Highlights

• IMU’s CF33 oncolytic virotherapy VAXINIA and B cell immunotherapy HER-Vaxx to showcased at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting.
• The oncolytic virus CF33-hNIS (VAXINIA), either alone or combined with KEYTRUDA®, offers a safe treatment alternative for patients with advanced cancer.
• Positive outcomes from VAXINIA treatment have justified expanding the patient cohorts for biliary tract cancer and other tumour types.
• In contrast to chemotherapy alone, administering HER-Vaxx through vaccination has demonstrated a 40% improvement in overall survival.

Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU) is set to present its CF33 oncolytic virotherapy VAXINIA and B cell immunotherapy HER-Vaxx at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, in San Diego, California. The poster presentations are scheduled for 9 April 2024 (US time), and will be uploaded to the Imugene website on the morning of 10 April 2024. 

The poster presentation will highlight that VAXINIA alone or in combination with KEYTRUDA^® provides a safe treatment alternative for advanced cancer patients. Encouraging results in one patient with biliary tract cancer after treatment with VAXINIA warrant cohort expansions in biliary tract cancer and other types of tumours.  

The poster presentation for HER-Vaxx will showcase that vaccination with HER-Vaxx resulted in a 40% overall survival benefit compared to chemotherapy alone. Moreover, HER-Vaxx induced HER2-specific antibody levels are associated with a reduction in tumours.

Details of the oncolytic virus CF33-hNIS poster presentation

Title of the presentation is –

Data source: Company update

As of 19 December 2023, in the MAST trial, number of efficacy-evaluable patients was 31. In the IT (intratumoural) cohorts, 44% injected lesions demonstrated a decrease in tumour burden, while three lesions showed complete eradication.

On other hand, in the IV (intravenous) cohorts, 53% patients reported stable disease, which is their best response. Those patients who got prior checkpoint blockade therapy showed clinical benefits without or with pembrolizumab. Patients who experienced a decrease in tumour size exhibited higher viral replication, as evaluated by SPECT.

Response to VAXINIA therapy is better amongst those patients who had increased level of T cell diversity in peripheral blood.

Patients treated with both IT and IV methods showed encouraging immunological alterations in on-treatment tumour biopsies. This result highlights that VAXINIA can change microenvironment of tumour.

Data source: Company update

Details of the HER-Vaxx poster presentation

Title of the presentation is –

Data source: Company update

Treatment with HER-Vaxx delivered a strong antibody response against anti-HER2-IgG and IgG1 antibodies. HER-Vaxx induced HER2-specific antibodies are capable of facilitating antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) and also corelates with reduction in tumour.

The HER-Vaxx-induced HER2-specific antibodies exhibit a mechanism of action similar to that of HERCEPTIN^®, thereby validating B cell immunotherapy as a viable alternative to monoclonal antibodies for combating cancer, highlighted the company update.

IMU shares traded at AU$0.105 apiece on 8 April 2024.