14 July 2021 - - US-based clinical-stage company AVM biotechnology has received US FDA permission to modify its ongoing clinical study, AVM0703-001, entitled "The WWRD Study: AVM0703 for Treatment of Leukemia or Lymphoma," the company said.

The initial protocol, a 3 x 3-based design, called for dose escalation of 3 mg/kg for each of the six cohorts, ranging from 6 mg/kg to 21 mg/kg, with a minimum of three patients per cohort as part of an adaptive-design/expansion cohort trial.

The approved protocol modification involves the elimination of three of the cohorts and reduction of the interval between cohorts.

Eliminating the 9, 12 and 15 mg/kg dose requirements and moving directly to the anticipated effective clinical dose of 18 mg/kg is important for this study.

Preclinical research and compassionate use data indicate 18-21 mg/kg will be the target effective dose for the expansion phase of the study.

Bypassing the intermediate dose levels should accelerate completion of the dose-escalation part of the study, enabling the efficacy portion to commence immediately thereafter, much sooner than planned.

Clinical experience has shown the drug to be well tolerated with mild and self-limiting side effects. Patients have reported feeling "great." The emerging safety profile is promising, to treat these seriously ill patients.

A single dose of AVM0703 triggers the rapid activation and mobilization of novel gamma delta positive Natural Killer T cells.

NKT cells exhibit properties of both innate and adaptive immunity. AVM-NKT cells home to abnormal cells including cancer and autoreactive lymphocytes sparing platelets, red blood cells and stem cells.

These unique AVM-NKT cells could play a significant role in addressing several serious conditions, including various types of cancer and autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes.

Preclinical data also indicate AVM0703 can be synergistic with chemotherapy, allowing total cycles of chemotherapy to be reduced while maintaining patient response, thus significantly impacting patient quality of life, treatment compliance, and secondary complications from cancer treatment.

AVM biotechnology is a clinical-stage company advancing AVM0703 in Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma/Leukemia as an initial indication as well as autoimmune diseases and other indications.

While planning for a direct commercial launch of AVM0703, the company is also developing the AVM-NKT as an 'off-the-shelf' cell therapy product with broad applications. Strategic partnerships are being explored.

AVM biotechnology's mission is to develop and deliver treatments that save lives and improve outcomes by unlocking the untapped potential of the body's own immune system.