SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., March 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lyell Immunopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: LYEL), a clinical‑stage T-cell reprogramming company advancing a diverse pipeline of cell therapies for patients with solid tumors, announced that three abstracts of new nonclinical data have been accepted for presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024 taking place in San Diego, CA, April 5-10.

One oral and two poster presentations will highlight data from Lyell’s product pipeline and research programs, including:

• An oral presentation on Lyell’s rejuvenation technology which has shown the potential to turn back the epigenetic clock to generate more stem-like T cells with reduced epigenetic age and enhanced proliferation ability
• A poster presentation of nonclinical data on LYL119, Lyell’s second-generation ROR1-targeted CAR T-cell product candidate
• A poster presentation on technology being advanced through a collaboration between Lyell and Outpace to enable tumor-restricted IL-12 activity to enhance solid tumor T cell therapies
  

Details on the presentations are below.

An oral presentation titled “Rejuvenation of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes: A novel strategy to revitalize TIL antitumor function for cell therapy” will highlight Lyell’s rejuvenation technology which has shown the potential to generate T cells with reduced epigenetic age, more stem-like properties and enhanced proliferation ability. Previously published studies have demonstrated the decline in T-cell function as a person ages. These new nonclinical data show tumor infiltrating lympyocytes (TIL) rejuvenated with Lyell’s technology retain a broad T-cell receptor repertoire and demonstrate sustained proliferation and improved antitumor activities in vivo.

Presentation details:

• Session Date/Time: Tuesday Apr 9, 2024 2:30 PM - 4:30 PM
• Abstract Number: 6593
• Session Category: Immunology
• Session Title: New Insights for Therapies Modulating Antitumor T-Cell Responses

New nonclinical data on LYL119, Lyell’s second-generation ROR1-targeted CAR T-cell therapy, will be presented in a poster titled “LYL119, a Preclinical ROR1-Targeted CAR T-Cell Product Incorporating Four Novel Reprogramming Technologies Designed for Effective Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors.” LYL119 incorporates four of Lyell’s complementary, stackable T-cell reprogramming technologies and is designed to create potent ROR1-targeted CAR T cells with durable function. In this study, LYL119 demonstrated superior in vivo antitumor efficacy in a mouse xenograft tumor model across a 10-fold dose range, including at very low cell doses. In addition, following repeated rounds of tumor cell killing, LYL119, displayed reduced expression of exhaustion-related gene signatures and retained unique cell subsets characterized by upregulation of memory and effector-associated gene signatures.

Presentation details: 

• Session Date and Time: Sunday Apr 7, 2024 1:30 PM - 5:00 PM
• Abstract Number: 49
• Session Category: Immunology
• Session Title: Adoptive Cell Therapies 2: CAR-T Cells

A poster presentation titled “Development of Tumor-restricted IL-12 With Antigen-dependent Expression and Localized IL-12 Activity” highlights an innovative tumor-restricted IL-12 (trIL-12) technology that delivers potent IL-12 stimulation at the tumor site while avoiding systemic exposure. IL-12 is an immune-stimulatory cytokine that can induce potent anti-tumor activity, but unregulated systemic delivery of IL-12 has been shown to have a limited therapeutic window. trIL-12 was designed leveraging Outpace’s OUTSMART™ technology to rapidly auto-inactivate IL-12 after inducible secretion from engineered T cells with the aim of achieving safe, local delivery of IL-12 activity in the tumor microenvironment. trIL-12 is being advanced under a collaboration between Lyell and Outpace with the goal of improving efficacy for T-cell therapies by harnessing the therapeutic potential of IL-12.

Presentation details: 

• Session Date and Time: Tuesday Apr 9, 2024 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
• Abstract Number: 4067
• Session Category: Immunology
• Session Title: Immune Modulation with Cytokines
  

About Lyell Immunopharma, Inc.

Lyell is a clinical-stage T-cell reprogramming company advancing a diverse pipeline of cell therapies for patients with solid tumors. Lyell is currently enrolling a Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating a ROR1-targeted CAR T-cell therapy in patients with relapsed refractory triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a second Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating reprogrammed tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in patients with advanced melanoma, NSCLC and colorectal cancer. The technologies powering its product candidates are designed to address barriers that limit consistent and long-lasting responses to cell therapy for solid tumors: T-cell exhaustion and lack of durable stemness, which includes the ability to persist and self-renew to drive durable tumor cytotoxicity. Lyell is applying its proprietary ex vivo genetic and epigenetic reprogramming technologies to address these barriers in order to develop new medicines with improved durable clinical outcomes. Lyell is based in South San Francisco, California with facilities in Seattle and Bothell, Washington. To learn more, please visit www.lyell.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements expressed or implied in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: Lyell’s anticipated progress, business plans, business strategy and planned research and clinical trials; the growing pipeline and potential clinical benefits and therapeutic potential of Lyell’s product candidates and reprogramming technologies; Lyell’s collaboration with Outpace Bio and the potential to enable tumor-restricted IL-12 activity to enhance solid tumor T cell therapies and improve efficacy for T-cell therapies while maintaining a favorable safety profile; the potential for Lyell’s stackable T-cell reprogramming technologies to create potent ROR1-targeted CAR T cells with durable function; the potential for Lyell’s rejuvenation technology to turn back the epigenetic clock to generate more stem-like T cells with reduced epigenetic age and enhanced proliferation ability; and other statements that are not historical fact. These statements are based on Lyell’s current plans, objectives, estimates, expectations and intentions, are not guarantees of future performance and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties, which include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties related to: macroeconomic conditions geopolitical instability; Lyell’s ability to submit planned INDs or initiate and execute clinical trials on the anticipated timelines, if at all; Lyell’s limited experience as a company in enrolling and conducting clinical trials, and lack of experience in completing clinical trials; potential delays or difficulties in enrolling or retaining patients in our current and planned clinical trials, including as a result of any of our competitors obtaining regulatory approval before us in the same therapeutic areas as our product candidates; Lyell’s ability to manufacture and supply its product candidates for its clinical trials; the nonclinical profiles of Lyell’s product candidates not translating in clinical trials; the potential for results from clinical trials to differ from preclinical, early clinical, preliminary or expected results; significant adverse events, toxicities or other undesirable side effects associated with Lyell’s product candidates; the significant uncertainty associated with Lyell’s product candidates ever receiving any regulatory approvals; Lyell’s ability to obtain or maintain orphan drug designation for its product candidates or to take advantage of the benefits associated with such designation; Lyell’s ability to obtain, maintain or protect intellectual property rights related to its product candidates; the sufficiency of Lyell’s capital resources and need for additional capital to achieve its goals; and other risks, including those described under the heading “Risk Factors” in Lyell’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on February 28, 2024. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of this date, and Lyell undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.

Contact:

Ellen Rose
Senior Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations
erose@lyell.com