SPRING, Texas, July 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Io Therapeutics, Inc., presented today results from studies done in breast, lung, colorectal, and prostate cancer models with the company’s newest anti-cancer compound IRX5010, an agonist of retinoic acid nuclear receptor gamma which was discovered in the company’s oncology drug program. The presentation titled “RAR Gamma Agonist Compounds Promote Effector Memory Tumor Infiltrating T-cells and are Effective in Multiple Cancer Models”, which was delivered at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Seventh International Conference on Retinoids, being held in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; was authored by Vidyasagar Vuligonda, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer of the company and inventor of the compound; and Martin E. Sanders, M.D., the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

The presented studies showed that oral treatment with IRX5010 resulted in suppression of growth in mouse models of each of five types of the most prevalent and deadly cancers in humans, i.e. triple negative breast, Her-2 positive breast, non-small cell lung, colorectal, and prostate cancers. In all five models, treatment with IRX5010 induced tumor infiltrating effector memory phenotype T-lymphocytes associated with reduction in tumor growth. Treatment with IRX5010 did not directly impact growth of cancers cells in tissue cultures, indicating that the compound is not significantly directly toxic to cancer cells. The data support that the compound’s mechanism of anti-tumor activity is induction of cancer suppressive tumor-infiltrating T-lymphocytes, so called TILs, rather than direct toxic effects on the cancer cells. Orally administered drugs which induce TILs as a mechanism of action for treatment of cancers are being widely sought in the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Vuligonda stated, “These results disclose a new approach to potentially improving treatment of multiple types of serious cancers in humans using IRX5010 as monotherapy, or potentially in combination with other agents such as biologic checkpoint inhibitors, which also induce anti-cancer TIL responses. We are currently conducting preclinical combination studies of IRX5010 with other agents. We anticipate advancing IRX5010 as monotherapy, and as combination therapy other already available treatments, into clinical trials in multiple types of cancers.” Dr. Sanders stated, “IRX5010 has potential to be a new effective oral immunotherapeutic treatment for many types of currently inadequately treated human cancers, including the most common types of mortal cancers. In addition to IRX5010, Io Therapeutics has discovered multiple families of compounds targeting other retinoic acid nuclear receptors, which the company is developing as potential treatments for cancers, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune diseases.”

About Io Therapeutics:   Io Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held company headquartered in Spring, Texas.   More information on Io Therapeutics and its product development programs is available on the company’s web site: www.io-therapeutics.com

Forward Looking Statements: This new release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

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