Medigene AG: Poster presentations at AACR 2021 Annual Meeting

Planegg/Martinsried (10.03.2021) - Medigene AG (Medigene, FSE: MDG1, Prime Standard), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company focusing on the development of T cell immunotherapies, will present two posters at the American Association for Cancer Research Virtual Annual Meeting (AACR) 2021 being held on 10-15 April 2021.

The work relates to two of Medigene's preclinical research programs including the collaborative project with the Université de Montréal evaluating T cell responses to tumor-specific target antigens derived from non-coding regions of the genome and another project focused on the in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity of T cells carrying a PRAME-specific T cell receptor (TCR) and the PD1-41BB switch receptor.

The full-length abstracts for the research to be presented at the meeting have been published online today at https://www.aacr.org/meeting/aacr-annual-meeting-2021/abstracts/ and posters will be available online on 10 April 2021.

Poster details

# 1520 Targetable immunogenic tumor specific antigens can be identified in non-coding regions of the genome

Tiziana Franceschetti, Qingchuan Zhao, Krystel Vincent, Claude Perreault, Slavoljub Milosevic, and Daniel Sommermeyer

Session details: Immunology; Adoptive Cell Therapy; E-Poster

# 1521 Combining a PRAME-specific TCR showing potent in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor reactivity and a favorable preclinical safety profile with a PD1-41BB switch receptor results in highly efficient T cells

Ina Fetzer, Nadja Sailer, Melanie Salvermoser, Manon Weis, Christian Krendl, Maja Bürdek, Doris Brechtefeld, Isabella Rampp, Julian Rydzek-Wiesner, Monika Braun, Christian Ellinger, Christiane Geiger, Daniel Sommermeyer, Susanne Wilde

Session details: Immunology; Adoptive Cell Therapy; E-Poster

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About Medigene

Medigene AG (FSE: MDG1, Prime Standard, ISIN DE000A1X3W00) is a publicly listed biotechnology company headquartered in Martinsried near Munich, Germany. The company is developing highly innovative immunotherapies to target various forms and stages of cancer. Medigene concentrates on the development of personalized T cell-based therapies, with associated projects currently in pre-clinical and clinical development.

For more information, please visit www.medigene.com

About Medigene's TCR-Ts

TCR-T technology arms a patient's own T cells with tumor-specific T cell receptors. The T cell receptor-modified T cells (TCR-T cells) are then able to detect and efficiently kill tumor cells. This immunotherapy approach attempts to overcome the patient's tolerance towards cancer cells and tumor-induced immunosuppression by activating and modifying the patient's T cells outside the body (ex vivo).

Medigene is conducting a Phase I/II clinical trial of its TCR-T candidate MDG1011 in the blood cancer indications AML and MDS. In addition, Medigene is establishing a pipeline of TCRs and has collaborations with bluebird bio, Inc. and Cytovant Sciences HK Ltd. addressing solid tumor indications.

About Medigene's PD1-41BB switch receptor

Checkpoint inhibition via PD1-PDL1 pathway: Solid tumor cells are known to be sensitive to killing by activated T cells. Tumor cells can escape this killing activity by expressing inhibitory molecules, so-called 'checkpoint proteins', such as Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) on their surface. When this occurs, activated T cells which express PD-1, the natural receptor for PD-L1, are inactivated. The expression of PD-L1 by tumors represents an adaptive immune resistance mechanism that can lead to tumor survival and growth.

The 4-1BB co-stimulatory signaling pathway: Effective T cell immune responses to antigens typically require costimulatory signals to be received alongside the primary antigenic stimulation via the T cell receptor (TCR). The intracellular signaling domains of the 4-1BB protein offer a well-characterized pathway to positively enhance T cell responses.

Medigene's PD1-41BB switch receptor takes advantage of the binding of PD-1 on the T cells to PD-L1 on tumors. In the switch receptor, the inhibitory signaling domain of PD-1 has been substituted with the activating signaling domain of 4-1BB. As a result, the switch receptor then delivers an activating signal to the TCR-T cells (not the usual inhibitory signal of PD-1). This enables the PD1-41BB-modified TCR-T cells to proliferate strongly in the presence of PD-L1-positive tumor cells and to mediate greater killing of tumor cells upon repeated exposure. Additionally, signals mediated through the switch receptor also enhance metabolic fitness of TCR-T cells, enabling better function in conditions of low levels of glucose or high levels of the immunosuppressive factor TGFß, two conditions that are characteristic of strongly hostile tumor microenvironments.

This press release contains forward-looking statements representing the opinion of Medigene as of the date of this release. The actual results achieved by Medigene may differ significantly from the forward-looking statements made herein. Medigene is not bound to update any of these forward-looking statements. Medigene® is a registered trademark of Medigene AG. This trademark may be owned or licensed in select locations only.

Medigene

Dr. Gary Waanders, Dr. Anna Niedl

Phone: +49 89 2000 3333 01

e-mail: [email protected]

LifeSci Advisors

Mary-Ann Chang

Phone: +44 7483 284 853

e-mail: [email protected]

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emitter: Medigene AG

address: Lochhamer Straße 11, 82152 Planegg/Martinsried

country: Germany

contact person: Medigene PR/IR

phone: +49 89 2000 3333 01

e-mail: [email protected]

website: www.medigene.de

ISIN(s): DE000A1X3W00 (share)

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