Scancell Holdings’ (LON:SCLP) half-year results track the “exciting transformation” of the life sciences firm developing drugs that use the body’s own immune system to battle cancer.
Among the landmarks were the data from the phase I/II clinical trial of SCIB1 from the ImmunoBody platform, which delivered extraordinary results for patients with hard to treat melanoma.
All 20 people with the tumour now cut out are alive and cancer free. The final clinical study report is expected in the first half of this year.
The phase II trial, due to start next year, will see SCIB1 used alongside a new breed of cancer drug – a checkpoint inhibitor.
ImmunTraCkeR, meanwhile, may be used as a companion diagnostic to predict early response to the Scancell treatment.
Another from the pipeline, Modi-1, developed using the Moditope platform, is expected to go into the clinic next year.
“Cancer immunotherapy is becoming one of the most important clinical advances of our generation and I have never been more optimistic about the Company, its research and the potential for future growth," said Richard Goodfellow, the company’s joint chief executive,
In common with many drug developers at a formative stage of development, Scancell was lossmaking over the six months to October 31. The deficit was £1.17mln.
Its cash balance stood at £1.81mln at that date, down from over £3mln.