Gritstone Oncology Announces Upcoming Presentation on Novel Shared Neoantigens Included within "Off-The-Shelf" SLATE Immunotherapy at SITC 2019 Annual Meeting

EMERYVILLE, Calif., Oct. 07, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gritstone Oncology, Inc. GRTS, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapies to fight multiple cancer types, today announced that it will present the novel shared neoantigens included within its first SLATE product candidate at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Conference in National Harbor, MD. SLATE is an investigational "off-the-shelf" immunotherapy directed at shared tumor-specific neoantigens (TSNA), derived from gene mutations frequently observed in cancer patients.

Poster Presentation Details

About SLATE
SLATE is Gritstone's shared neoantigen ("off-the-shelf") immunotherapy. It is engineered to elicit a significant T-cell response (particularly CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells) against encoded TSNA. SLATE consists of two components, first a priming adenoviral vector followed by monthly boosting with an RNA vector, each containing the same 20 TSNA. These TSNA were identified by Gritstone using the EDGE artificial intelligence platform and tumor HLA peptide sequencing, and represent mutated gene sequences that are shared across patients (such as K-RAS mutations). Suitable patients must possess both the appropriate DNA mutation and, importantly, a relevant HLA type that can present the mutant sequence to the patient's T cells. For the first SLATE product candidate, it is estimated that approximately 12-13% of patients with colorectal and non-small cell lung cancer, and nearly 30% of pancreatic cancer patients may be eligible for treatment. Gritstone is continuing its research efforts to identify new TSNA which can enable the development of additional SLATE product candidates targeting different mutations and/or tumor types.  

About Gritstone Oncology
Gritstone Oncology GRTS, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, is developing the next generation of cancer immunotherapies to fight multiple cancer types. Gritstone develops its products by leveraging two key pillars—first, a proprietary machine learning-based platform, Gritstone EDGE™, which is designed to predict, from a routine tumor biopsy, the tumor-specific neoantigens (TSNA) that are presented on a patient's tumor cells; and second, the ability to develop and manufacture potent immunotherapies utilizing patients' TSNA to potentially drive the patient's immune system to specifically attack and destroy tumors. The company's lead product candidate, GRANITE, is a personalized neoantigen-based immunotherapy in Phase 1 clinical testing. Gritstone's second product candidate, SLATE, is a shared neoantigen, "off-the-shelf" immunotherapy which is also being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical study. Novel tumor-specific antigens can also provide targets for bispecific antibody (BiSAb) therapeutics for solid tumors, and Gritstone's BiSAb program is currently in lead optimization. For more information, please visit gritstoneoncology.com.

Gritstone Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements related to the potential of Gritstone's therapeutic programs. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause Gritstone's research and clinical development programs, future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainties inherent in the drug development process, including Gritstone's programs' early stage of development, the process of designing and conducting preclinical and clinical trials, the regulatory approval processes, the timing of regulatory filings, the challenges associated with manufacturing drug products, Gritstone's ability to successfully establish, protect and defend its intellectual property and other matters that could affect the sufficiency of existing cash to fund operations. Gritstone undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. For a further description of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of the company in general, see Gritstone's most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on August 12, 2019 and any current and periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contacts
Media:
Dan Budwick
1AB
(973) 271-6085
dan@1abmedia.com

Investors:
Alexandra Santos
Wheelhouse Life Science Advisors
(510) 871-6161
asantos@wheelhouselsa.com