• New Mechanistic Insights Underscore Multiple Potential Roles for Elraglusib as an Immune Modulator in the treatment of Neuroblastoma
  
• Study Illustrates Potential to Activate the Immune System Even in Cancers That Have Not Previously Responded to Checkpoint Inhibitors

CHICAGO and FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Actuate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACTU) (“Actuate” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on developing therapies for the treatment of high-impact, difficult-to-treat cancers through the inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β), announced the Scientific Reports publication of novel mechanistic data for its development candidate, elraglusib.

The article, entitled, “Targeted inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase‑3 using 9‑ING‑41 (elraglusib) enhances CD8 T‑cell‑reactivity against neuroblastoma cells” is available online.

“The mechanistic data published in Scientific Reports provides crucial evidence of elraglusib’s ability to enhance activation of the immune system by tumor cells,” said Daniel Schmitt, President & Chief Executive Officer of Actuate. “By improving antigen presentation and enhancing the activation of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, we are paving the way for more effective immunotherapeutic strategies including combinations of elraglusib with checkpoint inhibitors.” Using neuroblastoma, which is typically refractory to checkpoint inhibitors, as a model system, these findings illustrate the potential to activate the immune system even in cancers that have not previously responded to checkpoint inhibitors and underscore elraglusib’s potential as a highly innovative treatment for challenging cancers.

The summary of key mechanistic findings:

• Elraglusib significantly enhances MHC-I molecule surface expression of neuroblastoma cells, improving their recognition by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs)
• Treatment with elraglusib leads to the disruption of NK-κB signaling, a key contributor to tumor cell survival, promoting cancer cell apoptosis and reducing treatment resistance
• Elraglusib boosts IFNγ signaling through the JAK/STAT pathway, particularly STAT1, which further supports improved antigen presentation and immune response
• When combined with an anti-PD-1 treatment, elraglusib boosted CD8+ T cell proliferation and activation by neuroblastoma cells, showing potential for further development of these tumor immune response enhancing therapeutics.

“Despite the clinical benefit observed with checkpoint inhibitors in many advanced cancer types, the majority of patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors fail to respond,” said Dr. Andrew Mazar, Actuate’s Scientific Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer. “The ability to enhance immunogenicity in a tumor such as neuroblastoma that is not unrecognized by the immune system, holds therapeutic promise for neuroblastoma patients and could potentially be translated for the treatment of other immunologically cold tumors as well.”

Elraglusib is currently being evaluated in Phase 2 Trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer (NCT03678883) and Phase 1/2 Trial (NCT04239092) in Ewing Sarcoma (EWS) and EWS-related sarcomas.

About Actuate Therapeutics, Inc.

Actuate is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for the treatment of high-impact, difficult-to-treat cancers. Actuate’s lead investigational drug product, elraglusib (a novel GSK-3β inhibitor), targets molecular pathways in cancer that are involved in promoting tumor growth and resistance to conventional cancer drugs such as chemotherapy including EMT, NF-kB-mediated resistance and several DDR pathways. Elraglusib also acts as a mediator of anti-tumor immunity through the inhibition of NF-kB in immune cells and regulates multiple immune checkpoints and immune cell function. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at http://www.actuatetherapeutics.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements about us, including our clinical trials and development plans, and our industry. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements, other than statements related to present facts or current conditions or of historical facts, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Accordingly, these statements involve estimates, assumptions, substantial risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them, including but not limited to that clinical and preclinical drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with uncertain timelines and outcomes, results of prior preclinical studies and early clinical trials are not necessarily predictive of future results, and elraglusib may not achieve favorable results in clinical trials or preclinical studies or receive regulatory approval on a timely basis, if at all; that we may not successfully enroll additional patients or establish or advance plans for further development; that elraglusib could be associated with side effects, adverse events or other properties or safety risks, which could delay or preclude regulatory approval, cause us to suspend or discontinue clinical trials or result in other negative consequences; our reliance on third parties to conduct our non-clinical studies and our clinical trials; our reliance on third-party licensors and ability to preserve and protect our intellectual property rights; that we face significant competition from other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies; and our ability to fund development activities. In addition, any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our final prospectus filed with the SEC on August 13, 2024 pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) under the Securities Act with respect to our Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-279734) and other filings with the SEC. Because the risk factors referred to above could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Unless legally required, we do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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