AIM ImmunoTech Inc (NYSE:AIM) (AIM) announced that it has entered into an external sponsored collaborative clinical research agreement with AstraZeneca and Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands that will evaluate the potential of AIM’s Ampligen (rintatolimod) in combination with AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Ampligen is AIM’s dsRNA drug currently being developed for globally important cancers.
The company's NYSE American-listed shares jumped 14.4% on the news, trading at about US$0.72 on Tuesday morning.
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Under the agreement, Erasmus Medical Center is planning to perform an investigator-initiated clinical study, entitled 'Combining anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor durvalumab with TLR-3 agonist rintatolimod in patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma for therapy effect. DURIPANC Study', which it will use to study both drugs provided by AIM and AstraZeneca.
AIM CEO Thomas K Equels said the company had been diligently working to advance the development of Ampligen as a synergistic combination therapy with checkpoint inhibitors based on promising data demonstrated to date.
“In the previously conducted human clinical studies, Ampligen has shown synergistic potential with PD-1 checkpoint blockade therapeutics,” Equels noted in a statement. “We are thrilled to take this important step forward in clinical development in collaboration with AstraZeneca and its PDL-1 therapy, durvalumab, and further unlock the potential of Ampligen for the treatment of pancreatic cancer where there remains significant unmet need.”
Pancreato-biliary surgeon at Erasmus Medical Center Dr Casper H J van Eijck commented: “We believe this one-two punch of TLR-3 stimulation and PD-L1 blockade could lead to synergistic anti-tumor immunity in patients and extend overall and progression-free survival in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.”
AIM ImmunoTech is an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, immune disorders, and viral diseases, including COVID-19.
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