Imugene Ltd (ASX:IMU) has revealed new clinical data from the Phase Ib study of its HER-Vaxx cancer vaccine showing continued positive cancer-fighting antibody and clinical response rates in patients.
Notably, the patients have maintained strong and high levels of HER-2 targeting antibodies indicating a durable response is present with no resistance developed.
In cohort 3, patients that are receiving the optimal biological dose, and selected Phase 2 dose, one patient has seen a total tumour reduction of almost 80% from baseline CT scan with one out of four of their lesions becoming unmeasurable at Day 266 visit.
Imugene managing director and chief executive officer Leslie Chong said: “This latest presentation from the HER-Vaxx Phase 1b study further reinforces the very good early results and ongoing interest among the international oncology community in our potentially promising B-cell platform cancer vaccine and clinical development strategy.”
READ: Imugene presents new HER-Vaxx cancer vaccine results
The positive new data was presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona Spain over the weekend.
The data will be published in the prestigious Annals of Oncology after the congress.
New HER-Vaxx Cancer Vaccine trial data presented at the European Society of Medical Oncology World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer. Read more our potentionally promising B-cell platform
cancer vaccine and clinical development strategy #endcancer $IMU https://t.co/Jk5xqgEuZ0 pic.twitter.com/BDD0Z49Jxy
— Imugene | Cancer Immunotherapies (@TeamImugene) July 7, 2019
The Phase 1b HER-Vaxx study in metastatic gastric cancer patients overexpressing the HER-2 protein completed enrolment in late 2018 and reported no safety or toxicity issues.
All evaluable patients showed increased antibody responses. The Phase 2 study began enrolment in March 2019 and is scheduled to complete in 2020.
Background
Imugene’s HER-Vaxx is a B-cell peptide cancer vaccine designed to treat tumours that over-express the HER-2/neu receptor, such as gastric, breast, ovarian, lung and pancreatic cancers.
The immunotherapy is constructed from several B cell epitopes derived from the extracellular domain of HER-2/neu.
It has been shown in pre-clinical studies and now in Phase I studies to stimulate a potent polyclonal antibody response to HER-2/neu, a well-known and validated cancer target.