The clinical stage immuno-oncology company Imugene Ltd (ASX:IMU, OTC:IUGNF) has advanced its Phase 1 metastatic advanced solid tumours (MAST) trial evaluating the safety of novel cancer-killing oncolytic virus CF33-hNIS (VAXINIA) to the next cohort of the intravenous (IV) arms of both the monotherapy and combination study.
IMU has been putting the VAXINA treatment through its paces in this Phase 1 clinical trial assessing safety, leveraging several patient cohorts with either intratumoral (IT) or intravenous (IV) administration methods, and testing both VAXINA alone as a monotherapy, and in combination with immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab.
Peer review and publication to come
“As we continue to move through the cohorts at pace, we’re aiming to have this high-quality science peer reviewed and recognised within publications or conferences befitting of its results and potential benefit to patients in need,” Imugene managing director and CEO Leslie Chong said.
The multicentre, Phase 1 MAST trial began with delivering a low dose of VAXINIA to patients with metastatic or advanced solid tumours who have had at least two prior lines of standard of care treatment.
The City of Hope-developed oncolytic virus has been shown to shrink colon, lung, breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancer tumours in preclinical laboratory and animal models.
Overall, the study aims to recruit up to 100 patients across some 10 trial sites in the United States and Australia.