Transgene (Euronext Paris: TNG), a biotech firm focused on creating virus-based immunotherapies for cancer, and NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701), a global leader in IT, networks, and AI solutions, have revealed new findings from their ongoing Phase I trial of TG4050. This trial is testing the treatment’s effectiveness as an additional therapy for head and neck cancer, with an average follow-up period of 24.1 months. The data will be presented in a poster at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) on November 9.
TG4050 is a tailor-made immunotherapy designed for solid tumors, built on Transgene’s myvac® platform and enhanced by NEC’s cutting-edge AI technology to refine the selection of tumor antigens.
After an average follow-up of 24.1 months, all 16 patients who received TG4050 as an adjuvant immunotherapy following standard care remained disease-free with no recurrence. In the control observation group of 16 patients, 3 patients experienced disease recurrence. This underscores the critical need for better treatment options for head and neck cancer patients, as around 30% are likely to face a recurrence within two years of undergoing standard surgery and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy.
In every patient treated with TG4050, immune responses were detected against targeted neoantigens, showcasing the cancer vaccine’s powerful ability to stimulate the immune system, with both new and enhanced responses observed. An analysis conducted at 7 months also shows that immune responses persist during both the priming and boosting phases.
All treatment-related adverse events were mild to moderate.
Dr. Le Tourneau, Head of the Drug Development and Innovation Department (D3I) at Institut Curie and Principal Investigator, shared, “It’s truly exciting to see the clinical and immune response data for TG4050 validated after an average follow-up of 24.1 months. There is still a major unmet need for additional treatments in head and neck cancer care. TG4050 has proven its ability to enhance the immune system’s response to tumor antigens and reduce the risk of recurrence in patients with locally advanced, resected head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.”
Dr. Emmanuel Dochy, Chief Medical Officer at Transgene, said: “We are delighted that all patients treated with our neoantigen cancer vaccine, TG4050, remained disease-free after an average follow-up of 24.1 months. Based on these results and the lasting immune responses observed, we are optimistic that TG4050 could offer significant benefits to patients at high risk of disease relapse, even with existing treatments. Our Phase II trial is now recruiting patients worldwide to further validate these encouraging outcomes.”
Motoo Nishihara, Corporate EVP and CTO at NEC, remarked, “These findings demonstrate the power of our partnership with Transgene and our capability to create personalized cancer treatments through our proprietary AI and machine learning models. We’ve built a solid and persuasive set of clinical data that supports the advantages of TG4050 as a tailored immunotherapy, and we’re dedicated to delivering innovative AI-driven treatments to patients across the globe.”