On January 9, 2017, Adaptimmune Therapeutics plc announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the company's investigational new drug (IND) application for autologous genetically modified T-cells expressing an affinity optimized T-cell receptor (TCR) specific for MAGE-A4 in patients with multiple malignant solid tumors. This will be Adaptimmune's third wholly-owned therapeutic candidate to enter clinical trials. The IND is now active. Under this IND, Adaptimmune will initiate a Phase I, open-label, modified 3+3 dose escalation study of autologous T-cells genetically engineered with an affinity optimized MAGE-A4 TCR in HLA02 positive patients with inoperable locally advanced or metastatic melanoma, and urothelial, head and neck, ovarian, non-small cell lung, esophageal, and gastric cancers expressing MAGE-A4. Patients will receive preconditioning with modified fludarabine and cyclophosphamide as used in the Company's ongoing synovial sarcoma study. This multi-tumor study will enroll up to 32 patients.