The B cell immunotherapy HER-Vaxx and CF33 oncolytic virotherapy CHECKVacc of Imugene Ltd (ASX:IMU, OTC:IUGNF) (Imugene Ltd (ASX:IMU, OTC:IUGNF), Imugene Ltd (ASX:IMU, OTC:IUGNF)) have prominently featured at this year's ESMO Congress, this week in Madrid.
The European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress serves as a global stage for cancer therapies and technologies, drawing clinicians, researchers, patient advocates, journalists and healthcare industry representatives from around the world.
The presentations at the ESMO Congress showcased the work Imugene is progressing to combat cancer through immunotherapies and garnered significant attention.
Contributions to cancer showcased
One highlight was the presentation titled HERIZON: A Phase 2 study of HER-Vaxx (IMU-131), a HER2-targeting peptide vaccine plus standard of care chemotherapy in patients with HER2+ advanced stomach Cancer, delivered by Dr Joshua Tobias from the Medical University of Vienna.
The study’s results were encouraging, including a statistically significant overall survival benefit and robust anti-HER2 antibody responses in patients.
These findings validate the potential of HER-Vaxx as a first-in-class B-cell immunotherapy.
Combatting metastasis
Another noteworthy presentation, Prevention of metastasis formation by combination therapy targeting HER2 and PD-L1 in HER2-expressing tumours based on observed efficacious vaccination against HER2-positive tumours, also delivered by Dr Tobias, explored the potential of targeting HER2 in combination with PD-L1.
This combination therapy showed promise in preclinical and clinical settings, potentially preventing metastasis development and immune evasion in HER2+ cancers.
Promise in triple-negative breast cancer
Dr Jamie Rand from the City of Hope Cancer Center presented Induction of an Inflammatory Tumour Microenvironment with Oncolytic Virus CF33-hNIS-antiPD-L1 Intratumoral Injection in Patients with Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer (mTNBC).
The findings presented here indicated that CF33-hNIS-anti-PD-L1 intratumoral injection is safe and induces a tumour microenvironment conducive to immune clearance of tumours, offering hope for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer patients.