIa proof of concept clinical study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with liver metastases.

Christian Coviello, Chief Technology Officer, commented: “We are very encouraged by this mouse model data, which further demonstrates the potential of SonoTran® to enhance the delivery and efficacy of oncology drugs. Oncolytic viruses are an exciting class of therapeutic with significant potential in cancer treatment, however their development has been marred by their poor pharmacokinetic profile and inability to effectively penetrate solid tumors. In this project, SonoTran® was able to improve the targeted tumor delivery of Turnstone’s enhanced oncolytic virus and we saw this translate into long-term efficacy effects, with a lower average tumor size, increased treatment response rate, and greater survival rates in those mice that received SonoTran®.”

The poster is available on the Company’s website at: Scientific Publications – OxSonics Therapeutics

Enquiries 

About The International Oncolytic Virus Conference

The International Oncolytic Virus Conference brings together international experts from across the industry focusing on accelerating the discovery and development of oncolytic viral therapies, through a series of abstracts, presentations, panel discussions and partnering/networking events. Further information on the event can be found here:  http://iovc2022.umin.jp

About OxSonics Therapeutics

OxSonics is a clinical-stage therapeutics company, transforming cancer treatment by harnessing its first-in-class, proprietary technology platform SonoTran® to enhance the delivery and improve the efficacy of oncology drugs. 

Current oncology drugs are restricted by their poor ability to penetrate solid tumors.

SonoTran® is being developed to provide a step-change in the therapeutic index of the drugs without the development costs or delays associated with drug reformulation. It combines Particles that are co-administered independently with an anti-cancer drug, and activated by a novel ultrasound device, creating a localised pumping effect that increases the delivery and penetration of the anti-cancer drug throughout the tumor. SonoTran® is designed to increase the dose and distribution of anti-cancer agents within solid tumours, thereby increasing the efficacy and/or reducing the toxicity of these agents across the majority of the most challenging solid tumor cancers.

The approach has been specifically designed to fit seamlessly into existing oncology clinical workflows, and has the major advantage of enabling healthcare professionals to see-as-they-treat by providing visualisation on-screen and in real time.

SonoTran® is currently being evaluated in a phase I/IIa proof of concept clinical study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with liver metastases.

The SonoTran® drug delivery platform is based on ground-breaking technological advances, originally invented at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

OxSonics is based in Oxford in the UK. 

For more information please visit: www.oxsonics.com

OxSonics to present encouraging preclinical efficacy data from its collaboration with 
ADC Therapeutics at the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium

SonoTran® provides increased  efficacy of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) in a human renal cancer model

Oxford, UK – 12 October 2022 – OxSonics Therapeutics, a clinical-stage company focused on transforming cancer treatment through SonoTran®, its ultrasound-based drug delivery platform, announces that it will present a poster entitled ‘Ultrasound-induced cavitation enhances therapeutic efficacy of AXL-targeting ADC leading to improved survival in a human xenograft model of renal cancer’ on 28 October at the forthcoming EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium in Barcelona, Spain from 26-28 October 2022.

SonoTran®, the Company’s proprietary technology platform, is being developed to enhance the delivery and improve the efficacy of oncology drugs. It is currently being evaluated in a phase I/IIa proof of concept clinical study in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with liver metastases.

At EORTC-NCI-AACR, OxSonics will present preclinical data from its collaboration with ADC Therapeutics (NYSE: ADCT), investigating the combination of SonoTran® with ADC Therapeutics’ ADCT-601 candidate. The data, which utilised a human renal cancer model, demonstrates the potential of SonoTran® to enhance the efficacy of an antibody-drug conjugate. 

The full poster will be available from 28 October 2022, at https://oxsonics.com/scientific-publications/.

Enquiries 

About The EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium

Hosted by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the 2022 Symposium attracts academics, scientists and pharmaceutical industry representatives from across the globe to discuss the latest innovations in drug development, target selection and the impact of new discoveries in molecular biology. Further information on the conference can be found at: 34th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium – EORTC

Underpins Company’s strategy to expand its pipeline of clinical combination studies

Oxford, UK – 6th June 2022 – OxSonics Therapeutics, a world leader in the development of ultrasound-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of cancer, is pleased to announce that Dr Marianna Lalla has joined the Company as Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Marianna is a well-respected physician with significant experience in leading clinical trials.

Marianna will head the Company’s clinical development function to drive the clinical development of SonoTran® in combination with multiple anti-cancer therapies. Her appointment reflects OxSonics’ transition to a clinical-stage company, and its strategy to further expand its pipeline of clinical combination studies. In January 2021, the first patient was dosed in a first-in-human clinical investigation evaluating the Company’s proprietary SonoTran® Platform in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Marianna brings over 20 years of experience as a physician, both as a clinical investigator and clinical lead for numerous early and late-stage clinical studies for the pharmaceutical industry. She joins OxSonics from UCB, where she was the Global Clinical Development lead in Translational Medicine, responsible for the development of multiple early clinical-stage products. Marianna’s prior experience as a surgeon brings a deep knowledge and understanding of the development and use of medical devices in the clinic.

Glyn Edwards, Interim CEO, OxSonics, commented: “I’m delighted to welcome Marianna to the executive team as Chief Medical Officer. This is a transformational time for OxSonics as we look to expand the clinical use of SonoTran® in combination with different anti-cancer agents from current and future partnerships. Marianna brings a wealth of experience in designing and delivering early-phase clinical trials and insights spanning both medical devices and pharmaceutical development that will be invaluable as we continue to execute our clinical strategy.”

Dr Marianna Lalla, CMO, OxSonics, commented: “I’m excited to join OxSonics as it starts to generate data from the ongoing first-in-man clinical trial and I look forward to the forthcoming initiation of further SonoTran® combination clinical studies. There is a desperate need for new technologies to address the performance limitations of current drugs and I believe SonoTran® has the potential to overcome one of the major challenges in treating solid cancers – getting more anti-cancer therapy into the tumour tissue. Its unique mechanism of action will be of great interest to potential partners looking to increase the efficacy and therapeutic index of their candidates.”

-ENDS –
About OxSonics Therapeutics
OxSonics® Therapeutics’ proprietary platform technology, SonoTran®, is being developed to provide a step-change in the therapeutic index of anti-cancer agents without the development costs or delays associated with drug reformulation. SonoTran® is designed to increase the dose and distribution of anti-cancer agents within solid tumours, thereby increasing the efficacy and/or reducing the toxicity of these agents across the majority of the most challenging solid tumour cancers. The approach has been specifically designed to fit seamlessly into existing oncology clinical workflows, and has the major advantage of enabling healthcare professionals to see-as-they-treat by providing visualisation on-screen and in real time. The SonoTran® drug delivery platform is based on ground-breaking technological advances, originally invented at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

OxSonics is based in Oxford in the UK.
For more information please visit: www.oxsonics.com

Enquiries
OxSonics Therapeutics
Nicholas Adams, Chief Business Officer
+44 (0)7712 448578
nicholas.adams@oxsonics.com

Media Enquiries
Walbrook PR (PR advisors to OxSonics)
OxSonics@walbrookpr.com
Stephanie Cuthbert/ Phillip Marriage
+44 (0)7796 794 663

Oxford, UK – 31 Jan 2022 – OxSonics® Therapeutics, a world leader in the development of ultrasound-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of cancer today announced the appointment of Gene Saragnese to the Board of Directors.

Gene Saragnese is a seasoned business strategist, technology thought leader, and medical imaging industry expert. He has held executive leadership positions as the Chief Executive Officer of Philips Imaging Systems, Vice President and Head of GE’s Molecular Imaging and CT business, and Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Global Technology for GE Healthcare’s global business portfolio.

Allison Jeynes, Chair of OxSonics Board, said “I am delighted to welcome Gene to the board of Directors; he brings extensive strategic knowledge in medical imaging technology, and his 25+ years’ experience in leading product commercialisation and marketing activities on a global scale will be invaluable to the business as we establish ourselves as a clinical stage company and refine routes to commercialisation.”

Gene Saragnese commented “I believe that OxSonics’ technology can overcome a major challenge in treating a range of solid tumours. The SonoTran® platform has the potential to increase the efficacy of anti-cancer agents by increasing the dose and distribution in some of the toughest to treat cancers, and I look forward to working with the OxSonics team to get this product to market.”

Oxford, UK – 5th January 2022 – OxSonics® Therapeutics, a world leader in the development of ultrasound-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of cancer, today announced that the first patient had been dosed in a first-in-human clinical investigation (ISRCTN17598292) evaluating its proprietary SonoTran® Platform.

SonoTran is being evaluated in a phase I/IIa multicentre clinical investigation in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

The clinical investigation includes three patient cohorts to evaluate:

1. the safety of the SonoTran Platform;
2. SonoTran’s ability to enhance the delivery of cetuximab and irinotecan into tumours in resectable mCRC patients; and
3. SonoTran’s ability to enhance tumour response to standard of care first-line chemotherapy (cetuximab + FOLFIRI) in unresectable mCRC patients.

Cohorts 1, 2 and 3 will recruit patients at the Oxford Cancer Centre, Churchill Hospital, Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) NHS Foundation Trust. Cohort 2 will additionally recruit patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham (UHB) NHS Foundation Trust. The coordinating investigator of the whole trial and the OUH site principal investigator is Professor Rachel Kerr (Department of Oncology, University of Oxford).

CEO and Co-founder Dr Colin Story commented: “Striving to deliver smarter and better therapies to help patients tackle tough-to-treat cancers is at the heart of everything we do, so we’re delighted that SonoTran is now being evaluated clinically. After more than ten years of innovative research at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering, followed by a further eight years of pre-clinical development by the world-leading multi-disciplinary team at OxSonics, we now enter a new and very exciting chapter in OxSonics’ evolution.”

Chair of the board Dr Allison Jeynes commented: “Whilst this first-in-human clinical trial is ongoing, Oxsonics is also advancing plans to initiate further trials with partnered therapeutic agents. These activities combined we believe will result in a pipeline of revolutionary products to treat unmet medical needs of patients with solid tumours.”

Coordinating and principal investigator Prof. Rachel Kerr commented: “Over the last quarter of a century, I have been involved in colorectal cancer trials, advancing patient care with novel therapeutics. Our improvement in response rates and increased survival, even with the most intelligently designed drugs, has always been hampered by our inability to deliver these agents deep into the tumour. I believe that SonoTran provides a real opportunity to increase the permeation of drugs deep into tumours, allowing a greater proportion of patients to achieve potential tumour resection and cure; and increasing life expectancy for the rest. The fact that this technology is something that could be applicable across many different tumour types and a whole array of anticancer drugs really drives our excitement about this trial across the cancer community”

– ENDS-

About OxSonics Therapeutics

OxSonics® Therapeutics’ proprietary platform technology, SonoTran®, is being developed to provide a step-change in the therapeutic index of anti-cancer agents without the development costs or delays associated with drug reformulation. SonoTran is designed to increase the dose and distribution of anti-cancer agents within solid tumours, thereby increasing the efficacy and/or reducing the toxicity of these agents across the majority of the most challenging solid tumour cancers.

The approach has been specifically designed to fit seamlessly into existing oncology clinical workflows, and has the major advantage of enabling healthcare professionals to see-as-they-treat by providing visualisation on-screen and in real time.

The SonoTran drug delivery platform is based on ground-breaking technological advances, originally invented at the University of Oxford’s Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

OxSonics is based in Oxford in the UK.

For more information please visit: www.oxsonics.com.

About the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)

The mission of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:

• • Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
• • Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
• • Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
• • Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
• • Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
• • Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.

NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.
For more information please visit: www.nihr.ac.uk.

About metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents the third most common cancer worldwide and the fourth most common cancer-related cause of death. Approximately 15-25% of patients have metastatic CRC (mCRC) at diagnosis, and nearly half of CRC patients will develop metastases at some point during the course of the disease. The most common site for CRC metastases is in the liver (more than 50% of patients with metastatic CRC; and in 60% of these patients, liver metastases are the only site of spread).