Immutep Reports Promising New Data in Head and Neck Cancer at ESMO Immuno-Oncology 2024

Core Insights - The article highlights positive clinical results from Immutep Limited's TACTI-003 Phase IIb trial, demonstrating the efficacy of eftilagimod alpha (efti) in combination with pembrolizumab for treating difficult-to-treat head and neck cancer patients with PD-L1 CPS <1 [1][4][5] Group 1: Clinical Results - Median overall survival (OS) has not yet been reached, with a 12-month OS rate of 67%, significantly higher than historical controls [1][4] - Promising progression-free survival (PFS) of 5.8 months and strong durability with an interim median duration of response (DOR) of 9.3 months [4] - The objective response rate (ORR) is 35.5%, and the disease control rate (DCR) is 58.1%, with complete response rates increasing to 12.9% and 16.1% according to RECIST 1.1 and iRECIST, respectively [4][5] Group 2: Treatment Tolerance and Safety - The combination treatment continues to be well-tolerated, with no new safety signals reported [4][5] - This data compares favorably to historical results from anti-PD-1 therapy alone, which showed a median OS of 7.9 months and a 12-month OS rate of 39% [4] Group 3: Market Implications - The results indicate a potential new treatment option for the underserved population of head and neck cancer patients with PD-L1 expression of less than one, representing up to 20% of patients [5][6] - The company plans to continue monitoring the maturing data from TACTI-003 and engage with regulatory authorities regarding potential paths forward [6]