PHILADELPHIA - Century Therapeutics, a biotechnology firm focused on developing cell therapies, has shared interim results from its Phase 1 ELiPSE-1 study of CNTY-101 in patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The data, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, suggests CNTY-101 is well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or graft-versus-host disease observed.
CNTY-101, Century's lead product candidate, is an off-the-shelf immunotherapy utilizing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived natural killer (NK) cells engineered to target CD19-positive B-cell malignancies. The therapy includes six precision gene edits and leverages the company's proprietary Allo-Evasion™ technology, which aims to prevent host rejection and allows for repeated dosing.
The ongoing trial has shown promising preliminary efficacy at initial dose levels in heavily pretreated patients. Interim results report a complete response rate of 30% and an objective response rate of 40% across all evaluable patients. Notably, a 40% complete response rate and a 60% objective response rate were observed in patients treated with higher doses of CNTY-101.
A novel method using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) to detect pharmacokinetics suggests that CNTY-101 can traffic out of the bloodstream and persist in the body, with the area under the curve (AUC) increasing with dose levels. Additionally, the majority of treatment cycles have been administered in an outpatient setting, which supports the therapy's potential as a convenient treatment option.
The ELiPSE-1 study is currently in the dose escalation phase, with enrollment continuing for dose levels 3B and 4A. These levels correspond to three weekly infusions of 1 billion cells and a single infusion of 3 billion cells per cycle, respectively.
CNTY-101 also incorporates an EGFR safety switch, allowing for rapid elimination of the cells in vivo if necessary. Century Therapeutics plans to initiate a second Phase 1 clinical trial for CNTY-101 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and is considering additional regulatory filings for other autoimmune diseases.
The information reported is based on a press release statement from Century Therapeutics.
InvestingPro Insights
As Century Therapeutics continues to make strides in its clinical trials, investors and stakeholders are keenly observing the company's financial health and market performance. A snapshot of the latest InvestingPro Data reveals a market capitalization of $247.03 million, indicating a relatively modest size in the biotech sector. Despite the complexities of biotechnology investments, one standout metric is the company's Price to Book (P/B) ratio for the last twelve months as of Q1 2024, which stands at 1.39. This suggests that the market is valuing the company at a slight premium above its book value, which may reflect investor confidence in the potential of therapies like CNTY-101.
Moreover, the company's significant six-month price total return of 109.15% as of the same period underscores a period of robust performance, although the more recent three-month price total return shows a decline of 25.0%. This volatility is not uncommon in the biotech industry, where clinical trial outcomes can greatly affect investor sentiment.
One of the InvestingPro Tips for those interested in Century Therapeutics is to consider the long-term value and growth potential seen in the company's innovative therapies, such as CNTY-101. While the current P/E ratio is negative at -1.36, reflecting the company's current lack of profitability, the PEG ratio of 0.56 suggests that investors may expect future earnings growth to come at a lower price, relative to the company's earnings growth potential.
For investors seeking additional insights and detailed analysis, InvestingPro offers a comprehensive list of tips, with this particular stock having even more tips available. These tips can provide a deeper understanding of the investment opportunities and risks associated with Century Therapeutics. To access these and other valuable resources, consider using the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get an additional 10% off a yearly or biyearly Pro and Pro+ subscription.
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