On November 9, 2026 Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLRX), reported the presentation of preclinical proof-of-concept data and new clinical biomarker analyses related to PLN-101095 at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper).
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Poster Presentations
Title: Selective targeting of integrins αvβ8 and αvβ1 improves anti-tumor responses mediated by immune checkpoint inhibition
Nika Rajabian, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow from the National Cancer Institute, presented data demonstrating that blocking of integrins αvβ8 and αvβ1 in combination with anti-PD-1 reduced TGF-β signaling leading to modulation of fibroblastic cell populations in the tumor microenvironment and increased infiltration and activation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. This resulted in improved anti-tumor activity and survival. Researchers concluded that these data provided rationale for an ongoing, first-in-human phase I clinical trial (NCT06270706) of PLN-101095 in combination with pembrolizumab in solid cancers.
The above reflects work done under a collaboration agreement between the National Cancer Institute and Pliant Therapeutics.
Title: Plasma biomarkers of immune activation predict sensitization to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) in patients with advanced solid tumors receiving dual αvβ8/αvβ1 integrin inhibitor PLN-101095
Martin L. Decaris, Ph.D., Vice President of Translational Sciences at Pliant Therapeutics presented new biomarker data from the Phase 1 trial of PLN-101095 showing that early induction of immune activation biomarkers during PLN-101095 monotherapy was associated with subsequent clinical response following pembrolizumab initiation. These findings support the hypothesis that TGF-β pathway inhibition promotes immune activation, T-cell recruitment into the tumor microenvironment, and enhanced cytotoxic effector function.
This poster is available in the Publications section of Pliant’s website www.PliantRx.com.
FORTIFY – PLN-101095 Phase 1b Indication Expansion Trial
PLN-101095 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1a/1b open-label, dose-escalation and indication expansion trial (NCT06270706) to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary evidence of antitumor activity of PLN-101095 when administered orally in combination with pembrolizumab, in patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-refractory advanced or metastatic solid tumors. The Phase 1b portion of FORTIFY is an indication expansion trial that is currently enrolling three cohorts of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), tumors with high tumor mutational burden or clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Patients will be treated for 14 days with PLN-101095 dosed at 1,000 mg twice daily as monotherapy, after which pembrolizumab will be added as combination therapy.
(Press release, Pliant Therapeutics, NOV 9, 2026, View Source [SID1234674523])