Intra-Cellular Therapies Presents Data on Antitumor Effects of Phosphodiesterase I Inhibition in a Preclinical Colorectal Cancer Model at the 2021 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting

Our research has demonstrated that the phosphodiesterase type 1 (PDE1) enzyme modulates the immune system by reducing macrophage and microglial activity with demonstrated effects in neuroinflammatory conditions, cancer and cardiac diseases.

Preclinical findings describing the antitumor effects of PDE1 Inhibitors when administered in conjunction with checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy are being presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) virtual annual meeting.

Our PDE1 platform consists of a portfolio of PDE I inhibitors that are being developed for cancer and other diseases.

NEW YORK, April 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITCI) today announced a poster presentation on its PDE1 inhibitor program at the ongoing 2021 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting, which is being held from April 10 - 15, 2021. Details of the poster presentation are as follows:

Title: Effects of ITI-214, a Potent and Selective Phosphodiesterase Type 1 Inhibitor, on Tumor Myeloid Cellular Composition, Tumor Volume and Survival in Mouse Models of Colorectal Cancer When Combined with an Anti-PD-1 Checkpoint Inhibitor (Poster 1243).
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Novel Antitumor Agents

The poster describes results from preclinical studies demonstrating that the Company’s selective PDE1 inhibitor, lenrispodun (ITI-214), alters the tumor microenvironment and exhibits compelling anti-tumor activity when combined with a programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibitor in an animal model of colorectal cancer.

In previous studies we have shown the ability of our PDE1 inhibitors to reduce neuroinflammation. In these studies we discovered a novel intracellular pathway by which the PDE1 enzyme controls the functions of certain immune cells called microglia (brain resident macrophage-like cells). We have shown that inhibition of the activity of these cells by PDE1 inhibitors reduces inflammation in the brain (O’Brien et al., 2018).

Based on our understanding of the role of PDE1 in regulating the function of microglia and macrophages, we hypothesized that PDE1 inhibitors would block the recruitment of immunosuppressive cells (macrophages, monocytes) into the tumor microenvironment (TME) of certain cancers. By inhibiting PDE1, host immune responses may be potentiated leading to inhibition of tumor growth.