13 October 2021 - - The first patient has been dosed in the company's Phase 1 study of RPTR-168 (PRIME IL-12) in patients with select relapsed or refractory human papillomavirus -16-positive tumors, US-based Repertoire Immune Medicines said.

RPTR-168 is an autologous multi-targeted T cell therapeutic candidate derived from rare peripheral blood T cells.

The T cells are collected from each patient through apheresis and are primed and expanded by a set of five tumor-associated antigens known to be expressed on HPV-16-positive tumors.

RPTR-168 is designed to deliver interleukin-12 (IL-12), a potent immunomodulatory agent that has been shown to improve anti-tumor activity by promoting T cell function inside the tumor microenvironment.

The use of IL-12 has been limited because of dose-related toxicities observed in other settings. To address this, Repertoire utilizes its proprietary technology to tether IL-12 to the surface of RPTR-168 MTCs.

This approach is designed to allow direct and localized delivery of IL-12 to the tumor, which may support an anti-tumor immune response.

The Phase 1 study is being conducted at trial centers in the United States. The first patient was dosed at HonorHealth Research and Innovation Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Phase 1 clinical study is an open-label, multi-center trial to characterize the safety and tolerability of RPTR-168 in adult patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic or locally advanced human papillomavirus-16-positive tumors.

The primary endpoints are safety and tolerability.

Repertoire Immune Medicines is dedicated to creating treatments for diseases based on the power of the human T cell repertoire to eliminate cancer cells, target pathogens, and regulate immune function.

Repertoire's strategy lies in understanding the immune synapse the interaction between specific T cells and the corresponding antigen-presenting cells that dictate T cell activity.

The company's proprietary DECODE technology platform, developed by Repertoire scientists, is designed to provide an understanding of the full repertoire of interactions between T cell receptors and their antigen targets.

Repertoire's team of more than 150 operates from sites in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Zurich, Switzerland, and uses its DECODE technology to rationally design treatments for cancers, autoimmune disorders, and infectious diseases.