Scancell Holdings PLC (AIM:SCLP, OTC:SCNLF) is gearing up for a pivotal period with fresh data due from its cancer trials later in 2025 and preparations underway for larger studies that could pave the way for regulatory approval.
The Oxford-based biotech is developing therapies that harness the body’s immune system to fight tumours. Its lead programme, iSCIB1+, is being studied in melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer.
Randomised trials, the gold standard of drug testing, are expected to begin in 2026 after phase II results showed marked improvements in progression-free survival, the length of time patients live without their disease worsening, compared with standard treatment.
Further readouts from the SCOPE trial are expected later this year. These will include additional data from patients already treated and early results from a new cohort.
Scancell said iSCIB1+ had the potential to “set the new standard” for advanced melanoma treatment when used alongside checkpoint inhibitors, drugs that remove brakes on the immune system so it can attack cancer cells.
The company is also running the ModiFY study for its Moditope-based vaccine Modi-1.
Interim results showed a 43% response rate in head and neck cancer patients when combined with a checkpoint inhibitor, well above typical figures for those drugs alone. More data, including results in kidney cancer, are due in the fourth quarter.
Alongside its vaccines, Scancell has expanded into antibodies through its GlyMab platform.
A licensing deal with Danish group Genmab brought in $6 million upfront, with the potential for up to $630 million in milestone payments.
Financial results for the year to April showed an operating loss of £15 million, narrower than the £18.3 million loss the previous year, reflecting investment in its pipeline.
Cash stood at £16.9 million, boosted by an £11.3 million fundraising in late 2024.
The company also confirmed it has enough cash to fund operations into the second half of 2026.
Phillip L’Huillier, who became chief executive in November, said: “Scancell is making strong clinical and organisational progress, meeting its commitments and building momentum towards near-term developmental milestones.”