Ultimovacs has announced positive 2-year overall survival data in its ongoing phase I clinical study of the cancer vaccine UV1 in combination with pembrolizumab for the treatment of malignant melanoma.
Across all 30 patients in the study, the 24-month survival rate was 73%. Patients will continue to be followed for long-term survival.
“This result is the latest in a stream of highly encouraging data that indicate the effectiveness of UV1 in enhancing treatment of malignant melanoma. It underlines the potential of UV1 in promoting a concerted immune response in many solid tumor types including those in Ultimovacs’ broader phase II programs,” says Carlos de Sousa, Chief Executive Officer of Ultimovacs. “We have seen consistently more positive outcomes from UV1 in combination with pembrolizumab than with the checkpoint inhibitor alone – higher complete response rates, higher overall response rates, higher median progression-free survival and now better 24-month overall survival rates.”
“It underlines the potential of UV1 in promoting a concerted immune response in many solid tumor types including those in Ultimovacs’ broader phase II programs.”
In the same malignant melanoma study, as reported in March 2022, the complete response rate is 33% (i.e. with complete disappearance of tumors) and the objective response rate is 57% (i.e. with a partial or complete disappearance of tumors). Earlier trials with checkpoint inhibitors have shown that patients with clinical responses have improved survival rates.
Expects to provide 3-year overall survival data from the first cohort of 20 patients in Q4 2022
The data represent the latest result from Ultimovacs’ phase I study of its universal cancer vaccine UV1 used in combination with the PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab. Thirty patients were treated in the study in two cohorts that differed only in the concentration of GM-CSF used as a vaccine adjuvant. Two years have passed since the beginning of treatment of the last patient in the second cohort. Ultimovacs expects to provide 3-year overall survival data from the first cohort of 20 patients in Q4 2022.
Photo of Carlos de Sousa: Ultimovacs
