NetScientific PLC (AIM:NSCI) said preliminary results from a study conducted by its portfolio company, PDS Biotechnology, reveal that a combination of two drugs, PDS0101 and Merck's KEYTRUDA, shows potential in improving the body's ability to fight a specific type of head and neck cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).
The most significant finding is that this drug combination appears to boost the activity of killer T cells, a type of immune cell crucial for combating cancer.
In technical terms, the treatment leads to a TH1-predominant cytokine profile, which is a pattern of immune responses associated with improved killer T cell activity.
Additionally, the study found that there was a decrease in a specific type of T cell, known as CD8 T cells, in the blood after treatment. This is seen as a positive outcome because these cells are believed to move from the blood to the tumour sites, aiding in the fight against cancer.
The data was presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress 2023, a significant event in the medical community.
It forms part of a phase II clinical trial, which is a mid-stage study focusing on the effectiveness and side effects of treatments. The trial included 18 patients, all of whom had confirmed HPV16-positive tumours, with a median age of 63 years.
PDS Biotechnology is encouraged by these preliminary results and plans to continue its investigation in a subsequent phase III study.
"This analysis provides preliminary insights into how PDS0101 in combination with KEYTRUDA may be impacting specific cytokines and chemokines in CD8 and CD4 T cell populations," said Lauren Wood, PDS's chief medical officer.
"The investigational combination appears to be promoting a predominant TH1 immunologic profile that is associated with decreases in CD8 T cells in peripheral blood. We are encouraged that these observations align with other phase II studies reporting PDS0101-induced polyfunctional CD8 T cells traffic to tumours and we look forward to continued investigation in our VERSATILE-003 phase III study."