NetScientific PLC (AIM:NSCI, FRA:NTK1) said investee company PDS Biotechnology Corporation (NASDAQ:PDSB) has completed enrolment of the first stage of its phase II head and neck cancer clinical trial.
The checkpoint inhibitor naïve arm of its VERSATILE-002 study will treat people with recurrent and/or metastatic human papillomavirus (HPV16) form of the disease.
The evaluation will ultimately assess two groups of HPV16-positive head and neck cancer patients whose cancer has returned or spread.
The first group, which is currently being dosed, has not been previously treated with a checkpoint inhibitor (CPI naïve).
The second has failed multiple treatments including checkpoint inhibitor therapy (CPI refractory).
The objective is to reduce the tumour by 30% or more. If this response is seen in four or more of the 17 people taking part in this first cohort then PDS will advance to the next stage of the CPI naïve arm, which will recruit a further 54 patients.
The trial is being conducted in collaboration with Merck & Co.
NetScientific chief executive Ilian Iliev said: "We are delighted with the progress PDS is continuing to make with this phase II clinical trial in collaboration with Merck & Co. This follows the positive preliminary results from the NCI-led phase II trials announced in June this year."