Lewis Bender, CEO of Intensity Therapeutics, discusses the company’s intratumoral drug delivery approach.
On Technology Platform
Q: Can you explain Intensity’s approach?
Lewis Bender: Intratumoral injection allows us to achieve high local drug concentrations while minimizing systemic exposure. By delivering therapy directly into tumors, we can potentially improve both efficacy and tolerability compared to systemic administration.
Our platform technology enables controlled release of drugs within the tumor microenvironment, maintaining therapeutic concentrations over time.
On Clinical Progress
Q: Where are your programs in development?
Lewis Bender: We have multiple clinical programs advancing in solid tumors. Our lead program has shown encouraging response rates in patients with limited treatment options. We are also initiating combination studies that could further enhance efficacy.
On Combination Potential
Q: How do you think about combinations?
Lewis Bender: We see significant opportunity in combining our intratumoral approach with checkpoint inhibitors and other immunotherapies. Intratumoral injection can turn a “cold” tumor “hot” by triggering local inflammation and immune cell infiltration.
Early combination data has been promising, and we are designing additional studies to explore this potential.
On Market Opportunity
Q: What is the addressable market?
Lewis Bender: Injectable solid tumors represent a significant opportunity. Many tumors are accessible for injection either directly or via image guidance. As our technology matures, the addressable market will continue to expand to additional tumor types and settings.