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Highlights
- Immutep Ltd sees a sharp rise in share price after announcing promising results from TACTI-003 Phase IIb trial.
- The trial’s positive outcomes for head and neck cancer treatment fuel investor optimism.
- CEO Marc Voigt highlights the potential of the treatment for underserved cancer patients.
Shares in Immutep Ltd (ASX:IMM), a clinical-stage biotech company in the S&P/ASX 300 Index (ASX:XKO), are on the rise today, following the release of encouraging clinical trial results. The stock closed yesterday at 35.5 cents, but after opening higher, shares reached 38.5 cents, marking an 8.5% increase. After some likely profit-taking, shares are currently trading at 37.7 cents, up 6.2%. So, what has investors excited?
Immutep, which is developing innovative immuno-oncology treatments, reported positive clinical data from Cohort B of its TACTI-003 Phase IIb trial. The trial investigates the efficacy of Immutep’s Efti product, used in combination with Merck & Co's Pembrolizumab, to treat difficult-to-treat head and neck cancer patients with negative PD-L1 expression.
Promising Trial Results Fuel Investor Optimism
The latest data from the trial is showing strong results across several key metrics. Immutep highlighted significant improvements in overall survival, progression-free survival, and the durability of the treatment combination. Specifically, the complete response rate increased to 12.9% according to RECIST 1.1 and 16.1% according to iRECIST, both of which measure tumor response to treatment.
Moreover, the median overall survival has not yet been reached, which suggests that the treatment may offer long-term benefits. The 12-month overall survival rate stands at 67%, well above historical controls for this type of cancer. These results are especially significant as they indicate that the novel treatment could offer meaningful benefits for patients who have limited options, such as chemotherapy.
The treatment was also well-tolerated among the patients, with no major safety concerns reported, further boosting investor confidence in the drug’s potential.
Expert Comments and Company Outlook
Dr. Martin Forster from the UCL Cancer Institute and University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, who commented on the trial results, expressed optimism about the survival and durability data. He noted that the combination treatment is building on strong previous response rates and could represent a breakthrough for treating head and neck squamous cell cancer in patients with PD-L1 expression of less than one.
Immutep’s CEO, Marc Voigt, also highlighted the significance of the results, stressing that head and neck cancer patients with low PD-L1 expression have historically had few effective treatment options. Voigt stated, “Despite the significant progress of cancer immunotherapy over the past decade, these patients continue to have limited treatment options, all of which include chemotherapy.” He added that the data from this trial represents an important step forward in potentially offering a new treatment approach for this underserved group of patients, which could benefit up to 20% of those suffering from the disease.
