Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) has announced that it will be acting as one of the lead institutions for a novel multi-center clinical study of anti-VISTA antibody. The medical institution is now looking to recruit new patients for enrollment in this trial.

According to sources, this is a Phase I trial of CI-8993, an anti-VISTA antibody, in patients between the age group of 20-40 years with advanced solid tumors. Apparently, VISTA comes as a checkpoint regulator whose main role is to stop the activation of the immune system to self-antigens like creating cancer cells. The presence of VISTA is strong in numerous tumor types such as lung, prostate and pancreatic cancer.

Trial coordinators are planning to admit almost 50 patients across multiple participating cancer facilities. However, NCCC will be the first to start the study, which is scheduled to have three to six patient slots for every dose level. Cohorts are also accepting patients with unresectable or metastatic solid tumors that have relapsed to previous therapy and fulfill certain criteria.

Reportedly, the phase I trials aim to determine the tolerability and safety of experimental therapies as well as document any initial signs of potential anti-cancer activity. Moreover, the primary outcome measures of this study involve identifying both the recommended Phase 2 dose of CI-8993 and the maximum tolerated dose.

Speaking on the move, Jason Faris, MD, Director of the Initial-Phase Studies Program at NCCC and Principal Investigator of Phase I trial of CI-8993 for NCCC, said that the VISTA comes as a protein with peak levels of expression in specific immune cells like the ones which are present near or in tumors with repressed T-cell activation.

VISTA’s discovery and the subsequent amount of work done by Dartmouth researchers offer a compelling foundation for future evaluation. The Institute is delighted to gain such an exciting opportunity to take part in the groundbreaking Phase I trial of CI-8993, said Faris.

Source Credit: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/dmc-cto100720.php