
INSIGHT-003 – Phase I in 1st line NSCLC
At the ESMO Congress 2023 in October, further encouraging efficacy and tolerability data was presented from the ongoing investigator-initiated INSIGHT-003 trial evaluating efti plus anti-PD-1 therapy and doublet chemotherapy as 1st line therapy in metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.
A strong Overall Response Rate of 71.4% and 90.5% Disease Control Rate were reported. Median Overall Survival (OS) has not yet been reached. The median Progression Free Survival (PFS) was 10.1 months.
In this study, 81% of patients have low or negative PD-L1 expression, making them typically less responsive to anti-PD-1 based therapy. For low or negative PD-L1 expressors (TPS <50%), the ORR was 70.6% which compares favourably to reported results from a registrational trial of anti-PD-1 and doublet chemotherapy that yielded a response rate of 40.8% in the same patient population.
INSIGHT-005 – Phase I trial in Urothelial Carcinoma
Following receipt of regulatory approvals to initiate INSIGHT-005, preparations to commence this investigator-initiated trial are continuing at the Frankfurt Institute of Clinical Cancer Research, IKF.
EFTISARC-NEO – Phase II Trial in Soft Tissue Sarcoma
The first soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patient was enrolled and safely dosed in the Phase II EFTISARC-NEO trial in July. The trial is the first chemo-free triple combination therapy of efti and is the first to evaluate it in a neoadjuvant setting. STS is an orphan disease with high unmet medical need and poor patient prognosis. Currently six patients have been recruited into this trial which is funded by a Polish grant program.
IMP761 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE
During the quarter, Immutep commenced the toxicology study evaluating the safety and toxicity of IMP761, the Company’s proprietary preclinical candidate. IMP761 is the world’s first LAG-3 agonist that aims to treat the underlying cause of multiple autoimmune diseases. The study is a key step before first-in-human trials can begin.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Immutep was granted two new patents during the quarter. A new patent protecting IMP761 was granted in September by IP Australia, the Australian Government’s patent agency.
The Company was also granted a new patent by the Brazilian Industrial Property Office in September protecting Immutep’s potency assay for release testing of efti. This assay is used in the commercial-scale (2,000L) manufacturing process for efti. The Brazilian patent follows similar patents granted in Japan and Australia in 2023, and Korea in 2022.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Immutep continued to prudently manage its cashflow over the first quarter of the new financial year (Q1 FY24), while strategically investing into clinical trial programs for efti.
With a cash and cash equivalent balance as at 30 September 2023 of approximately $110.1 million, Immutep’s cash position remains very strong with an expected cash reach till early CY2026.