- Immutep (IMM) has entered into a second clinical collaboration and supply agreement for a new randomised trial in head and neck cancer (HNSCC)
- Under the new supply agreement with MSD, Immutep will conduct a new clinical trial in first-line HNSCC patients
- The trial in around 160 patients will evaluate efficacy of Immutep’s lead product candidate, eftilagimod alpha, known as efti, when given with MSD’s Keytrude, compared to pembrolizumab alone
- The trial will take place in over twenty clinical sites across the U.S., Australia and Europe, with the first patient expected to be enrolled mid-2021
- Immutep is in the grey, last trading at 33.5 cents per share
Biotech company Immutep (IMM) has entered into a second clinical collaboration and supply agreement for a new randomised trial in head and neck cancer (HNSCC).
HNSCC is the sixth most common cancer worldwide, with 890,000 new cases and 450,000 deaths reported in 2018. It is considered an aggressive, genetically complex and difficult to treat cancer, which is associated with high levels of psychological distress.
Immutep’s supply agreement is with subsidiaries of Merck & Co, Kenilworth, known as MSD outside of the U.S. and Canada. Under the agreement, Immutep will conduct a new clinical trial in first-line HNSCC patients.
The trial, called TACTI-003, will be a randomised, controlled clinical study in around 160 first line HNSCC patients. The trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of Immutep’s lead product candidate, eftilagimod alpha, known as efti, when given with MSD’s Keytrude, compared to pembrolizumab alone.
Efti is a cell activator which stimulates cancer-fighting cells, while Keytruda blocks the immunosuppressive PD-1 pathway.
The combination of efti and KEYTRUDA is also being evaluated in Immutep’s ongoing phase two TACTI-002 study, after promising results from the TACTI-002 trial prompted the initiation of the new TACTI-003 trial. This combo brings together two immuno-oncology treatments with complementary mechanisms of action at two different positions in the cancer immunity cycle.
“We are excited to be deepening our collaboration with MSD through this second agreement and the TACTI-003 clinical trial. Advancing to this later stage Phase IIb trial will allow us to explore the combination therapy in the commercially relevant 1st line therapy setting which has a high unmet medical need,” said Immutep CEO Marc Voigt.
The trial will take place in over twenty clinical sites across the U.S., Australia and Europe, with the first patient expected to be enrolled later this year.
Immutep is in the grey, last trading at 33.5 cents at 10:00am AEDT.