On June 18, 2025 CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE American: CVM) reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of Merck’s KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab), an anti-PD-1 therapy, for the treatment of adult patients with resectable locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) whose tumors express PD-L1 (Combined Positive Score [CPS] ≥1) as determined by an FDA-approved test (Press release, Cel-Sci, JUN 18, 2025, View Source [SID1234653997]). Merck’s application was granted the FDA’s priority review on February 25, 2025, and regulatory approval was granted on June 13, 2025, based on interim results from Keytruda’s Phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 trial.

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Last week the FDA approved Keytruda as a perioperative (before and after surgery) treatment for resectable locally advanced head and neck cancer patients whose tumors express PD-L1 at a positive level. In Merck’s Phase 3 KEYNOTE-689 trial, Keytruda reduced the risk of recurrence and progression by 30%, compared with standard of care, in patients whose tumors expressed PD-L1 (CPS ≥1). The study did not show an improvement in overall survival. Patients with low to zero levels of PD-L1 did not benefit from Keytruda.

In contrast to the results of the KEYNOTE-689, CEL-SCI’s Phase 3 study showed that Multikine* treated patients whose tumors expressed low (Tumor Proportion Score [TPS <10]) to zero PD-L1, had their risk of death reduced by 66% (hazard ratio 0.34, 95% CI [0.18, 0.65], p=0.0012) and extended the 5-year overall survival to 73% compared to 45% in the standard of care, log rank p=0.0015. About 70% of the patients in CEL-SCI’s Phase 3 study had low to zero levels of PD-L1.

"It is encouraging for CEL-SCI that Merck’s Keytruda application received the FDA’s priority review and that marketing approval was given based on a Phase 3 study’s first pre-specified interim analysis. CEL-SCI has received the FDA’s go-ahead for a confirmatory Registration Study with 212 patients based on results from the completed Multikine Phase 3 study in head and neck cancer patients. The patients in the Phase 3 study that benefited from Multikine pre-surgery treatment showed an almost 4-year median overall survival advantage over control, and pre-surgery tumor responses to Multikine predicted survival benefit. The Keytruda approval based on pre-specified interim results strongly implies that Multikine has the potential for accelerated regulatory approval based on favorable post-surgical tumor responses," stated CEL-SCI’s CEO, Geert Kersten.

On June 18, 2025 GeneCentric Therapeutics, a company making precision medicine more precise through gene expression, reported the initial closing of an $8.0 million Series C financing (Press release, GeneCentric Therapeutics, JUN 18, 2025, View Source [SID1234653996]). The proceeds will be used to launch and commercialize GeneCentric’s GenomicsNext, the first integrated platform for comprehensive liquid biopsy testing that simultaneously provides thousands of gene expression measurements and high-fidelity DNA variant detection from circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in one sample. This novel gene expression platform will accelerate the growth of GeneCentric’s pipeline of predictive response signatures for oncology therapeutics development.

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The funding round was led by Hatteras Venture Partners, with current participation from existing investors IAG Capital Partners, Alexandria Venture Investments, and Labcorp. The financing is expected to provide a cash runway for GeneCentric through 2026.

"While we see many new liquid biopsy companies seeking funding, GeneCentric has the most compelling opportunity we have identified," said Clay Thorp, General Partner, Hatteras Ventures Partners. "GenomicsNext has the potential to become the ‘decoder ring’ for translating a broad array of tissue-based biomarkers into liquid biopsy formats. This could transform how patients are identified and how disease and treatments are monitored."

"With a single blood sample from a cancer patient, our GenomicsNext liquid biopsy platform can determine the gene expression of drug target genes, molecular subtypes, and predictive gene signatures, in addition to mutations and fusions," said Mike Milburn, PhD, President and CEO of GeneCentric Therapeutics. "We believe our unique fragmentomics technology will become the best-in-class application for yielding greater insights and biomarker coverage from liquid biopsies to better aid diagnosis and treatment selection for patients. We are grateful for the enthusiasm and support of our investors and expect to make the GenomicsNext platform commercially available as a powerful research tool for biopharmaceutical companies in 2025."

About GenomicsNext

While liquid biopsy enables the diagnosis or analysis of tumors using a blood or fluid sample rather than a tissue biopsy, it currently focuses on measuring mutations in genes and not their expression. This narrow focus limits its utility, because important measures including molecular subtypes and common biomarkers for targeted therapy, such as HER2 or antibody-drug conjugates, are not measured by most assays, potentially delaying diagnosis and administration of life-saving oncology therapeutics.

Building on over a decade of expertise with gene expression, GeneCentric developed ExpressCT, a breakthrough technology that measures gene expression using information embedded in ctDNA, to provide a more complete liquid biopsy solution for precision oncology. The company will apply this technology through GenomicsNext, its integrated platform for comprehensive liquid biopsy testing. Once launched, the platform will simultaneously provide high-fidelity DNA variants and gene expression information.

"We’ve known that gene expression is a powerful diagnostic adjunct to traditional DNA alterations, but unlike tumor tissue profiling today, gene expression measurement is largely missing from liquid biopsy assays," said Kirk Beebe, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of GeneCentric. "The GenomicsNext platform delivers a dramatic step change in the diagnostic utility of ctDNA-based liquid biopsies by ushering in this dimension."

On June 18, 2025 MAIA Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE American: MAIA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing targeted immunotherapies for cancer, reported its entry into a clinical master supply agreement with Roche for future studies investigating the combination of MAIA’s telomere-targeting agent ateganosine (THIO), sequenced with Roche’s checkpoint inhibitor (CPI), atezolizumab (Tecentriq), for the treatment of multiple hard-to-treat cancers (Press release, MAIA Biotechnology, JUN 18, 2025, View Source [SID1234653995]).

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"In preclinical studies, ateganosine was found to be highly synergistic and effective in combination with Roche’s anti-PD-L1 agent atezolizumab," said MAIA Chairman and CEO Vlad Vitoc, M.D. "We are pleased to partner with world-renowned Roche and we look forward to further strengthening our mission to find safe and effective cancer treatments."

About Ateganosine

Ateganosine (THIO, 6-thio-dG or 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine) is a first-in-class investigational telomere-targeting agent currently in clinical development to evaluate its activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Telomeres, along with the enzyme telomerase, play a fundamental role in the survival of cancer cells and their resistance to current therapies. The modified nucleotide 6-thio-2’-deoxyguanosine induces telomerase-dependent telomeric DNA modification, DNA damage responses, and selective cancer cell death. Ateganosine-damaged telomeric fragments accumulate in cytosolic micronuclei and activate both innate (cGAS/STING) and adaptive (T-cell) immune responses. The sequential treatment with ateganosine followed by PD-(L)1 inhibitors resulted in profound and persistent tumor regression in advanced, in vivo cancer models by induction of cancer type–specific immune memory. Ateganosine is presently developed as a second or later line of treatment for NSCLC for patients that have progressed beyond the standard-of-care regimen of existing checkpoint inhibitors.

On June 18, 2025 Incyte (Nasdaq:INCY) reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Monjuvi (tafasitamab-cxix), a humanized Fc-modified cytolytic CD19-targeting monoclonal antibody, in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) (Press release, Incyte, JUN 18, 2025, View Source [SID1234653994]).

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"Patients living with relapsed or refractory FL have been waiting for new options that improve progression-free survival without substantial increase in side effects. Based on the data from the inMIND trial of Monjuvi, today’s approval brings to this patient population the first CD-19 and CD20-targeted immunotherapy combination and a potential new treatment standard," said Hervé Hoppenot, Chief Executive Officer, Incyte. "This second U.S. approval for Monjuvi reinforces our commitment to advancing innovation for the lymphoma community."

The Priority Review and FDA approval of the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Monjuvi was based on data from the pivotal, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 inMIND trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Monjuvi in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide in adult patients with relapsed or refractory FL. Data from the trial was featured in the Late-breaking Session (LBA-1) at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.1

The study met its primary endpoint demonstrating a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) by investigator assessment, which demonstrated 27.5% (N=273) of patients with an event in the Monjuvi group vs. 47.6% (N=275) of patients with an event in the control arm. Patients receiving Monjuvi in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide achieved a median PFS by investigator assessment of 22.4 months (95% CI, 19.2-not evaluable [NE]) compared to 13.9 months (95% CI, 11.5-16.4) in the control arm (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.43 [95% CI, 0.32-0.58]; P<0.0001). The PFS assessed by an Independent Review Committee (IRC) was consistent with investigator-based results. Median PFS by IRC was not reached (95% CI, 19.3-NE) in the Monjuvi group versus 16.0 months (95% CI, 13.9-21.1) in the control arm (HR: 0.41 [95% CI, 0.29-0.56]. The PFS benefit was consistent across prespecified patient subgroups, including number of previous lines of therapy.

The safety of Monjuvi in patients with FL was evaluated in 546 patients in the inMIND trial. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 33% of patients who received Monjuvi in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide, including serious infections in 24% of patients (including pneumonia and COVID-19 infection). Other serious adverse reactions in ≥ 2% of patients included renal insufficiency (3.3%), second primary malignancies (2.9%), and febrile neutropenia (2.6%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 1.5% of patients, including from COVID-19, sepsis, and adenocarcinoma. The most common adverse reactions (≥ 20%) in recipients of Monjuvi, excluding laboratory abnormalities, were respiratory tract infections (including COVID-19 infection and pneumonia), diarrhea, rash, fatigue, constipation, musculoskeletal pain, and cough. The most common Grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (≥ 20%) were decreased neutrophils and decreased lymphocytes.

"Follicular lymphoma is generally an indolent yet chronic cancer that frequently recurs after treatment, making long-term disease control a critical objective," said Christina Poh, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. "The FDA approval of Monjuvi in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide marks a significant advancement, offering a chemotherapy-free option that has demonstrated a meaningful reduction in the risk of disease progression across a broad patient population, including those with high-risk disease."

FL is the second most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and represents up to 30% of NHL cases.2 While considered an indolent, slow-growing disease with prolonged survival, FL is challenging to treat due to its tendency for frequent relapse, need for multiple lines of therapy and potential transformation into large B-cell lymphoma.2,3

"While the initial responses to FL treatment are often positive, recurrence can become increasingly difficult for patients to manage as they navigate emotions and the next treatment steps related to relapse," said Mitchell Smith, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, Follicular Lymphoma Foundation. "We are pleased that the FDA has approved tafasitamab, part of a treatment combination offering a new option for patients living with this chronic disease."

In July 2020, Monjuvi in combination with lenalidomide received FDA approval for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, and who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). This indication was approved under accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA based on overall response rate (ORR). Continued approval of Monjuvi for this indication may be contingent on verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s). Tafasitamab is also being evaluated as a therapeutic option in an ongoing pivotal trial for first-line DLBCL.

Incyte is committed to supporting patients and removing barriers to access medicines. Eligible patients in the U.S. who are prescribed Monjuvi have access to IncyteCARES (Connecting to Access, Reimbursement, Education and Support), a comprehensive program offering personalized patient support, including financial assistance and ongoing education and additional resources. More information about IncyteCARES is available by visiting www.incytecares.com or calling 1-855-452-5234, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.

About inMIND

A global, double-blind, randomized, controlled Phase 3 study, inMIND (NCT04680052) evaluated the efficacy and safety of tafasitamab in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide compared with placebo in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide in patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) Grade 1 to 3a or relapsed or refractory nodal, splenic or extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). The study enrolled a total of 654 adults (age ≥18 years).

The primary endpoint of the study is progression-free survival (PFS) by investigator assessment in the FL population, and the key secondary endpoints are PFS in the overall population as well as positron emission tomography complete response (PET-CR) and overall survival (OS) in the FL population.

For more information about the study, please visit View Source

About Monjuvi (tafasitamab-cxix)

Monjuvi (tafasitamab-cxix) is a humanized Fc-modified cytolytic CD19-targeting monoclonal antibody. In 2010, MorphoSys licensed exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize tafasitamab from Xencor, Inc. Tafasitamab incorporates an XmAb engineered Fc domain, which mediates B-cell lysis through apoptosis and immune effector mechanism including Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity (ADCC) and Antibody-Dependent Cellular Phagocytosis (ADCP). MorphoSys and Incyte entered into: (a) in January 2020, a collaboration and licensing agreement to develop and commercialize tafasitamab globally; and (b) in February 2024, an agreement whereby Incyte obtained exclusive rights to develop and commercialize tafasitamab globally.

In the U.S., Monjuvi is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in combination with lenalidomide and rituximab for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL).

MONJUVI is not indicated and is not recommended for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory marginal zone lymphoma outside of controlled clinical trials.

Additionally, Monjuvi received accelerated approval in the United States in combination with lenalidomide for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, and who are not eligible for autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT). In Europe, Minjuvi (tafasitamab) received conditional Marketing Authorization from the European Medicines Agency in combination with lenalidomide, followed by Minjuvi monotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL who are not eligible for ASCT.

XmAb is a registered trademark of Xencor, Inc.

Monjuvi, Minjuvi, the Minjuvi and Monjuvi logos and the "triangle" design are registered trademarks of Incyte.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What are the possible side effects of MONJUVI?

MONJUVI may cause serious side effects, including:

Infusion reactions. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for infusion reactions during your infusion of MONJUVI. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get fever, chills, rash, flushing, headache, or shortness of breath during an infusion of MONJUVI
Low blood cell counts (platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells). Low blood cell counts are common with MONJUVI, but can also be serious or severe. Your healthcare provider will monitor your blood counts during treatment with MONJUVI. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or above, or any bruising or bleeding
Infections. Serious infections, including infections that can cause death, have happened in people during treatment with MONJUVI and after the last dose. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get a fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or above, or develop any signs or symptoms of an infection
The most common side effects of MONJUVI when given with lenalidomide in people with DLBCL include:

respiratory tract infection
feeling tired or weak
diarrhea
cough
fever
swelling of lower legs or hands
decreased appetite
The most common side effects of MONJUVI when given with lenalidomide and rituximab in people with FL include:

respiratory tract infections
diarrhea
rash
feeling tired or weak
muscle and bone pain
constipation
cough
These are not all the possible side effects of MONJUVI. Your healthcare provider will give you medicines before each infusion to decrease your chance of infusion reactions. If you do not have any reactions, your healthcare provider may decide that you do not need these medicines with later infusions. Your healthcare provider may need to delay or completely stop treatment with MONJUVI if you have severe side effects.

Before you receive MONJUVI, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you

Have an active infection or have had one recently
Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. MONJUVI may harm your unborn baby. You should not become pregnant during treatment with MONJUVI. Do not receive treatment with MONJUVI in combination with lenalidomide if you are pregnant because lenalidomide can cause birth defects and death of your unborn baby
You should use an effective method of birth control (contraception) during treatment and for 3 months after your last dose of MONJUVI
Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with MONJUVI
Are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if MONJUVI passes into your breastmilk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 3 months after your last dose of MONJUVI
You should also read the lenalidomide Medication Guide for important information about pregnancy, contraception, and blood and sperm donation.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medications you take, including prescription and over- the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Incyte Medical Information at 1-855-463-3463.

Please see the full Prescribing Information including the Medication Guide for Monjuvi.

On June 18, 2025 Oncoinvent ASA, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for solid cancers, reported positive topline data from the Phase 1/2a clinical trial (RAD-18-002) evaluating Radspherin in patients with peritoneal metastases originating from colorectal cancer (Press release, Oncoinvent, JUN 18, 2025, View Source [SID1234653993]).

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Reducing peritoneal recurrence in colorectal cancer is critically important because peritoneal metastases are associated with a particularly poor prognosis and significantly lower overall survival compared to other forms of recurrence1. The development of peritoneal metastases is not only linked to worse survival, but also to distressing symptoms, making disease management more challenging and often resulting in treatment interruptions and repeated hospitalizations.

Standard therapies for peritoneal metastases are limited, and the only treatment option with curative intent is surgery, which aims to remove as much tumor as possible in the peritoneal cavity. However, surgical resection leaves behind microscopic deposits of cancer cells, giving rise to new peritoneal metastases and disease progression. Radspherin, direct intraperitoneal targeting with the alpha-emitter radium-224, aims to eliminate these post-surgery micro-metastases and thereby prevent or delay peritoneal recurrence.

In this single-arm trial of 47 patients, 36 received Radspherin at a 7 MBq dose. The primary endpoint—peritoneal recurrence-free survival (pRFS)—yielded remarkable results:

Only 27.8% (10 of 36) experienced peritoneal disease recurrence at 18 months, a marked reduction compared to published data for standard of care, where approximately 50% of patients typically see peritoneal recurrence at this stage2
At 18 months, 61.1% (22 of 36) of patients had experienced any recurrence, but notably, just 22.7% (5 of 22) had peritoneum as the first site of recurrence
Final data from all 47 treated patients across dose levels further reinforce the favorable safety profile of Radspherin
1 Frøysnes et al. J Surg Oncol. 2016 Aug;114(2):222-7
2 Quenet et al. Lancet Oncol. 2021 Feb;22(2):256-266

Additional results will be published upon completion of the full dataset analysis.

"It’s highly encouraging to see patients treated with Radspherin achieving outcomes that exceed expectations for this challenging population. As a clinician, I’m hopeful that this promising therapy will become an option I can offer to future patients in need," said Dr. Stein Gunnar Larsen, Principal Investigator at the Oslo University Hospital, Norway.

Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Graf, Principal Investigator at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden, added: "Colorectal peritoneal metastases present a major therapeutic challenge with limited effective options, and these findings support the potential of a novel approach that demonstrates both clinical promise and a favorable safety profile."

"We are inspired and motivated by these compelling data. They reinforce our belief in Radspherin’s potential as a novel treatment targeting peritoneal metastases and justify continued advancement of the program," said Oystein Soug, CEO of Oncoinvent. "We extend our deepest gratitude to the patients, investigators, and clinical teams who made this trial possible."

Radspherin is currently investigated in an ongoing phase 2 trial evaluating the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis from ovarian cancer. A positive safety review of the lead-in cohort was announced in Q1 2025, and the trial is currently recruiting patients according to plan in European and US sites in the randomized phase.

About RAD-18-002

RAD-18-002 was an open label Phase 1/2a trial conducted in patients with colorectal peritoneal metastases. The trial was designed to evaluate dosing, safety and tolerability, and signal of efficacy of intraperitoneally administered Radspherin following complete surgical resection and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC). A total of 47 patients were enrolled across sites in Norway and Sweden, with 36 patients receiving the recommended dose of 7 MBq.

About Radspherin

Radspherin is an investigational radiopharmaceutical designed for the local treatment of cancer that has spread to body cavities. It consists of calcium carbonate microparticles containing the radioactive material radium-224. The mode of action is the decay of radium-224 emitting alpha-particles, a highly potent form of ionizing radiation. Radspherin is investigated in ongoing clinical studies to treat peritoneal carcinomatoses from ovarian and colorectal cancer and it is administered intraperitoneally after surgical resection with removal of all macroscopic tumors.