Candel Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:CADL) shared promising results from a Phase 1b clinical trial testing its experimental cancer therapy, CAN-2409, in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade glioma—a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer.
The study, published in Neuro-Oncology, found that CAN-2409, when combined with the immunotherapy drug nivolumab and standard treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, was well tolerated and showed signs of boosting the immune system’s response to tumors.
One of the most notable findings was that patients with a specific genetic marker (methylated MGMT promoter) who had their tumors completely removed lived a median of 30.6 months—considerably longer than typical survival rates.
“The results from this mechanistic clinical trial confirm and extend previous observations in clinical trials that have shown clinical and immunological activity of CAN-2409 across different solid tumors,” Candel CEO Paul Peter Tak said in a statement.
Better outcomes
CAN-2409 is an investigational adenovirus-based therapy designed to trigger an immune response against tumor cells when used alongside the antiviral drug valacyclovir. The treatment led to increased T cell receptor diversity and systemic immune activation, particularly in long-term survivors, the study found.
The data suggests CAN-2409 can enhance immune diversity, which has been linked to better outcomes in high-grade glioma and other solid tumors, explained Francesca Barone, Candel’s chief scientific officer.
“The findings are consistent with previous observations in clinical trials after administration of CAN-2409 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other solid tumors, where CAN-2409 administration led to local and systemic immune cell activation, reinforcing the potential to create a “pipeline in a product” across multiple solid tumors,” Barone told investors.
Candel noted that while it is prioritizing development of its CAN-3110 therapy for recurrent high-grade glioma, CAN-2409 remains in late-stage development for other cancers, including localized prostate cancer and NSCLC.
No dose-limiting toxicities were observed in the trial, and the combination therapy was generally well tolerated.