On September 14, 2024 NuCana plc (NASDAQ: NCNA) reported final data from the Phase 2 NuTide:701 study at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress on NUC-7738 in combination with pembrolizumab for patients with metastatic melanoma who were refractory to or had relapsed on prior PD-1 inhibitor therapy (Press release, Nucana, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646660]).

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!

In this cohort of 12 patients, most of whom had received at least two prior lines of PD-1 inhibitor therapy, nine (75%) achieved disease control, including two patients who achieved Partial Responses. One of these patients, who had received two prior lines of PD-1 inhibitor-based therapy and had progressed on their latest treatment of ipilimumab plus nivolumab within two months, achieved a 55% reduction in tumor volume. Seven of the 12 patients had a progression free survival time of greater than five months, which is highly atypical in this patient population. In addition to achieving these encouraging efficacy signals, the combination of NUC-7738 and pembrolizumab had a favorable safety profile.

NUC-7738’s ability to sensitize PD-1 resistant tumors to rechallenge with PD-1 inhibitors is believed to be due to its ability to target multiple aspects of the tumor microenvironment (TME) via the disruption of RNA polyadenylation and subsequent changes to gene expression in cancer cells. In support of this hypothesis, data presented from tumor biopsies obtained before and after NUC-7738 based treatment demonstrated increases in genes related to antigen presentation and T-cell activation.

Hugh S. Griffith, NuCana’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer said: "We are very excited to share these data on NUC-7738 in combination with pembrolizumab in PD-1 inhibitor refractory and resistant patients with melanoma. Outcomes in this patient population are very poor, with median progression free survival of 2-3 months with the current standard of care, so we are very encouraged that the majority of patients who received this combination achieved a progression free survival of more than five months."

Mr. Griffith continued: "The translational data that has been generated in this study and in previous non-clinical studies give us confidence that the effects we are seeing are a result of NUC-7738 making previously resistant tumors sensitive to rechallenge with PD-1 inhibitors by targeting multiple aspects of the tumor microenvironment. Our data on NUC-7738 obtained in other tumor types indicate that this phenomenon is not restricted to melanoma and that NUC-7738 may have the ability to sensitize other PD-1 inhibitor resistant tumor types. We look forward to sharing our development plans for NUC-7738 in the near future."

On September 16, 2024 Antennova, a clinical-stage biotech company focused on oncology reported that it presented the latest data of CD73 small molecule inhibitor ATN-037 in a Mini Oral presentation at the 2024 European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress (ESMO Congress 2024) (Press release, Antennova, SEP 16, 2024, View Source;including-a-dcr-of-89-5-in-a-mini-oral-at-esmo-congress-2024–302247371.html [SID1234646676]).

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!

Details of the Presentation:
ATN-037 (also known as ATG-037, CD73 Oral Small Molecule Inhibitor)
Title: A First-In-Human Phase I/Ib study of ATG-037 Monotherapy and Combination Therapy with Pembrolizumab in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumours – STAMINA-01
Abstract: 6067
Presentation Number: 997MO

ATN-037 is a highly potent oral small molecule inhibitor of CD73. The STAMINA-01 Phase I/II study was designed to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and optimal dose of ATN-037 as a monotherapy or in combination with Merck’s (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada) anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in patients with refractory/relapsed solid tumors. Antennova has initiated the dose optimization and dose expansion portion of the Phase II STAMINA trial of ATN-037 in Australia and plans to initiate the study in China at the end of October 2024.

As of July 26, 2024, a total of 43 patients were enrolled and treated with ATN-037 monotherapy. 26 of these patients with acquired resistance to CPIs also received ATN-037 in combination with pembrolizumab. Since the beginning of the treatment (C1D1), 42 patients have received at least one tumor evaluation (1 patient was unevaluable).

Efficacy data show that among the 42 evaluable patients who were on the monotherapy, 23 have achieved stable disease (SD).

The 26 evaluable patients who received ATN-037 in combination with pembrolizumab include 9 patients with NSCLC and 10 patients with melanoma. 4 of these patients (2 with NSCLC and 2 with melanoma) have achieved confirmed partial response (PR). In the 19 patients with NSCLC or melanoma, the ORR was 21.1% (4/19) and the DCR was 89.5% (17/19).

During the study, 43 (100%) patients experienced treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs); 62.3% were treatment-related). Among them, 16 patients experienced treatment-emergent serious adverse events (TE-SAEs), and 2 of them were treatment related; 18 patients experienced Grade 3 or higher TEAEs, and 4 of them were treatment-related. At 400 mg twice-daily (BID), the study observed one dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of Grade 3 rash. No Grade 5 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported.
Preliminary data observed from Phase I dose escalation of STAMINA study has shown encouraging PR in patients treated with ATN-037 in combination with pembrolizumab with excellent safety profile. The combination of ATN-037 with Pembrolizumab may provide a new therapeutic option for CPI resistant NSCLC and melanoma patients.

KEYTRUDA is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.

On September 16, 2024 Eisai (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito) and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada) reported results from the first interim analysis of the Phase 3 LEAP-012 trial evaluating LENVIMA (lenvatinib), the orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) discovered by Eisai, plus KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), the anti-PD-1 therapy from Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, in combination with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) compared to TACE alone for the treatment of patients with unresectable, non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Press release, Eisai, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646692]). These late-breaking data were presented for the first time on September 14 (Central European Summer Time) during a Presidential Symposium at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2024 (Presentation #LBA3).

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!

After a median follow-up of 25.6 months (range, 12.6-43.5), LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA in combination with TACE demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS), reducing the risk of disease progression or death by 34% (HR=0.66 [95% CI, 0.51-0.84]; p=0.0002) compared to TACE alone. Median PFS was 14.6 months (95% CI, 12.6-16.7) for the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA-based regimen versus 10.0 months (95% CI, 8.1-12.2) for TACE alone. At this analysis, a trend toward improvement in overall survival (OS), the trial’s other primary endpoint, was observed for the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA-based regimen versus TACE alone (HR=0.80 [95% CI, 0.57-1.11]; p=0.0867); the OS data are not mature and did not reach statistical significance at the time of this interim analysis. The trial is continuing, and follow-up of OS is ongoing. The safety profile of the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA-based regimen was consistent with that observed in previously reported studies evaluating the combination.

"Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, highlighting the need for new treatment options,1,2" said Dr. Josep Llovet, Director of the Liver Cancer Program and Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "These findings from the LEAP-012 trial demonstrate the potential of lenvatinib plus pembrolizumab in combination with TACE to extend progression-free survival for patients diagnosed with unresectable, non-metastatic disease."

"Global incidence rates for hepatocellular carcinoma are expected to rise by more than 50 percent over the next two decades and there have been limited advances for patients with unresectable, non-metastatic forms of disease, 3" said Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, Vice President, Global Clinical Development, MSD Research Laboratories. "These results reflect our commitment to exploring therapeutic options for these patients, including in earlier stages of disease. We’re encouraged by the potential for another treatment option for patients with unresectable non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma in addition to the existing monotherapy indications for KEYTRUDA and LENVIMA."

"Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been a standard of care option for patients with unresectable, non-metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma for many years; however, many patients experience disease progression within one year,4,5,6,7" said Dr. Corina Dutcus, Senior Vice President, Oncology Global Clinical Development Lead at Eisai Inc. "Data from the Phase 3 LEAP-012 study demonstrate that the addition of LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA to TACE may help address the unmet need for therapies that can improve progression-free survival for people with this disease. We are grateful to the patients and investigators for their participation in this study."

Treatment was administered to 237 patients receiving the KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA-based regimen and 241 patients receiving TACE alone. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 98.7% of patients receiving LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA in combination with TACE versus 84.6% of patients receiving TACE alone and led to the discontinuation of both study drugs in 8.4% versus 1.2% of patients, respectively. Serious adverse events were observed in 33.3% of patients receiving LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA in combination with TACE versus 12.4% of patients receiving TACE alone. Grade 3 or 4 TRAEs occurred in 71.3% of patients receiving LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA in combination with TACE versus 31.1% for TACE alone and TRAEs led to death in 1.7% (n=4) versus 0.4% (n=1) of patients, respectively.

LENVIMA monotherapy is approved for the treatment of patients with unresectable HCC in more than 80 countries, including in Japan, the U.S., Europe and China.

KEYTRUDA is approved as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with HCC secondary to hepatitis B who have received prior systemic therapy other than a PD-1/PD-L1-containing regimen in the U.S. and as a monotherapy for the treatment of patients with HCC who have been previously treated with sorafenib or oxaliplatin-containing chemotherapy in China.

LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA is approved in the U.S., the EU, Japan and other countries for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and certain types of advanced endometrial carcinoma. Lenvatinib is marketed as KISPLYX for advanced RCC in the EU. Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA are studying the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA combination through the LEAP (LEnvatinib And Pembrolizumab) clinical program in various tumor types, including but not limited to HCC, RCC, head and neck cancer, gastric cancer and esophageal cancer across multiple clinical trials.

About LEAP-012

LEAP-012 is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind Phase 3 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04246177(New Window)) evaluating LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA in combination with TACE versus dual placebo plus TACE for the treatment of patients with unresectable, non-metastatic HCC. The primary endpoints are PFS as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1) following a maximum of five target lesions, and with a requirement that new intrahepatic lesions must meet LI-RADS 5 criteria, and OS. Secondary endpoints include objective response rate, duration of response, disease control rate, and time to progression as assessed by BICR per RECIST v1.1 and Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST), as well as PFS as assessed by BICR per mRECIST and safety. The study randomized 480 patients 1:1 to receive:

LENVIMA (12 mg [for participants with screening body weight ≥60 kg] or 8 mg [for participants with screening body weight <60 kg] orally once a day) plus KEYTRUDA (400 mg intravenously [IV] every six weeks [Q6W]) in combination with TACE (conducted as a background procedure of chemotherapeutic and embolic agents injected via hepatic artery 2-4 weeks after start of study intervention, and after the first tumor assessment scan and ≥1 month after the first TACE); or IV placebo administered Q6W plus oral placebo administered once a day in combination with TACE.
All study drugs were continued until protocol-specified discontinuation criteria. KEYTRUDA was administered for up to two years (approximately 18 doses). After completing two years of combination therapy, LENVIMA may have been administered as a single agent until protocol-specified discontinuation criteria were met.

About hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide.1 In the U.S., the incidence rates of liver cancer have more than tripled since 1980, and death rates have doubled during that time. 8 Incidence rates are expected to continue to rise in various regions across the world until 2040, including in countries with advanced healthcare systems.3 It is estimated there were more than 865,000 new cases of liver cancer and more than 757,000 deaths from the disease globally in 2022.1 In Japan, it is estimated there were over 41,000 new cases of liver cancer and almost 26,000 deaths from the disease in 2022.9 In the U.S., it is estimated there will be approximately 42,000 patients diagnosed with liver cancer and almost 30,000 patient deaths from the disease in 2024.10 The five-year relative survival rate for liver cancer in the U.S. is 22%, based on SEER data from 2013-2019.11 Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer, accounting for an estimated 90% of primary liver cancer cases.12

About LENVIMA (lenvatinib) Capsules

LENVIMA, discovered and developed by Eisai, is an orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits the kinase activities of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors VEGFR1 (FLT1), VEGFR2 (KDR), and VEGFR3 (FLT4). LENVIMA inhibits other kinases that have been implicated in pathogenic angiogenesis, tumor growth, and cancer progression in addition to their normal cellular functions, including fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors FGFR1-4, the platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα), KIT, and RET. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, LENVIMA decreased tumor-associated macrophages, increased activated cytotoxic T cells, and demonstrated greater antitumor activity in combination with an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody compared to either treatment alone. LENVIMA has been approved for the indications below.

Thyroid cancer

・Indication as monotherapy

(Approved mainly in Japan, the United States, Europe, China and Asia)

Japan: Unresectable thyroid cancer

The United States: The treatment of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic, progressive, radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC)

Europe: The treatment of adult patients with progressive, locally advanced or metastatic, differentiated (papillary/follicular/Hürthle cell) thyroid carcinoma (DTC), refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI)

Hepatocellular carcinoma

・Indication as monotherapy

(Approved mainly in Japan, the United States, Europe, China and Asia)

Japan: Unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma

The United States: The first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

Europe: The treatment of adult patients with advanced or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have received no prior systemic therapy

Thymic carcinoma

・Indication as monotherapy (Approved in Japan)

Japan: Unresectable thymic carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (In Europe, the agent was launched under the brand name Kisplyx)

・Indication in combination with everolimus

(Approved mainly in the United States, Europe and Asia)

The United States: The treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following one prior anti-angiogenic therapy

Europe: The treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma following one prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy

・Indication in combination with KEYTRUDA (generic name: pembrolizumab)

(Approved mainly in Japan, the United States, Europe and Asia)

Japan: Radically unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma

The United States: The first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma

Europe: The first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma

・Indication in combination with KEYTRUDA

(Approved mainly in Japan, the United States, Europe and Asia)

Japan: Unresectable, advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma that progressed after cancer chemotherapy

The United States: The treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma (EC) that is not microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation

Europe: The treatment of adult patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma (EC) who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum-containing therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery

About KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Injection, 100mg
KEYTRUDA is an anti-programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1) therapy that works by increasing the ability of the body’s immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. KEYTRUDA is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, thereby activating T lymphocytes which may affect both tumor cells and healthy cells.

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA has the industry’s largest immuno-oncology clinical research program. There are currently more than 1,600 trials studying KEYTRUDA across a wide variety of cancers and treatment settings. The KEYTRUDA clinical program seeks to understand the role of KEYTRUDA across cancers and the factors that may predict a patient’s likelihood of benefitting from treatment with KEYTRUDA, including exploring several different biomarkers.

On September 16, 2024 BeyondSpring Inc. (NASDAQ: BYSI) ("BeyondSpring" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company developing innovative cancer therapies, reported interim phase 2 data on the 303 Study, a study in 2L/3L non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after disease progression on 1L PD-1/L1 inhibitors with and without chemotherapy, with financial support from Merck & Co., Inc’s (NYSE: MRK, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada) Investigator Studies Program and provision of study drug, at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2024, on September 14, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain (Press release, BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, SEP 16, 2024, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beyondspring-presents-efficacy-safety-results-from-a-phase-2-study-of-pembrolizumab-plus-plinabulin-docetaxel-in-metastatic-nsclc-after-progressing-on-first-line-immune-checkpoint-inhibitors-at-esmo-c [SID1234646644]).

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!

Docetaxel remains the standard of care for patients with 2L/3L NSCLC without targetable alterations who progress on 1L immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) with and without standard chemotherapy, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 12.8% and median PFS (mPFS) of 3.7 months in TROPION Lung-01 phase 3 studies. In metastatic NSCLC resistant to previous PD-1/L1 therapy1, PD-L1 and CTLA-4 inhibition alone or in combination with hypofractionated radiotherapy produced limited clinical benefits with ~11.5% ORR.

This investigator-initiated, single-arm, open-label, phase 2 study (KeyPelms-004 or 303 Study) evaluates the efficacy and safety of a triple combination regimen of pembrolizumab plus plinabulin/docetaxel (NCT05599789). The study intends to enroll a total of 47 patients and is ongoing at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China with the principal investigator Dr. Mengzhao Wang, Chief of the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Here, we report on a planned formal interim analysis of 19 patients.

At the database lock on 29 April 2024, 29 patients were enrolled and 19 were evaluable for stage 1 data analysis. All patients experienced disease progression after initial clinical benefit with ICI. Of the 19 evaluable patients (median age at 66.4 years; ranged 50-76 years), 68.4% were male and 31.6% were female; 57.9% were current or former smokers. Histology included 57.9% patients with non-squamous cell carcinoma and 42.1% with squamous cell carcinoma. The median follow-up was 8.67 months. Below is an efficacy summary table.

Primary Endpoint Plinabulin + Pembrolizumab + Docetaxel (n=19)
Confirmed ORR (RECIST 1.1) 21.1%
Secondary Endpoints
Median PFS (RECIST 1.1) 8.63 M
(6 M PFS rate: 67.1%;

12 M PFS rate: 49.2%)

Median OS
(Overall Survival)

Not reached
Median DoR
(Duration of Response)

11.40 M
Disease Control Rate
(PR + SD > 4 months)

89.5%
The combination was well tolerated. 6% of patients experienced grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse effects. There were no treatment-related deaths.
"Plinabulin is a potent inducer of dendritic cell or DC maturation that leads to T cell activation. DC is the most potent antigen presenting cell (APC). This unique mechanism of action reinforces anti-tumor immune response with the potential to overcome acquired ICI resistance, which may derive from APC pathway mutation or T cell exhaustion. Compared to historical controls of 3-4 months of median PFS2, this study’s early efficacy data doubled median PFS to 8.6 months, with an impressive disease control rate of almost 90%, which is encouraging and clinically meaningful for this severe unmet need," said Dr. Mengzhao Wang, principal investigator at Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

ESMO Congress 2024 (1330P): Phase 2 Study of Pembrolizumab plus Plinabulin and Docetaxel for Patients (pts) with Metastatic NSCLC after Failure on First-line Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Alone or Combination Therapy: Initial Efficacy and Safety Results on Immune Re-sensitization

Presenter: Yan Xu, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
Poster Session: NSCLC, metastatic

About Plinabulin

Plinabulin is a novel first-in-class dendritic cell maturation therapeutic with durable anti-cancer benefit observed across multiple clinical studies. As a reversible binder at a distinct tubulin pocket, plinabulin does not change tubulin dynamics or antagonize tubulin stabilizing agents, such as docetaxel, which contributes to its differentiated activity and tolerability compared to other tubulin binders. In addition, plinabulin significantly reduces chemotherapy induced neutropenia and could thereby increase docetaxel tolerability. Over 700 patients have been treated with plinabulin with good tolerability.

About KeyPelms-004 or 303 Study

303 Study is an open-label, single-arm Phase 2 Study of Plinabulin plus docetaxel and pembrolizumab for previously treated patients with metastatic NSCLC and progressive disease after anti-PD-(L)1 inhibitor alone or in combination with platinum-doublet chemotherapy. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of this triple combination and is being conducted at Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China. The regimen includes Pembrolizumab 200 mg IV every 3 weeks (Q3W) on Day 1, Docetaxel 75 mg/m2 IV Q3W on Day 1 and Plinabulin 30mg/m2 IV Q3W on Day 1 in a 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint is investigator-based ORR (RECIST 1.1). The secondary endpoints include PFS, OS, DoR, and safety. The study intends to enroll 47 patients with a formal interim analysis of 19 patients enrolled. The study is funded by Merck’s Investigator Studies Program with provision of study drug and financial support.

On September 16, 2024 PDS Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq: PDSB) ("PDS Biotech" or the "Company"), a late-stage immunotherapy company focused on transforming how the immune system targets and kills cancers and the development of infectious disease vaccines, reported updated data from the VERSATILE-002 trial evaluating Versamune HPV (formerly PDS0101) in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) as a first-line (1L) treatment for patients with HPV16-positive recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (Press release, PDS Biotechnology, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646661]). The data were presented during a poster session on September 14 at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.

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!

As of the latest data cut of the VERSATILE-002 single-arm, Phase 2 trial on May 17, 2024, Versamune HPV plus pembrolizumab continued to be well tolerated in this 1L R/M HPV16-positive HNSCC population. Enrollment in the trial (n=53) is complete, 10 patients remain on study treatment and 27 patients (including the 10 on treatment) continue to be followed for survival. Median patient follow-up is 16 months. The data demonstrated the following:

•
Median Overall Survival (mOS) was 30 months with a lower 95% confidence interval of 19.7 months; Published mOS for pembrolizumab is 12-18 months1,2

•
Objective Response Rate (ORR) of 36% (19/53); Published ORR for pembrolizumab is 19-25%1,2

•
Disease Control Rate (DCR) is 77% (41/53)

•
21% (11/53) of patients had deep tumor responses and shrinkage of 90-100%

•
9% (5/53) of patients had a complete response

•
Treatment-related adverse events of Grade ≥3 were seen in 9 patients (Grade 3, n=8 and Grade 4, n=1)

"The updated response data we presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) show the strong clinical activity and durability of Versamune HPV plus pembrolizumab," said Jared Weiss, M.D., Section Chief of Thoracic and Head/Neck Oncology, Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina, and principal investigator of the VERSATILE-002 clinical trial. "Continued evaluation shows the promise of this combination in improving survival for patients with HPV16-positive HNSCC."

A global, randomized, controlled Phase 3 clinical trial, VERSATILE-003, that will evaluate Versamune HPV plus pembrolizumab vs. pembrolizumab monotherapy as 1L treatment in patients with HPV16-positive R/M HNSCC with CPS ≥1 is planned to start this year.

"We’re encouraged to see that as the data from our VERSATILE-002 clinical trial have matured, responses continue to improve, suggesting durability of the Versamune HPV induced anti-tumor immune response," said Dr. Kirk Shepard, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of PDS Biotech. "The encouraging patient survival and clinical responses coupled with promising tolerability as seen in the VERSATILE-002 trial underscore our belief in the potential of the combination to be the first HPV-targeted immunotherapy for HNSCC, and a significant advancement in the treatment of the growing population of patients with HPV16-positive HNSCC. We are working toward initiating the VERSATILE-003 Phase 3 study this year."

Versamune HPV has been granted Fast Track designation by the FDA.

1.
Harrington K. et al. J Clin Oncol. 2022 ascopubs.org/journal/jco on October 11, 2022: DOI View Source

2.
Licitra L. et al. 2024, International Journal of Radiation Oncology Volume 118, Issue 5e2-e3April 01
No head-to-head studies have been performed comparing Versamune HPV with other treatments