Immutep Says Interim Phase II TACTI-002 Data Positive

By Michael Dabaie

Immutep Ltd. said interim data was positive from its ongoing Phase II TACTI-002 study.

ADRs were down 1% to $3.00 premarket.

The data relates to use of the company's lead product candidate eftilagimod alpha, as part of a combination treatment with pembrolizumab. The activation of antigen-presenting cells and subsequent T cell recruitment with efti may lead to stronger anti-tumour responses than observed with pembrolizumab alone, the company said.

The company said there were responses in 47% of first line non-small cell lung cancer patients. Immutep said usually only 20% of patients respond to pembrolizumab monotherapy, if not preselected for high PD-L1 expression.

The initial overall response rate was 33% of second line head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients.

The company said 59% of the NSCLC patients are still under therapy with 7-plus months, and median progression-free survival hasn't yet been reached.

Immutep said TACTI-002 is being conducted in collaboration with Merck & Co. It is evaluating the combination of efti with Merck's Keytruda in up to 109 patients.

Write to Michael Dabaie at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 19, 2020 08:38 ET (13:38 GMT)

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