On April 26, 2018 Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Idera) (NASDAQ:IDRA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel oligonucleotide therapeutics for oncology and rare diseases, reported the acceptance of three abstracts related to the ILLUMINATE clinical development program at the upcoming ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) meeting being held June 1-5, 2018 in Chicago (Press release, Idera Pharmaceuticals, APR 26, 2018, View Source [SID1234525720]). The abstracts include a clinical data update from the ILLUMINATE 204 trial in anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma provided by lead investigator Adi Diab, MD from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; this abstract will also be featured in a poster discussion session at the meeting.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The company plans to hold an investor/analyst event at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting on Monday, June 4, 2018, which will feature a presentation by ILLUMINATE 204 lead investigator Adi Diab, MD as well as Q&A with attendees. As a convenience to those unable to attend in person, the event will be webcast. Full event details will be provided closer to the meeting.

Additionally, the Phase 3 ILLUMINATE 301 trial in anti-PD-1 refractory melanoma has opened to enrollment during the first quarter of 2018.

About Tilsotolimod (IMO-2125)
Tilsotolimod is a TLR 9 agonist that received Fast Track Designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017 for the treatment of PD-1 refractory melanoma, in combination with ipilimumab as well as orphan drug designation from the FDA for the treatment of melanoma Stages IIb to IV. It signals the immune system to create and activate cancer-fighting cells (T-cells) to target solid tumors. Currently approved immuno-oncology treatments, specifically check-point inhibitors, work for some but not all, as many patients’ immune response is missing or weak and thus they do not benefit from the checkpoint therapy. Intratumoral injections with tilsotolimod are designed to selectively enable the T-cells to recognize and attack cancers that remained elusive and unrecognized by the immune system exposed to checkpoint inhibitors alone, while limiting toxicity or impact on healthy cells in the body.

About ILLUMINATE-204
The Illuminate 204 study (2125-204) is for patients who have metastatic melanoma for whom treatment with an anti-PD-1 drug like Keytruda (pembrolizumab) or Opdivo (nivolumab) has failed. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. When it is metastatic, it means that the melanoma has spread to different parts of the body. Illuminate 204 is a multi-center, two-arm Phase 1/2 study that tests the safety and effectiveness of tilsotolimod in combination with either ipilimumab (Yervoy) or pembrolizumab (Keytruda) for the treatment of patients with PD-1 refractory metastatic melanoma.

For additional details about Illuminate 204, please go to clinicaltrials.gov and search for study identifier NCT02644967.

About ILLUMINATE-301
The Illuminate 301 study (2125-MEL-301) is for patients who have metastatic melanoma for whom treatment with an anti-PD-1 drug like Keytruda (pembrolizumab) or Opdivo (nivolumab) has failed. Illuminate 301 is a multi-center, randomized Phase 3 study that compares the effectiveness and safety between two treatment groups: IMO-2125 combined with ipilimumab (Yervoy) versus ipilimumab given alone.

For additional details about Illuminate 301, please go to clinicaltrials.gov and search for study identifier NCT03445533.

About Metastatic Melanoma
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in a type of skin cell called melanocytes. As is the case in many forms of cancer, melanoma becomes more difficult to treat once the disease has spread beyond the skin to other parts of the body such as the lymphatic system (metastatic disease). Because melanoma occurs in younger individuals, the years of life lost to melanoma are also disproportionately high when compared with other cancers. Although melanoma is a rare form of skin cancer, it comprises over 75% of skin cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates that there were approximately 76,000 new invasive melanoma cases and 10,000 deaths from the disease in the USA in 2016. Additionally, according to the World Health Organization, about 132,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed around the world every year.