Saturday, July 29, 2023
IO Biotech (Nasdaq: IOBT) has recently announced the initiation of an investigator-initiated trial in collaboration with the University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. The trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of IO102-IO103, the company's investigational immune-modulating cancer vaccine, in combination with pembrolizumab for patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who are unresponsive or intolerant to BCG treatment. This is part of IO Biotech's effort to support five investigator-initiated trials exploring IO102-IO103 in combination with different checkpoint inhibitor-based regimens for various cancer types.
The Phase I clinical trial at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center will be led by Mamta Parikh, MD, MS, an Associate Professor at the UC Davis School of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology. Dr. Parikh expressed enthusiasm for investigating the potential of IO102-IO103 in combination with pembrolizumab as a treatment option for patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Given the limited treatment options and aversion to invasive bladder removal surgery for some patients, the trial aims to address the critical unmet needs in this area.
Mai-Britt Zocca, PhD, President, and CEO of IO Biotech, expressed their satisfaction with supporting this trial in partnership with UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. Previous trials have shown promising results with manageable tolerability when combining IO102-IO103 with other therapies, making it a potential backbone for combination treatments across various cancer types. The company eagerly anticipates the safety and efficacy results of this trial, which will contribute to the further development of IO102-IO103 as a potential treatment option for multiple cancer types.
About IO102-IO103:
IO102-IO103 is an investigational immune-modulating cancer vaccine designed to target the immunosuppressive mechanisms mediated by the proteins indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) and PD-L1. IO Biotech is currently conducting a Phase 3 trial (IOB-013/KN-D18; NCT05155254) to evaluate IO102-IO103 in combination with pembrolizumab for first-line advanced melanoma patients. Additionally, the company is conducting a Phase 2 basket trial (IOB-022/KN-D38; NCT05077709) to assess the safety and efficacy of IO102-IO103 in combination with pembrolizumab as a first-line treatment for several advanced cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), and urothelial bladder cancer (UBC).
