Abstract 4561: Preclinical characterization of MT112/BAY 2010112, a novel PSMA/CD3-bispecific BiTE antibody for the treatment of prostate cancer

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has been frequently selected as target antigen for antibody-based therapy of prostate cancer. Here, we recombinantly constructed a PSMA/CD3-bispecific BiTE antibody, called MT112/BAY 2010112. The BiTE antibody was produced in Chinese hamster ovary cells as a secreted protein of 55 kDa, showing high serum and thermal stability. MT112/BAY 2010112, purified as homogenous monomeric protein, bound at low nanomolar concentrations to defined epitopes on PSMA and CD3 antigens of human and macaque origin, respectively. In cell culture studies bispecific binding of MT112/BAY 2010112 selectively redirected human T cells against several PSMA-positive human prostate cancer cell lines as well as PSMA cDNA-transfected cell lines and potently induced specific target cell lysis with EC50 values ranging from 1 to 50 pM using non-stimulated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells as effector cells. EC50 values correlated with the number of PSMA molecules on the cell surface ranging from 37,000-500,000 molecules per cell among the cell lines analyzed. The anti-tumor activity of MT112/BAY 2010112 was assessed in several SCID mouse models bearing subcutaneous xenografts derived from the human prostate cancer cell lines LNCaP, PC3 and 22Rv1. The BiTE antibody completely inhibited growth of tumors at doses as low as 0.005 mg/kg administered daily intravenously when human T cells and tumor cells were co-inoculated. Transient regression of tumors were observed in a model where human T cells were adoptively transferred into the peritoneal space of mice with subcutaneously established tumors. These data suggest that the PSMA/CD3-bispecific antibody MT112/BAY 2010112 has high therapeutic potential for treatment of prostate cancer. Its cross-reactivity with human and macaque PSMA and CD3 antigens will greatly facilitate assessment of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and safety during further pre-clinical development. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4561. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4561