OncoHost Develops Predictive Biomarker for Immune-Related Adverse Events in NSCLC Patients

Original source here.

OncoHost, a technology company transforming the approach to precision medicine for improved patient outcomes, has developed a novel computational model for predicting significant immune-related adverse events (irAEs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on proteomic profiling of pre-treatment blood samples.

The study was conducted using OncoHost’s PROphet platform and will be presented as a poster at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) 38th Annual Meeting.

Activation of the immune system by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) can result in complications known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs), which commonly affect the skin, liver, gastrointestinal tract, and endocrine organs, ranging in severity from mild (in the majority of cases) to life-threatening, according to the company. IrAEs can manifest at any point during a patient’s treatment, with the highest incidence occurring within the first three months. While most resolve with the appropriate intervention, some may become chronic and require lifelong care.

“While ICIs have shown success in treating non-small cell lung cancer, immune-related adverse events pose a complex challenge, complicating and affecting treatment efficacy and patients’ quality of life,” says Yehonatan Elon, PhD, chief technology officer at OncoHost. “The ability to anticipate the risk of irAEs in these patients prior to commencing treatment is a game-changer, as it enables the development of personalized management plans and strategies for risk reduction. We are excited about these results and look forward to improving the overall quality of cancer care for patients worldwide.”

OncoHost’s predictive model was developed on a cohort of 426 ICI-treated NSCLC patients taking part in the company’s ongoing, multicenter PROPHETIC clinical trial (NCT04056247). Plasma samples and clinical data, including irAE occurrence, were collected, and deep proteomic profiling was conducted using SomaLogic’s SomaScan platform, measuring the expression levels of approximately 7,000 proteins.

“It brings me great pride to witness the growth of our company, and the vast pipeline of indications that are coming to fruition through our PROphet platform,” says Ofer Sharon, MD, CEO of OncoHost. “Our mission is to transform the approach to precision medicine for improved patient outcomes, and our scientific achievements are a testament to this dedication. The pressing concern regarding the lack of dependable pre-treatment biomarkers for predicting irAE development underscores a critical clinical need, and we are proud to spearhead the efforts to address this issue.”

The clinical study was conducted in collaboration with Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre, Asklepios Lung Clinic, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sheba Medical Center Institute of Oncology, Rabin Medical Davidoff Cancer Centre, Thomas Jefferson University, Northwestern University, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, among other institutions.