Candel Therapeutics, Inc.

Candel Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that develops off-the-shelf viral immunotherapies to generate an individualized, systemic anti-tumor immune response in cancer patients. The company's engineered viruses aim to induce immunogenic cell death within the tumor microenvironment, releasing tumor neo-antigens and creating a pro-inflammatory environment at the injection site. This process is intended to lead to in-situ immunization against the injected tumor and distant metastases. Local administration is designed to achieve these effects while minimizing systemic exposure and toxicity. The immune cells induced by these therapies are believed to target specific tumor antigens, potentially improving responses in immunologically "hot" tumors and transforming non-inflamed "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors. While product candidates are administered directly into the tumor, preclinical studies and clinical trials have shown systemic immune responses, suggesting the potential for an "abscopal" effect against distal, uninjected tumors. Candel Therapeutics has established two clinical off-the-shelf viral immunotherapy platforms using genetically modified adenovirus and herpes simplex virus (HSV) constructs. Its most advanced product candidate, aglatimagene besadenovec (aglatimagene, previously CAN-2409), is an off-the-shelf adenovirus product candidate administered with the prodrug valacyclovir, which has shown promising clinical activity across various solid tumor indications.