The Development and GMP manufacture of adoptive T cell therapies Ryan Guest University of Manchester Cellular Therapeutics Unit
Overview T cell immunotherapy overview Origin of the University of Manchester CTU ATMP products & current clinical trials and treatments Associated toxicity & Challenges for the industry
T-cell receptor or CD3 complex Antigen presenting/tumour cell membrane Processed Tumour peptide in MHC CD3 -ε,-δ heterodimer α - chain & β - chain heterodimer Vα Vβ Variable binding domain for MHC-antigen recognition Cα Cβ T cell membrane Cytoplasmic signalling domain CD3ζ homodimer CD3-γ,-ε heterodimer
T-cell receptor & MHC complex Tumour cell membrane Vα Vβ Cα Cβ T cell membrane Induces T cell stimulation
Adoptive T cell Therapy for Cancer Expansion of tumour specific T cells (1) Natural anti-tumour T cells Collect T-cells from Patient (2) Engineered anti-tumour T cells T-cells returned to Patient
1 - Natural anti-tumour T cells for Therapy Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocytes TIL - 10 10-10 11 cells Re-infusion to conditioned patient Excised tumour Rapid expansion Proliferation of lymphocytes infiltrating tumour driven by cytokines Cells defrosted Cells frozen after culture (< 30 days) TIL - 10 7-10 8 cells
2 - Gene engineered - T cells for Therapy T-cell receptor gene therapy Antibody targeted T-cells CAR scfv (single chain variable fragment) Recombinant TCR α & β MHC + epitope Chimeric Antigen Receptor CD3 Signalling domain ± co-stimulatory domains
Gene engineered T cells for Therapy Collect T-cells from patient Re-infusion to conditioned patient Expansion of cells Genetic modification with viral vector Virus encoding TCR or CAR
A brief history of the UoM CTU. 1990 to 2003 UoM Prof Robert Hawkins Basic science immunotherapy of cancer 2007 to 2010 MFEz & acd19z Trials 2011 CTU MHRA IMP & MS licence 1 st patient treated Oct 2011 under MS special 2003 to 2006 MFEz & acd19z PD & PQ Dec 2008 to Feb 2010 CTU inception to opening
Cellular Therapeutic Unit - Objectives Continue existing Gene therapy T Cell trials Develop novel cell therapy treatments for cancer and other diseases Must be effective, flexible and safe systems of cell engineering 5 products simultaneously Develop and train staff Simple and effective Quality management system Modular processing methods that can be used across products MHRA IMP & MS specials licences
Cellular Therapeutics Unit (CTU) Move away from classical clean rooms Isolator technology controlled aseptic environment Protects patients cells from infection or contamination Allows rapid decontamination with vaporised hydrogen peroxide without chemical residues Allows multi product processing
Cellular Therapeutics Unit - Trials CAR - A Phase I Study of CD19 Specific T cells in CD19 Positive Malignancy Up to 20 patients open to recruitment 6/20 treated response in 3/6 TIL - METILDA - Randomised Phase II Study in Metastatic Melanoma to Evaluate the Efficacy of Adoptive Cellular Therapy with Tumour Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) and Interleukin-2 Dose Assessment Up to 90 patients Opened March 2014 with the EU FP7 ATTACK - consortium TCR - NY-ESO-1/LAGE-1 peptide expressed in a subset of tumours: [1] ATTACK Trial 1 - Oesophagogastric cancer single arm Up to 28 patients across Opened Sep 2014 [2] ATTACK Trial 2 - Metastatic melanoma Standard vs Optimised manufacturing Up to 42 patients Planned to open Q3 2015
Anti-CD19z CAR T cells Cell culture & expansion Cell infusion 5x10 9-5x10 10 cells Leukapheresis Patient Conditioning prior to infusion Cytokines support -14-13 -12-11 -10-9 -8-7 -6-5 -4-3 -2-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Transduction Assess: Cell expansion Transduction efficiency Monitoring Functionality assay 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Days in culture In patient
Adoptive T cell Therapy for Cancer: CAR immunotherapy anti-cd19 T cells
Natural T cell therapy - TIL TIL growth Patient eligibility report T-cell processing & expansion Cyclophosphamide 60mg/kg T-cell infusion 10 9 cells Tumour resection or Biopsy Thaw & Initiate REP Fludarabine 25mg/m 2 Interleukin-2 Up to 12 doses Day -X Day -X +14 to 30 Day -17-9 -8-7 -6-5 -4-3 -2-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu TIL expansion either expand immediately Or freeze Assess: Cell expansion Sterility Mycoplasma Monitoring Prophylaxis & GCSF 35±5 Days in culture
Adoptive T cell Therapy for Cancer: TIL Immunotherapy CTU manufactured cell therapy for Metastatic Melanoma in MS special Aug 2012 Patient response 24 months large mediastinal lymph node Cerebellar metastasis
Adoptive T cell Therapy for Cancer: TIL immunotherapy Before cell therapy 6 weeks after cell therapy CTU manufactured cell therapy for Metastatic Melanoma in MS special Jul 2013 Patient response 6+ weeks Sub cutaneous Lung Axillary disease
Adoptive T cell Therapy for Cancer: TIL immunotherapy: 6 MS specials patients Encouragingly all patients have had some tumour reduction so far
Synovial sarcoma Adoptive Therapy with: TCR Immunotherapy therapy - NY-ESO-1 Engineered T Cells. Baseline PET scan January 2, 2013 Day 101 April 19, 2013. Normal heart and tonsilar uptake
CAR service history No. of CAR protocols (NIH) September 2013 there were 111 protocols registered NIH - 104 of which targeted cancer, with more than 500 subjects dosed - 40 protocols address haematological malignancies & 34 targeting CD19 Key factors: - The target antigen is expressed on the cell surface - Good clinical evidence in CD19+ tumors at multiple centres Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay et al., Molecular Therapy, 22, 1564-1574
TIL immunotherapy TIL Isolation of TIL from tumour is complex and unpredictable Unknown target difficult to prove specific functionality trials using functional TIL did not correlate with efficacy TIL therapy Response in 40 to 50% of patients of which 20 to 35% CR Current theory highly mutated cancer > frequency of tumour specific T cells Michael Lawrence et al., Nature, 2013, 499, 214 218
TCR immunotherapy TCR HLA dependant - Patient must screen positive for HLA and antigen - High rate of screen fails i.e. HLA-A2 approx. 40% NY-ESO-1/LAGE-1 approx. 30-40% in Oesophago-Gastric cancer - 1 to 2 in every 10 screened Evidence of activity in: - Melanoma Response 9/18 (CR 4/18) - Synovial sarcoma Response 10/16 (CR 0/16) - Multiple myeloma Response 13/20 (CR N/A)
Toxicity associated with current T cell immunotherapy Systemic conditioning chemotherapy Systemic conditioning chemotherapy - lympho/neutropenia & sepsis IL-2 Pulmonary oedema/fevers/riggers Off target activity effects of cancer immunotherapy: TCR associated toxicity seen with high-avidity TCRs targeting off tumour epitope MART-1, GP-100, CEA & MAGE-A3 CAR associated off target toxicity Carbonic anhydrase (CA) IX - Bile duct CEA TIL vitiligo & uveitis Active therapy in bulky tumours Cytokine release syndrome Tumour lysis syndrome
Challenges for the industry Scale up to treat large numbers of patients Just in time manufacturing Shortage in manufacturing capability Labour intensive facilities and processes Secure supply of critical reagent & CoGs GMP vector for CAR & TCR therapy Shortage in manufacturing capability Cost barrier to do early phase trials Shortage of treatment centres Intensive chemotherapy High dose IL-2 management
ATTACK Multicentre Phase II 2 trials with up to 70 patients Trial 1 Single arm Oesophago/gastric cancer with n=28 patients Trial 2 - Melanoma 2 arm n=42 patients Centralised Production Manchester & Amsterdam Start Q3 2014
Scale up requires scheduled manufacturing & treatment NY-ESO-1 TCR T cells Phase II clinical trials Oseophago/Gastic cancer & Melanoma Frozen starting material Frozen product Cell infusion 5x10 9-1x10 11 cells Patient Conditioning prior to infusion Cytokines support Manufacturing, Quality control Cryopreservation Product release -7-6 -5-4 -3-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Monitoring 7 Several weeks manufacture 10 Days Release testing In patient
Future of manufacturing?...in the CAR industry To date less than 1,000 patients treated globally High value products & clinical results have lead to a movement from chemical drugs to biotherapeutics to ATMPs Huge increase in pharmaceutical interest Regulations have adapted to industry requirements (e.g.): - ATMP regulations - Multi product manufacturing - Risk management principles (ICH Q9) 1914 2014
CD19 trial timeline lack of experience as an industry May 05 Application to GTAC June 05 GTAC approval Mar 06 Tegenero Anti-CD28 trial Nov 06 Application to MHRA May 07 MHRA approval Oct 07 GMP acd19z process qualification complete May 07 GMP retrovirus available Mar 08 Christie R+D approval 2005 2006 2007 2008? 2012 Q4 11 CTU MHRA License approved 2011 2010 Q4 10 Q4 11 CTU acd19z GMP process Requalification & facility validation Nov 10 CTU refurbishment complete Mar 10 Study suspended NBS lab closure CTU established Oct 09 3rd patient treated Aug 09 2nd patient treated 2009 Jun 09 MHRA And GTAC approval Jan 09 1 st patient treated May 09 Major protocol amendment Submitted to MHRA and GTAC
NYESO-1 T cells better understanding EU Grant application April 2012 EU approval Q3/2012 CTL Process development OG Trial Protocol IMPD Feb/13 Delay Availability of virus GMP process validation (enough virus for 1 run) Nov 2013 Delay only due to contractual agreements 2011 2012 2013 2014 2018 2017 2016 2015 OG Trial ETHICS MHRA Approval Jun/13 OG Trial Trial OPEN Sep/14
Program Lead Robert Hawkins Cellular Therapeutics Unit Ryan Guest Natalia Kirilova Julie Duckworth - CTL Martine Thomas Fiona Baluwa - CTL GMP assays & GCLP Clinical Monitoring Group Dominic Rothwell Debbie Burt Experimental Cellular Therapy Group David Gilham Vicky Sheard Hannah Gornall Vania Baldan CTU Design & Implementation Ryan Guest Nikki Price - CTL Angela Osborne Clive Brooks Gavin Sutton Acknowledgements Clinical Cell Therapy Fiona Thistlethwaite Was Mansoor Kerry Dunn Michelle Davies Jenny Haughton Lorraine Turner Tracey Heslop Melanoma Group Paul Lorigan Jackie Hodgetts Christie Hospital Andrea Spencer-Shaw Rita Dowse Sponsor/Christie Clinical Trials Unit Ian Emerson Phil Barley Angela Ball GMP TIL manufacturing - Harmonisation Team Bianca Heemskerk NKI-AVL Joost vd Berg - NKI-AVL Marco Donia CCIT/Herlev Hospital Ryan Guest University of Manchester/Christie Research Management Nicola Price - CTL Helena Kondryn TIL Advisors Mark Dudley Michal Besser Surgeons Aali Sheen Ajith Siriwardena Mark Jones Piotr Krysiak David Sherlock Deemesh Oudit Gary Ross Vijay Ramani