Imugene (ASX: IMU) doses first patient in combination cohort of IMPRINTER study - Kalkine Media

Highlights

• IMU, an Australian immuno-oncology company, has dosed first patient in the combination cohort of IMPRINTER study
• Imugene’s study assesses safety, efficacy, and optimal dose of PD1-Vaxx combined with atezolizumab in NSCLC patients
• IMU-201 (PD1-Vaxx) study will be undertaken at sites in the US and Australia

ASX-listed immuno-oncology company Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU) has announced about the dosing of the first patient in the combination cohort of the IMPRINTER study. This clinical trial by Imugene is about evaluating the safety and efficacy of the company's PD1-Vaxx, alone or in combination with atezolizumab, in patients suffering from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Notably, PD1-Vaxx is a B-cell activating immunotherapy. Atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor from Roche that targets PD-L1.

The development

Imugene has dosed the first patient in the combination cohort as part of a clinical trial, which is evaluating the safety and efficacy of IMU-201 (PD1-Vaxx) either alone or when combined with atezolizumab (Tecentriq®). The company states that the objective of the open label, multi-centre (sites in Australia and the US), dose escalation/expansion phase 1/1b trial is to evaluate safety, efficacy, and optimal dose of the PD1-Vaxx and atezolizumab combination.

The dual targeting of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis is being studied, providing treatment options for cancer patients. Combination with PD1-Vaxx may help in overcoming treatment resistance to ICIs, thereby extending the benefit of atezolizumab, according to Imugene.

It is also stated that Tecentriq® is the first approved cancer immunotherapy for adjuvant NSCLC. It has shown “clinically meaningful benefit” in different types of lung cancer. Six currently approved indications have been shown in the US.

Data source: Company update

The sponsor of the ongoing study is Imugene Limited, with Roche providing atezolizumab. No preconditions apply to the current supply agreement, which is for up to five years (unless agreed otherwise by either party with industry standard cancellation provisions). Rights to all inventions and discoveries related to the combination would belong to both the study partners.

IMU shares traded at AU$0.105 (market cap over AU$706 million) at the time of writing on 1 June 2023.