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- Biotechnology company Immutep (IMM) has released further interim results from its phase two TACTI-002 study in patients with lung, head and neck cancers
- The study evaluates a combined treatment using Immutep’s lead product candidate efti, along with pembrolizumab
- So far, results show the combined treatment has therapeutic benefits and a good safety profile, standing it in good stead for further clinical development
- Immutep will enrol up to 25 extra patients in the study and expects to report more mature trial data in the first half of 2021
- Shares have been trading 1.7 per cent lower at 29 cents
Immutep (IMM) has released further interim data from its Phase II TACTI-002 Study in patients with lung, head and neck cancers.
The study evaluates a combined treatment using Immutep’s eftilagimod alpha (efti) with MSD’s KEYTRUDA (also known as pembrolizumab) candidate.
Efti is a soluble LAG-3 fusion protein and antigen-presenting cell activator, while pembrolizumab is a PD-1 inhibitor.
The trial is being conducted with Merck & Co (MSD) and is enrolling up to 109 patients with second-line head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in first and second line.
Interim results show the combined treatment has therapeutic benefits and a good safety profile as Principal Investigator Dr Matthew Krebs explained.
“In first-line NSCLC and second-line HNSCC we are seeing very encouraging results compared to historical studies where pembrolizumab has been given as monotherapy in comparable patient groups,” he stated.
“These results highlight the potential therapeutic benefit of adding efti to the checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab, together with an excellent safety profile. The data strongly support further evaluation of the combination in both lung and head and neck cancers,” he continued.
Immutep Chief Scientific Officer and Chief Medical Officer Dr Frederic Triebel said the company is very encouraged by the number of patients responding to the treatment, including those who would not typically respond to immune checkpoint therapy.
“The results from this trial, and our other trials, continue to support our hypothesis that the combination of our lead product candidate, efti, with a PD-1 inhibitor such as pembrolizumab, should result in a meaningful benefit to patients across various cancers. These results are supportive of further late-stage clinical development,” he explained.
Immutep will enrol up to 25 extra patients in the study and expects to report more mature trial data in the first half of 2021.
Shares have been trading 1.7 per cent lower at 29 cents at 1:30 pm AEDT.
