Promising survival data for Candel's oncolytic vaccine in lung cancer at ASCO24

Shares in Candel Therapeutics saw a significant 39% rise during extended-hours trading on Thursday, following the release of promising Phase II study results for their oncolytic viral therapy, CAN-2409. This therapy demonstrated positive overall survival (OS) data in patients battling non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These top-line findings were disclosed prior to their presentation at the prestigious American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting.

CAN-2409 is an experimental adenovirus construct designed to deliver the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-tk) gene to targeted tumors, thereby triggering an immune response. The mid-stage study involved testing CAN-2409 in combination with valacyclovir and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in a group of 46 patients with stage III/IV NSCLC. These patients had previously shown an inadequate response to at least 18 weeks of ICI treatment. The participants were categorized into two cohorts based on whether their disease was stable or progressing at the time of enrollment.

As of the April data cut-off, the combined median OS for both patient groups was reported at 22.0 months. Specifically, the subset of patients experiencing disease progression under ICI therapy had a median OS of 20.6 months. This marks a substantial improvement compared to the 11.6 months median OS observed with standard docetaxel-based chemotherapy in a similar patient population from a previous trial.

Candel CEO Paul Peter Tak emphasized the importance of improved OS, highlighting its significance for both patients and regulatory bodies. Additionally, the study noted that administering two doses of CAN-2409 generated a robust systemic immune response, as evidenced by the increased counts of circulating cytotoxic and memory T-cells. These beneficial effects were observed in both injected and non-injected tumors. Furthermore, CAN-2409 exhibited a favorable safety and tolerability profile, with no reported dose-limiting toxicities or severe treatment-related adverse events.

This is not the first time CAN-2409 has shown promise; previous Phase II trials in pancreatic cancer also yielded positive survival data. Tak pointed out that the results from both NSCLC and pancreatic cancer studies highlight the therapy's potential to transform progressive cancer into stable disease.

This announcement was part of the ASCO Daily Digest, which serves as a comprehensive source for key developments from the annual ASCO meeting.