Immutep Reports Positive Preliminary Topline Results From TACTI-003 Cohort B

(RTTNews) - Immutep Limited (IMMP), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel LAG-3 immunotherapies for cancer and autoimmune disease, Wednesday announces preliminary topline results from Cohort B of the TACTI-003 Phase IIb trial evaluating eftilagimod alpha (efti) in combination with MSD's anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) as first-line treatment of recurrent/metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients with negative PD-L1 expression.

The investigational immuno-oncology combination utilizing Immutep's MHC Class II agonist and MSD's PD-1 therapy demonstrates an overall response rate of 26.9% and disease control rate (DCR) 57.7% in 26 patients whose tumours do not express PD-L1 (Combined Positive Score <1), according to RECIST 1.1, which compares favourably to historical controls.

Dr. Martin Forster of the UCL Cancer Institute and University College London Hospital NHS Foundation, London, UK, and TACTI-003 Investigator, stated, "These preliminary topline results in the first line setting for patients with head and neck squamous cell cancers that do not express PD-L1 are encouraging. Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas are a heterogenous disease that represent a high unmet medical need regardless of PD-L1 expression. This is especially the case for patients with tumours that do not express PD-L1 and those that cannot receive chemotherapy. The ability of efti to work with MSD's anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA® to potentially improve patients' clinical responses and expand patient populations that respond to the latter, without using chemotherapy, is promising."