Heat Biologics Inc.'s HS-110 in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s Opdivo showed positive results in a phase 2 study to treat advanced lung cancer.
The study, called Durga, is being tested for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer whose cancers have progressed after treatment with one or more lines of therapy.
Among 35 randomized patients in the study, 6 patients reported a partial reduction in their cancer, also called partial response, and 14 patients achieved disease control.
In addition, 26% of the patients saw a reduction in tumor size in the study. The company added that the overall responses appeared durable and long lasting.
Of nine patients with low levels of PD-L1, a protein known to help tumors evade cancer-killing T cells, three responded after treatment with HS-110.
Heat Biologics added that four of nine patients with low levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, white blood cells that migrate into a tumor, had partial responses.
Both patient groups are in the most difficult-to-treat category and comprise the majority of the non-small cell lung cancer population.
