Navrogen Announces Publication on the CA125-Refractory NAV-006 Ab Treatment of Immunosuppressed Follicular Lymphoma

Navrogen Inc Announces Publication on the CA125-Refractory NAV-006 Antibody for the Treatment of Immunosuppressed Follicular Lymphoma

CHEYNEY, PA, UNITED STATES, May 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Cheyney, PA, May, 5 2025 - Navrogen, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company specialized in developing antibody-based therapies for cancer, announces today a publication titled “Bypassing the Immunosuppressive Effects of CA125/MUC16 Via Re-engineered Rituximab (NAV-006) to Improve Its Antitumor Activity In Vivo”. The Article describes the negative impact that the Humoral Immuno-Oncology (HIO) factor CA125 has on a number of commercially-approved monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), such as rituximab, obinutuzumab and tafasitamab, as well as T-cell engager (TCE) antibodies, like mosunetuzumab and glofitamab, on follicular lymphoma cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the study provides details on the in vivo efficacy of the CA125-refractory NAV-006 vs. parental rituximab against B-cell lymphoma. The publication is presented in the international peer-reviewed journal Antibody Therapeutics and can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1093/abt/tbaf008.

Discovery highlights of the publication identify the broad immunosuppressive effect that CA125, which is overexpressed in more than 40% of patients with newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma, has on anti-CD19 and anti-CD20 mAb cytotoxicity against B-cell lymphoma. These suppressive mechanisms appear to be caused by direct binding of CA125 to the antibody CDR3-FW4 heavy chain domain that in turn suppresses its ability to effectively engage with the immune effector components C1q and CD16a Fc--receptor on immune effector cells to initiate complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) or antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), respectively. The study also found that CA125 can significantly reduce anti-CD20:CD3 TCE cytotoxicity against target cells via an unknown mechanism. Moreover, the published data also demonstrate how CA125 can significantly suppress rituximab’s in vivo therapeutic activity by 20-25%, which is overcome by NAV-006 in a mouse model of human B-cell lymphoma. Findings from these studies have been implemented to design a clinical trial to monitor the efficacy of NAV-006 vs. other anti-CD20 agents in patients with CA125-postive R/R large B-cell lymphoma.

About Navrogen
Navrogen is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery of tumor-produced Humoral Immuno-Oncology (HIO) factors that are associated with suppressed humoral immunity, poor prognosis and limited therapeutic response of immune-mediated anti-cancer therapies. The company’s mission is to develop best and first-in-class agents that can overcome the immunosuppressive effects of HIO factors by employing its proprietary screening and engineering technologies as well as diagnostic assays that can identify patients whose tumors produce HIO factors to advise physicians on therapeutic options. For more information, please visit www.navrogen.com.

Contacts:
Nicholas Nicolaides, President and Chief Executive Officer
+1 610-399-2717
nick@navrogen.com

Steven Kyriakos, VP of Finance and Operations
Navrogen, Incorporated
+1 610-399-2718
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