Genprex (NASDAQ:GNPX), a clinical-stage gene therapy company, announced today that its collaborators presented compelling preclinical data for its lead drug candidate, Reqorsa® (quaratusugene ozeplasmid), at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026.
The findings suggest that Reqorsa may play a pivotal role in treating ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly in cases where standard targeted therapies have failed.
The data highlighted the synergy between Reqorsa and the ALK inhibitor alectinib.
In an ALK-positive sensitive model, the combination therapy resulted in 79% tumor shrinkage (p=0.0135).
More significantly, in models specifically engineered to be resistant to alectinib, the combination produced synergistic tumor reduction and a substantial survival benefit (p=0.0001).
These results are critical for the oncology community, as resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) like alectinib remains a major clinical challenge.
Reqorsa works by delivering the TUSC2 tumor-suppressor gene, which is often deleted or downregulated in lung cancer, directly into cancer cells using Genprex’s proprietary Oncoprex® Nanoparticle Delivery System.
Additional research presented at the conference identified potential biomarkers for treatment response.
Investigators found that TROP2 low and PTEN high expression levels were associated with primary resistance to the therapy, providing a roadmap for future patient selection in clinical trials.
Furthermore, the study explored Reqorsa’s immunotherapeutic potential.
Findings indicated that the gene therapy restored Natural Killer (NK) cell activity, leading to complete tumor regression in up to 67% of preclinical cohorts.
This suggests that Reqorsa may not only attack the tumor directly but also re-engage the patient’s innate immune system to fight the malignancy.
While all data presented at AACR 2026 are preclinical, they provide the biological rationale for expanding Genprex’s clinical programs.
The company is currently evaluating Reqorsa in several Phase 1/2 clinical trials, including the Acclaim-1 and Acclaim-2 studies, which target patients with NSCLC.