6th Jul 2020 10:17
(Alliance News) - 4D Pharma PLC on Monday said it has commenced the treatment of the first cancer patients in Part B of its Phase I/II clinical trial of MRx0518 combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda - or pembrolizumab - in patients with acquired resistance to prior immune checkpoint therapy.
MRx0518 is a single strain live biotherapeutic product being developed for the treatment of cancer, designed to stimulate the body's immune system, directing it to produce cytokines and immune cells which are known to attack tumours.
Keytruda - or pembrolizumab - is an anti-PD-1 therapy.
In May, the pharmaceutical company said it completed part A of the trial which evaluated the effects of MRx0518 combined with Keytruda in patients with advanced solid tumours who had previously responded positively to PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors, but had subsequently developed secondary resistance and progressive disease. It added that in Part A there were no treatment-related serious adverse events, no treatment-related drug discontinuations and no increase of immune-related adverse events as seen with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
4D Pharma said part B of the study will assess clinical benefit and safety of the treatment in up to an additional 30 patients.
"Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies have provided a significant step forward in the toolbox in the fight against cancer. Unfortunately however, they do not work in all patients, and in those patients that do benefit that response can be lost over time. Continued positive results will support MRx0518 as a much needed novel therapeutic for patients who currently have no alternative treatment options. This is another important step towards our aim to have the first approved live biotherapeutic in an oncology setting," said Chief Executive Duncan Peyton.
4D Pharma stock was trading 3.5% higher at 41.84 pence each on Monday morning in London but is 57% lower than at the start of the year.
By Ife Taiwo; [email protected].
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