EVEREST-1: A seamless phase 1/2 study of A2B530, a carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) logic-gated Tmod CAR T-cell therapy, in patients with solid tumors associated with CEA expression also exhibiting human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02 loss of heterozygosity (LOH).
Authors: Molina Julian R. , Simeone Diane M. , Smith Caleb Joshua , Welling Theodore H , Kirtane Kedar , Grierson Patrick , Morelli Maria Pia , Hecht J. Randolph , Patel Sandip Pravin , Locke Frederick L. , Weng Wen-Kai , Fakih Marwan , Vong Judy G. , Liechty Kirstin B. , Ng Eric Wai-Choi , Welch John Sutton , Maus Marcela Valderrama , Maloney David G. , Go William Y. , Punekar Salman Rafi 
Published: July 2024

TPS2698

Background: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies for treating solid tumors are challenging due to a lack of tumor-specific targets that discriminate cancer from normal cells. Previous studies using CEA T-cell receptors and T-cell engagers have resulted in dose-limiting, on-target, off-tumor toxicities (1,2). A2B530 is an autologous logic-gated, CEA-targeted Tmod CAR T-cell therapy that addresses the challenges of on-target, off-tumor toxicity by combining a CAR-activating receptor with a blocking receptor to discriminate tumor from normal cells (3). The activator recognizes CEA on the surface of both tumor and normal cells while specificity for tumor cells is provided by a blocker that binds HLA-A*02. In patients with both germline HLA-A*02 and tumor-associated HLA-A*02 LOH, the blocker prevents on-target, off-tumor toxicity on normal cells owing to retained HLA-A*02 expression (4). HLA-A*02 LOH can be detected using next-generation sequencing (Tempus AI, Inc.). With this definitive discriminator target, A2B530 can potentially provide a therapeutic window to treat patients with CEA-expressing solid tumors exhibiting HLA LOH. Methods: EVEREST-1 (NCT05736731) is a seamless, phase 1/2, open-label, nonrandomized study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of A2B530 in adult patients. Patients are enrolled through BASECAMP-1 (NCT04981119), a master prescreening study that identifies patients with HLA LOH at any time in the course of their disease. BASECAMP-1–eligible patients undergo leukapheresis and, when clinically appropriate, their banked T cells are manufactured for the EVEREST-1 study. The key inclusion criteria include histologically confirmed recurrent unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic cancers associated with CEA expression: non-small cell lung, colorectal, or pancreatic cancers. Patients should have received ≥1 line of prior therapy such as checkpoint inhibitor, molecular targeted, or chemotherapy. The primary objective of phase 1 is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of A2B530 and determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D). The dose-escalation portion is based on the Bayesian optimal interval design. The dose-expansion phase will confirm RP2D and collect biomarker data to further characterize A2B530. Phase 2 will assess overall response rate per RECIST v1.1. As of January 29, 2024, 8 patients have been enrolled on EVEREST-1. A2B530 was successfully manufactured for all patients, and all patients have received A2B530 infusion, with the first patient dosed in May 2023. Dose escalation is ongoing. 1. Parkhurst, et al. Mol Ther. 2022. 2. Tabernero, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2017. 3. Hamburger, et al. Mol Immunol. 2020. 4. Sandberg, et al. Sci Transl Med. 2022. Clinical trial information: NCT05736731 .