Genocea Introduces GEN-011, a Transformational T cell Therapy Designed to Improve on Current Limitations of TIL Therapy

GEN-011 IND filing by end of Q2 with preliminary clinical data expected in 1H 2021

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 12, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Genocea Biosciences, Inc. (GNCA), a biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation neoantigen immunotherapies, hosted a KOL symposium today with Dr. Eric Tran, Assistant Member at the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute in the Providence Cancer Institute reflecting on the T cell therapy landscape, while Genocea provided an in-depth profile of GEN-011 – Genocea’s neoantigen cell therapy.

Genocea introduced data showing that GEN-011 embraces the advantages of TIL therapy while improving on its limitations. Using Genocea’s proprietary ATLAS™ platform, GEN-011 targets the right tumor neoantigens. Genocea has also established a robust, scalable manufacturing process, PLANET™, using peripheral blood T cells to ensure greater activity and durability for larger patient populations. Highlights include:

GEN-011 Advantages over TIL Therapy

• Unparalleled breadth of neoantigen coverage, targeting up to 30 relevant neoantigens with CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ memory T cells to overcome non-tumor specific “passenger” T cells that can expand during TIL manufacturing

• Avoids pro-tumor Inhibigens™ that may be detrimental to clinical response, which TIL therapy cannot avoid

• No extra surgery or viable tumor required

• Billions of neoantigen-specific T cells with proven cytolytic capacity derived from peripheral blood
  ο 89% of intended neoantigen targets are addressed with GEN-011 T cells compared with fewer than 10% in recently reported TIL data

• Non-exhausted cells with potential for superior activity and persistence

“In GEN-011, Genocea is creating a transformative ATLAS-enabled, peripheral blood-derived T cell therapy,” said Chip Clark, Genocea’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We believe the next-generation of T cell therapies should build on the successes that TIL-based approaches have shown to date, while realizing the opportunity to develop options for more patients living with cancer. We are eager to advance GEN-011, with an IND filing within Q2 and initial clinical data in the first half of 2021.”

KOL Symposium Webcast Replay
A replay of the KOL symposium webcast and presentation can be accessed by visiting the "Events and Presentations" tab of the investor relations section of the Genocea website at http://ir.genocea.com.

About Genocea Biosciences, Inc.
Genocea’s mission is to conquer cancer by developing personalized cancer immunotherapies in multiple tumor types. Our unique ATLAS™ platform comprehensively profiles each patient’s T cell responses to potential targets, or antigens, on the tumor. ATLAS enables us to optimize the neoantigens for inclusion in our immunotherapies and exclude inhibitory antigens that can exert an immunosuppressive effect. We are advancing two ATLAS-enabled programs: GEN-009, our neoantigen vaccine for which we are conducting a Phase 1/2a clinical trial and expect preliminary clinical results in the third quarter of 2020, and GEN-011, our neoantigen-specific cell therapy using T cells derived from peripheral blood, for which we intend to file an Investigational New Drug Application in the second quarter of 2020. To learn more, please visit www.genocea.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements relating to GEN-009 and GEN-011, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Genocea cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties that change over time. Applicable risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading "Risk Factors" included in Genocea's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and any subsequent SEC filings. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and Genocea assumes no duty to update forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

Investor Contact:
Dan Ferry
617-430-7576
daniel@lifesciadvisors.com