- Thinly traded micro cap Immune Design (IMDZ -6%) is down on modestly higher volume as investors appear to be "selling on the news" on the heels of its announcement of positive interim results from a Phase 2 clinical trial assessing the combination of prime boost cancer vaccine candidate CMB305, combined with Roche's TECENTRIQ (atezolizumab), in patients with NY-ESO-1-positive soft tissue sarcoma (STS).
- The 88-subject study is comparing the combination (n=45) to atezolizumab alone (n=43). The disease control rate (DCR) (partial responders + stable disease) in the combination group was 61%, including one partial responder. The DCR in the atezolizumab-only group was 28% with no partial responders.
- Median progression-free survival favored the combination cohort, 2.6 months versus 1.4 months, as did time-to-next treatment, 9.0 months versus 6.3 months. Overall survival data will be presented after all patients have at least one year of follow-up.
- CMB305 is a prime-boost vaccine against NY-ESO-1-expressing tumors designed to generate an integrated anti-NY-ESO-1 response via its specific interaction with messengers between the innate and adaptive immune systems called dendritic cells. The company says its approach is different from other cancer vaccines.
- Now read: Sarepta Therapeutics Management Lowballs Guidance
Original article