SIRPant Immunotherapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of IND Application for SIRPant-MTM for the Treatment of Solid Tumors

HUMMELSTOWN, Pa., Dec. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SIRPant Immunotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company focusing on developing next-generation macrophage-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for the Company’s lead product candidate, SIRPant-M™, an autologous SIRPα low  activated macrophage therapy, to treat solid tumors. Eligible tumor types include, among others, head and neck cancer, non-melanoma skin cancers, bladder and kidney cancers, low-grade prostate cancer, triple-negative breast cancer and certain sarcomas. Earlier this year, the company cleared its first IND in Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL). 

“This second IND clearance in 2023 is a testimony not only to the SIRPant team’s ability to deliver on-time development milestones, but also to the broad potential scope of therapeutic opportunities for SIRPant-M TM  in multiple tumor types,” said Robert Towarnicki, President & CEO of SIRPant. “We look forward to progressing SIRPant-M TM  through clinical development and dosing the first patients in both the NHL and solid tumor trial in 2024.”

“A unique attribute of this IND is that it allows SIRPant-M™to be evaluated, in parallel, in both relapsed/refractory and pre-operative settings earlier in the disease trajectory,” said Jelle Kijlstra, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer of SIRPant. “Exploring SIRPant-M TM  in multiple therapeutic settings, in parallel rather than in sequence, allows for more expedient development as it enables us to establish more rapidly where this therapy has the highest potential in changing the lives of cancer patients.”

The Phase 1, multi-center clinical study is designed to evaluate the safety, determine the recommended dose for Phase 2, and assess preliminary anti-tumor activity in subjects with solid tumors that have progressed following available standard treatment, or for whom no standard treatment exists. Under the newly cleared IND, the Company plans to initiate clinical investigation of SIRPant-M TM  as a monotherapy and in combination with other immuno-stimulatory modalities such as radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors for the treatment of select solid tumor indications.
  
About SIRPant-M TM
SIRPant-M TM  is an autologous cancer-agnostic macrophage cell therapy manufactured using PhagoAct™, an advanced non-genetic method to activate and educate patients’ own macrophages for the recognition and elimination of cancerous cells. As a monotherapy or in combination with other immuno-stimulatory modalities such as radiotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors, SIRPant-M™acts by directly attacking cancerous cells, stimulating cancer neoantigen-specific cytotoxic T cells and antibodies, reducing immunosuppressive elements, and perpetuating a pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment that favors cancer elimination. By mobilizing other immune cells and promoting a multi-prong attack on cancer, SIRPant-M™targets established tumors and achieves persistent and durable immune memory that resists cancer relapse. SIRPant-M™is currently recruiting patients for a Phase 1 trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (R/R NHL, SI-101).

About SIRPant Immunotherapeutics, Inc.
SIRPant Immunotherapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company specializing in the development of next-generation macrophage-based immunotherapies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. The cell therapy technology SIRPant employs is based on the reduction of SIRPα expression combined with activation of the patient’s own macrophages. This population of SIRPαlow activated macrophages are designed to attack the tumor following injection by activating the patient’s immune system to produce broad spectrum anti-tumor activity that utilizes patient T-cells and antibodies targeting cancer neoantigens. Because SIRPant does not genetically engineer its cell therapies, the company believes its product candidates will be easier and less expensive to manufacture, with reduced toxicities, compared to current engineered cell therapies in the clinic, and may provide patients with meaningful clinical benefit. As a result, SIRPant-M TM  has a compelling product profile when compared to current gene-modified cell therapies. For more information, please visit  www.sirpantimmunotx.com.

Georgia Life Sciences Joins National Coalition Urging Congressional Action on Key Innovation Policies

December 10, 2025
Georgia Life Sciences has joined 43 state and regional life sciences organizations in signing a national Council of State Bioscience Associations (CSBA) letter calling on Congress to take immediate action on three bipartisan policy priorities that are essential to sustaining U.S. leadership in biomedical innovation and supporting patients nationwide. With Congress back in session and several critical programs at risk of expiring, the letter urges congressional leaders to advance the following provisions without delay: 1. Reauthorize the Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher (PPRV) Program The PPRV program has been instrumental in incentivizing the development of therapies for children with rare and life-threatening conditions. Its lapse threatens to slow or halt research that families across the country are counting on. 2. Extend the SBIR/STTR Programs The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide crucial early-stage capital for emerging biotech and medtech companies—many of them in Georgia. Without reauthorization, hundreds of innovative small businesses face uncertainty, jeopardizing new therapies, diagnostics, and technologies in the pipeline, 3. Advance PBM Transparency Reforms Greater transparency and accountability within pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices are needed to ensure that savings reach patients and employers. Reforming PBM operations is essential to strengthening access and affordability across the healthcare system. A Unified Message from the Life Sciences Community The sign-on letter reflects broad, bipartisan alignment across the national life sciences ecosystem: researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, patient advocates, and state associations all share a common message— these programs underpin America’s global competitiveness and are vital to patients who rely on continued scientific progress. Georgia Life Sciences has shared the letter with members of Georgia’s congressional delegation and will continue engaging with policymakers to emphasize the importance of swift action.

GLS Joins Georgia Partners in Calling for Federal PBM Reform

December 7, 2025
Georgia Life Sciences is proud to stand with patient advocates, providers, and employers across the state in urging Congress to take meaningful action on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform. We recently signed on to a joint letter to Georgia’s Congressional Delegation stressing the urgent need for transparency, fair practices, and policies that ensure savings flow directly to patients.

GLS’ President and CEO, Maria Thacker Goethe in December's issue of Georgia Trend

December 4, 2025
Georgia Life Sciences’ CEO, Maria Thacker Goethe shares her perspective on the value of Georgia’s research universities in this month’s issue of Georgia Trend. “Georgia research institutions have felt a very significant impact from the federal rollbacks, specifically in NIH and NSF funding. Thacker Goethe’s message about the impact of research cuts is simple: Disruption shatters the foundational trust researchers have in grant continuity….” To read the full article, click here .
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