On May 5, 2025 AstraZeneca reported that Calquence (acalabrutinib) in combination with bendamustine and rituximab has been approved in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (Press release, AstraZeneca, MAY 5, 2025, View Source [SID1234652524]).

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The approval by the European Commission follows the positive opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use and was based on positive results from ECHO Phase III trial, presented at the European Haematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) 2024 Congress and published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, which demonstrated that Calquence plus bendamustine and rituximab reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 27% compared to standard-of-care chemoimmunotherapy (hazard ratio [HR] 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.57-0.94; p=0.016). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 66.4 months for patients treated with the Calquence combination versus 49.6 with chemoimmunotherapy alone.

MCL is a rare and typically aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, often diagnosed at an advanced stage.1,2 An estimated 6,000 patients were diagnosed with MCL in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy in 2024.3

Martin Dreyling, MD, Department of Medicine, University Hospital LMU Munich, and investigator in the trial, said: "This approval provides a new first-line treatment option for patients in the EU with mantle cell lymphoma, an aggressive lymphoma with a dismal long-term outcome still today. With a progression-free survival improvement of more than 16 months for these patients, the acalabrutinib combination is a much-needed advance in this challenging disease."

Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Oncology Haematology Business Unit, AstraZeneca, said: "Treatment with the Calquence combination in first-line mantle cell lymphoma demonstrated a significant improvement in progression free survival and a consistent safety profile for patients in the pivotal ECHO trial. As the first and only BTK inhibitor approved in this indication in the EU, we are proud to provide a much-needed new option to patients living with this difficult disease."

The safety and tolerability of Calquence was consistent with its known safety profile, and no new safety signals were identified.

Calquence plus bendamustine and rituximab is approved in the US and several other countries in this setting based on the ECHO results. Regulatory applications are currently under review in Japan and several other countries in this indication.

This approval follows the recent approval for Calquence monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory MCL in the EU.

Notes
Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)
While MCL patients initially respond to treatment, patients do tend to relapse.4 MCL comprises about 3-6% of non-Hodgkin lymphomas, with an annual incidence of 0.5 per 100,000 population in Western countries; It is estimated that there are more than 21,000 patients diagnosed with MCL in the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and China.3,4,5

ECHO
ECHO is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-centre Phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Calquence plus bendamustine and rituximab compared to SoC chemoimmunotherapy (bendamustine and rituximab) in adult patients at or over 65 years of age (n=635) with previously untreated MCL.6 Patients were randomised 1:1 to receive either Calquence or placebo administered orally twice per day, continuously, until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Additionally, all patients received six 28-day cycles of bendamustine on days 1 and 2 and rituximab on day 1 of each cycle, followed by rituximab maintenance for two years if patients achieved a response after induction therapy.6

The primary endpoint is PFS assessed by an Independent Review Committee; other efficacy endpoints include overall survival (OS), overall response rate, duration of response and time to response.6 The trial was conducted in 27 countries across North and South America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.6

The ECHO trial enrolled patients from May 2017 to March 2023, continuing through the COVID-19 pandemic. Prespecified PFS and OS analyses censoring for COVID-19 deaths were conducted to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the study outcome in alignment with the FDA.

Calquence
Calquence is a second-generation, selective inhibitor of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK). Calquence binds covalently to BTK, thereby inhibiting its activity.7 In B-cells, BTK signalling results in activation of pathways necessary for B-cell proliferation, trafficking, chemotaxis and adhesion.

Calquence is approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) in the US, Japan and China, and approved for CLL in the EU and many other countries. Calquence is also approved for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated MCL in the US and other countries. It is also approved for the treatment of adult patients with MCL who have received at least one prior therapy in China and several other countries. Calquence is not currently approved for the treatment of MCL in Japan.

As part of an extensive clinical development programme, Calquence is currently being evaluated as a single treatment and in combination with standard-of-care chemoimmunotherapy for patients with multiple B-cell blood cancers, including CLL, MCL and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

AstraZeneca in haematology
AstraZeneca is pushing the boundaries of science to redefine care in haematology. Our goal is to help transform the lives of patients living with malignant, rare and other related haematologic diseases through innovative medicines and approaches that are shaped by insights from patients, caregivers and physicians.

In addition to our marketed products, we are spearheading the development of novel therapies designed to target underlying drivers of disease across multiple scientific platforms. Our acquisitions of Alexion, with expertise in rare, non-malignant blood disorders, and Gracell Biotechnologies Inc., pioneers of autologous cell therapies, expand our haematology pipeline and enable us to reach more patients with high unmet needs through the end-to-end discovery, development and delivery of novel therapies.

On May 5, 2025 Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) ("Halozyme") reported that Dr. Helen Torley, president and chief executive officer, will present and host investor meetings at the BofA Securities 2025 Healthcare Conference (Press release, Halozyme, MAY 5, 2025, View Source [SID1234652523]).

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The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13 at 4:20pm PT / 7:20pm ET.

A live audio webcast will be available on the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website. Replays of the audio webcasts will be available for 90 days following the conference.

On May 5, 2025 Immutep Limited (ASX: IMM; NASDAQ: IMMP) ("Immutep" or "the Company"), a late-stage immunotherapy company targeting cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported an excellent median Overall Survival (OS) of 17.6 months has been achieved in Cohort B of the TACTI-003 (KEYNOTE-C34) Phase IIb trial (Press release, Immutep, MAY 5, 2025, View Source [SID1234652522]). This part of the Phase II study evaluates eftilagimod alfa (efti) in combination with MSD’s (Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA) anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) as first line therapy in recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (1L HNSCC) patients with PD-L1 expression below 1 (Combined Positive Score [CPS] <1).

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The mature 17.6-months median OS in evaluable patients (N=31) with a data cut-off of 31 March 2025 compares favourably to historical results from the two current standard-of-care approaches for 1L HNSCC patients with CPS <1 including 10.7-months from cetuximab + chemotherapy and 11.3-months from anti-PD-1 therapy + chemotherapy, as well as 7.9-months from anti-PD-1 monotherapy.1,2

Patients with CPS <1 in 1L HNSCC represent a treatment population with high unmet medical need. Up to 20% of 1L HNSCC patients have CPS <1 and despite immunotherapy’s progress in fighting cancer, anti-PD-1 therapy alone (without chemotherapy) is only approved for patients who express PD-L1 (CPS >1). Additionally, all available treatment options for patients with PD-L1 CPS <1 include chemotherapy.

Importantly, efti in combination with pembrolizumab continues to be well-tolerated with no new safety signals. This safety and mature OS data build on the encouraging high overall response rate with multiple complete responses achieved through combining these powerful immunotherapies in 1L HNSCC patients with CPS <1.3

"We are excited to see this strong survival benefit for head and neck cancer patients with such cold tumors. Combining these two complementary immunotherapies has led to a 7-fold increase in response rates and a more than doubling of median overall survival as compared to historical results from anti-PD-1 monotherapy. Driving durable responses that translate into clinically meaningful survival holds tremendous promise for these patients in need of more tolerable and efficacious therapies," said Marc Voigt, CEO of Immutep.

"There is a high unmet need in 1L HNSCC patients with cold tumors and PD-L1 CPS <1, due to the lack of an approved immunotherapy-only treatment regimen and a lack of competitor trials with chemotherapy-free approaches targeting this patient population. Given the strength of the efficacy and safety results generated to date with efti in combination with pembrolizumab, we will meet with regulators to discuss next steps and potential paths to approval," added Mr. Voigt.

Next Steps
Efti has Fast Track designation in 1L HNSCC and Immutep has requested a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss next steps including potential paths to approval for 1L HNSCC with PD-L1 CPS <1. Patient follow up, data collection, cleaning and analysis continue for TACTI-003, and the Company plans to provide a further update later this year.

About Eftilagimod Alfa (efti)
Efti is Immutep’s proprietary soluble LAG-3 protein and MHC Class II agonist that stimulates both innate and adaptive immunity for the treatment of cancer. As a first-in-class antigen presenting cell (APC) activator, efti binds to MHC (major histocompatibility complex) Class II molecules on APC leading to activation and proliferation of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, CD4+ helper T cells, dendritic cells, NK cells, and monocytes. It also upregulates the expression of key biological molecules like IFN-ƴ and CXCL10 that further boost the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.

Efti is under evaluation for a variety of solid tumours including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and metastatic breast cancer. Its favourable safety profile enables various combinations, including with anti-PD-[L]1 immunotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Efti has received Fast Track designation in first line HNSCC and in first line NSCLC from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

On May 5, 2025 Cue Biopharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: CUE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel class of therapeutic biologics to selectively engage and modulate disease-specific T cells for the treatment of autoimmune disease and cancer, reported that it will participate in a fireside chat at the Citizens Life Sciences Conference being held in New York, May 7-8, 2025 (Press release, Cue Biopharma, MAY 5, 2025, View Source [SID1234652521]).

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During the fireside chat, Cue Biopharma will discuss progress on its programs from the Immuno-STAT platform including the CUE-100 series, CUE-401, and CUE-501, which was recently partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim for T cell mediated targeted depletion of specific B cells to address autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Citizens Life Sciences Conference
Presentation Date: Thursday, May 8, 2025
Presentation Time: 11:00 a.m. EDT – 11:25 a.m. EDT
Presenter: Daniel Passeri, Chief Executive Officer
Webcast Link: View Source

A live and archived webcast of the fireside chat will be available in the News and Publications section of the Company’s website. The webcast will be archived for 30 days.

On May 5, 2025 TuHURA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:HURA) ("TuHURA" or the "Company"), a Phase 3 immune-oncology company developing novel technologies to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy, reported the initiation of its Phase 1b/2a trial of IFx-Hu2.0, TuHURA’s lead innate immune agonist, in patients with MCCUP who would not be eligible for the Company’s planned Phase 3 accelerated approval trial, which is targeted to begin enrollment later in Q2 2025 (Press release, TuHURA Biosciences, MAY 5, 2025, View Source [SID1234652520]). IFx-Hu2.0 is designed to overcome primary resistance to checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) like Keytruda and has demonstrated systemic anti-tumor specific immune responses (abscopal effect) when injected intratumorally into cutaneous, subcutaneous, or accessible nodal lesions in its prior Phase 1 and 1b trials in melanoma and advanced or metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC).

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"Like our planned Phase 3 accelerated approval trial, this Phase 1b/2a trial will also investigate the ability of IFx-Hu2.0 to increase the anti-tumor response rate when used alongside Keytruda in first line treatment of CPI naïve, metastatic MCC. However, unlike the planned Phase 3 study, these are patients without skin lesions who present with metastatic deep-seated tumors in the liver, lungs or retropertitoneum (abdomen). Up to 30% of patients with MCC present without primary lesions in the skin, so this trial will not only provide safety, feasibility, and efficacy data, but may also expand the potential number of addressable patients who may benefit from IFx-Hu2.0," said James Bianco, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of TuHURA Biosciences.

"If feasibility and safety is demonstrated for IFx-Hu2.0 and Keytruda when radiologically administered to deep-seated tumors, we plan to extend enrollment to a variety of non-MCC cancers that are known not to respond or respond poorly to CPIs. Since the underlying biology of why tumors don’t respond to CPIs is for the most part the same, then the mechanism of how IFx-Hu2.0 overcomes that resistance to CPIs should be independent of the type of cancer treated. We have previously demonstrated that IFx-Hu2.0 can overcome CPI resistance in melanoma, squamous cell, and Merkel cell carcinoma, three unrelated types of skin cancers. If successful, this trial could expand the potential benefit of IFx-Hu2.0 to a wide variety of cancers," added Dr. Bianco.

The Phase 1b/2a trial of IFx-Hu2.0 is a multicenter, open-label trial designed to assess the safety and feasibility of IFx-Hu2.0 as adjunctive therapy to pembrolizumab in adult patients with non-cutaneous MCC. The trial is designed to enroll a total of nine non-cutaneous MCC patients with either hepatic, pulmonary, or retroperitoneal lesions, enrolling three patients per lesion type (NCT06940440). Each patient will receive IFx-Hu2.0 (0.1 mg) injected into a single visceral tumor once a week for three weeks. Within 48 hours of the first IFx-Hu2.0 injection, patients will receive pembrolizumab, followed by pembrolizumab every three weeks for six months. The primary endpoint of the study is safety and feasibility of IFx-Hu2.0 adjuvant therapy evaluated 28 days following the last dose of IFx-Hu2.0, or Day 49 from the first IFx-Hu2.0 infusion. The study will also evaluate key secondary endpoints, including efficacy per RECIST 1.1 criteria at three months and six months. Data from the trial is anticipated by the end of Q4 2025 or early Q1 2026.

TuHURA is also preparing to initiate a single, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 accelerated approval trial of IFx-2.0 administered as an adjunctive therapy to Keytruda (pembrolizumab) versus Keytruda plus placebo in first-line treatment for checkpoint inhibitor-naïve patients with advanced or metastatic MCC (NCT06947928). The primary endpoint in the Phase 3 trial will be overall response rate (ORR) at approximately 24 weeks, with a secondary endpoint of progression free survival (PFS) per RECIST 1.1 criteria. The Company has reached agreement with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on requirements for lifting a partial clinical hold on this trial and believes it will meet the requirements in Q2 2025. TuHURA currently anticipates initiating the Phase 3 registrational trial in Q2 2025.

Based on data generated in TuHURA’s Phase 1b trial of IFx-Hu2.0 in CPI naïve patients with advanced or metastatic MCC who progressed receiving CPI therapy, FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE), consistent with the FDA’s Project Front Runner Initiative, asked the Company to consider a first-line randomized placebo controlled trial of Keytruda plus placebo or IFx-Hu2.0. The FDA also agreed that the trial could be conducted under their accelerated approval pathway with the use of Objective Response Rate (ORR) as the primary endpoint. The FDA also asked the Company to consider incorporating into its accelerated approval trial a key secondary end point of Progression Free Survival (PFS), which, if successfully achieved without a detriment to overall survival at the time of analysis, may result in the Company not being required to conduct a post approval confirmatory trial, and this single trial could potentially fulfill requirement for regular approval. The Company and the FDA have entered into a Special Protocol Assessment Agreement for the planned Phase 3 trial.