Shares in Avacta Group PLC (AIM:AVCT) rose 5% on Thursday after the company reported a fresh sign of efficacy from its lead cancer drug in an ongoing early-stage trial.
The latest update from the phase Ib study of AVA6000, a targeted chemotherapy treatment, showed a partial response in a patient with metastatic salivary gland cancer.
According to the company, the total tumour size in the 69-year-old male patient was reduced by nearly 50% at the first scan, meeting the criteria for a partial response under trial protocols.
The result comes from the dose expansion phase of the trial, which is focusing on salivary gland cancer, a rare condition with few treatment options. Avacta said recruitment into this arm of the study is continuing.
Earlier data from the phase Ia portion of the trial, presented in April at a major oncology conference, included one confirmed partial response and a high disease control rate of 91%.
Median progression-free survival had not yet been reached, with early trends pointing to a potential doubling of outcomes compared with existing benchmarks.
Final results from Phase Ia are due later this year, alongside a broader business update at the company’s annual meeting in July.
The shares rose 1.5p to 31p.