Mink Therapeutics (INKT) H.C. Wainwright 26th Annual Global Investment Conference 2024 summary

Pipeline overview and development status

• Focus on off-the-shelf invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell therapies bridging innate and adaptive immunity, with both native and engineered cell programs in development.

• Lead program agenT-797 is in phase II trials for second-line gastric cancer and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), targeting diseases with high unmet need and poor survival rates.

• Engineered CAR-iNKT therapy MiNK-215 is in preclinical development, with IND filing planned for early 2025, targeting FAP-expressing solid tumors.

• New investor partnership has accelerated MiNK-215 advancement, with clinical trial initiation expected soon after IND filing.

Scientific and manufacturing differentiation

• iNKT cells combine rapid innate response with durable adaptive memory, can home to hostile tissue sites, and are effective in hard-to-treat metastatic settings.

• Invariant TCR allows use of donor iNKT cells in unrelated patients without risk of graft versus host disease, eliminating need for genetic engineering.

• Proprietary antibody technology enables high-purity isolation and large-scale manufacturing, achieving over 99.6% purity and hundreds of billions of cells per donor.

• Cells retain function after cryopreservation and can be distributed globally, supporting trials across multiple continents.

Clinical trial design and early results

• Phase II gastric cancer trial is a randomized study with induction and combination arms, including iNKT cells plus standard chemotherapy and a multi-drug combo with botensilimab and PD-1.

• Enrollment is ongoing, with early cohorts showing promising activity and tolerability; data presentation planned for late 2024 or early 2025.

• Phase I data showed durable disease stabilization and a notable partial response in a heavily pretreated gastric cancer patient, attributed to iNKT cell therapy.

• Standard of care in second-line gastric cancer yields response rates under 22% and median survival of 4–10 months, highlighting unmet need.