Immatics advances to Phase 3 with melanoma therapy, aims to raise $150M

Immatics has reported promising results from an early-stage trial of its PRAME-targeted T cell therapy, demonstrating a significant reduction in tumors for melanoma patients. The company now plans to initiate a pivotal study by the end of the year.

The Phase 1b study involved 26 melanoma patients, out of which 14 showed a confirmed response to the T cell receptor-based therapy. Notably, seven of these responses are ongoing. The median progression-free survival was six months, though the median overall survival has yet to be determined.

Immatics' Chief Medical Officer, Cedrik Britten, expressed confidence in the findings. He highlighted that these results, along with a recent meeting with the FDA, position the company well to advance the development of IMA203 for patients with metastatic melanoma who have already received one line of therapy or more.

In addition to these developments, Immatics announced a plan to raise $150 million through a stock sale. The announcement had an immediate impact on the company's shares, resulting in an 11% drop.

The focus of Immatics' research is on patients with a specific cell marker referred to as HLA-A*02. This marker is significant in transplants to ensure a match between donor and recipient. Immatics' approach involves collecting patients' own cells and engineering them to express T cell receptors against PRAME, which is prevalent in melanomas.

Patients in the study received a combination of lymphodepleting chemotherapy, low-dose IL-2, and the TCR cell therapy. Regarding safety, the study reported eight instances of grade 3 or higher cytokine release syndrome and three cases of grade 3 or higher ICANS, both serious conditions linked to immunotherapies.

Looking ahead, Immatics is planning a Phase 3 study named SUPRAME, slated to begin in December. This study will test IMA203 on patients with second-line or later stage melanoma that has metastasized or cannot be removed surgically.

This year has also seen Iovance achieve FDA approval for its tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte-based cell therapy for advanced melanoma, marketed as Amtagvi. Meanwhile, Immatics and Immunocore are also working on developing bispecific antibodies targeting PRAME.

These advancements underscore a significant movement in the field of melanoma treatment, offering new hope for patients with this challenging disease.