Imugene (ASX: IMU) reports positive early signals in Phase 1 VAXINIA study, shares jump - Kalkine Media

Highlights

• To date, 34 heavily pre-treated patients administered with CF33-hNIS
• All treatments have been ascertained tolerable and safe
• Trial expansion is planned for ten patients with bile duct cancer

Shares of Imugene Limited (ASX: IMU) skyrocketed as the company shared an update on its ongoing Phase 1 MAST (Metastatic Advanced Solid Tumours) study, which aims at examining the efficacy and safety of CF33-hNIS (VAXINIA) oncolytic virotherapy.

As of 31 October 2023, the treatments given under the study have been ascertained safe and tolerable. To this date, during the continuing dose escalation phase, 34 patients were administered VAXINIA, comprising 18 patients intravenously and 16 patients intratumorally, as either monotherapy or in combination with pembrolizumab.

Data Source: Company update

The company plans trial expansion for ten patients with bile duct cancers.

Data Source: Company update

IMU shares jumped as much as 16.66% to an intraday high of AU$ 0.056 in morning trade before giving up some of the gains to trade 8.33% higher at AU$0.052 apiece at the time of writing on 6 November 2023.

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The company informed that one patient with bile duct cancer who was dosed intratumorally with mid-dose level showed pseudoprogression with a 49% rise in tumour burden after two therapy cycles. After four cycles, the patient displayed a complete response with no recognised recurrence in more than 200 days.

Another patient with bile duct cancer, who earlier progressed on previous drug therapies, after receiving IV-administered CF33-hNIS reported Stable Disease for more than 4 months.

Cancers of bile duct are challenging to treat and show limited positive response to immunotherapy drugs. Pseudoprogression is a situation in which initially the cancer looks like to be advancing, because the cancer cells are exposed to the virus then followed by infiltration of cancer battling immune cells. It generally leads to a fall in tumour burden once the therapy starts to work. This phenomenon might help patients receiving undergoing immunotherapy, but it often results in premature discontinuation of treatment because of mistaken impression that cancer is advancing.

To know more about the trial, click here.