On October 23, 2026 Immutep Limited (ASX: IMM; NASDAQ: IMMP) ("Immutep" or "the Company"), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company targeting cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) data from the investigator-initiated EFTISARC-NEO Phase II trial. The data are being presented in an ePoster at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2026, taking place October 23–27, 2026 in Madrid, Spain.
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EFTISARC-NEO is evaluating eftilagimod alfa ("efti") in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) and radiotherapy in the neoadjuvant treatment of patients with resectable soft tissue sarcoma (STS). HRQoL is a secondary endpoint of the trial, and these findings build on the previously reported primary endpoint result in which the combination achieved a median 51.5% tumour hyalinization/fibrosis in the evaluable population (N=38), significantly exceeding the prespecified 35% target (p<0.001).
Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) at baseline, every 6 weeks during treatment and every 12 weeks after treatment. The trial enrolled 40 patients, of whom 38 were evaluable for the primary endpoint. All patients completed the QLQ-C30 at baseline, and between 29 and 38 patients completed it at each subsequent assessment.
Key findings
General health status remained stable throughout the observation period, with no statistically significant deterioration in any measured scale during treatment.
The QLQ-C30 summary score showed a statistically significant improvement after surgery of 6.0 points (95% CI: 1.80–10.19; p=0.008).
Role and social functioning showed statistically significant improvements after surgery of 12.7 points (95% CI: 2.31–23.09; p=0.02) and 8.1 points (95% CI: 1.63–14.56; p=0.02), respectively.
Patient-reported fatigue was statistically significantly lower than at baseline after surgery, by up to 14.2 points (95% CI: 6.16–22.23; p=0.001).
The investigators concluded that the regimen demonstrated "no significant detriment to overall QoL during treatment".
Presentation details
Title Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during neoadjuvant treatment with eftilagimod alfa, pembrolizumab and radiotherapy in patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS) – results from EFTISARC-NEO trial
Presentation number 3788eP
Format ePoster
Availability From October 23, 2026, 8:00 AM CEST
First author Paweł Teterycz, M.D., Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
The ePoster is available on the Posters & Publications page of Immutep’s website.
Marc Voigt, CEO of Immutep, said: "People with soft tissue sarcoma who face surgery are already dealing with significant challenges. A treatment given before surgery should ideally work against the tumour without taking more away from their daily lives. These results suggest that patients receiving efti with pembrolizumab and radiotherapy maintained their quality of life during treatment, and after surgery reported less fatigue and better role and social functioning. We are grateful to the patients and investigators in Warsaw who made this study possible."
About EFTISARC-NEO
EFTISARC-NEO is an investigator-initiated Phase II trial evaluating efti in combination with pembrolizumab and radiotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment for patients with resectable soft tissue sarcoma. The trial is led by the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw, Poland, and is primarily funded by a grant from the Polish Medical Research Agency (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT06128863). In October 2025, Immutep announced the trial met its primary endpoint. In April 2026, efti received Orphan Drug Designation in STS from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
About Eftilagimod Alfa (Efti)
Efti is a novel immunotherapy that directly activates antigen-presenting cells or APCs (e.g. dendritic cells, monocytes) via the MHC Class II pathway to fight cancer. As an MHC Class II agonist, its activation of APCs engages the adaptive and innate immune system to initiate a broad anti-cancer immune response. This includes priming and activating cytotoxic T cells as well as generating important co-stimulatory signals and cytokines that further boost the immune system’s ability to combat cancer.
Efti’s favourable safety profile has enabled various combinations, including with anti-PD-[L]1 immunotherapy, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy. Efti has received Fast Track designation in 1st line HNSCC and in 1st line NSCLC, and Orphan Drug Designation in STS, from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
(Press release, Immutep, OCT 23, 2026, View Source [SID1234673760])