Immutep (ASX:IMM) has announced that its Chinese partner for eftilagimod alpha (efti), EOC Pharma, is planning to expand its clinical trial pipeline for the investigative immunotherapy.
The company said EOC Pharma (EOC) is preparing to initiate a clinical trial of efti, which is designated EOC202 in China, in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy. The new trial is expected to commence in the first half of the calendar year 2022.
Immutep says the new trial builds on the latest data it presented at ASCO 2021 and on EOC’s previously announced phase two trial evaluating efti in combination with chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer patients.
EOC has partnered with a contract development and manufacturing organisation in China.
Dr. Xiaoming Zou, CEO of EOC Pharma, said, "Encouraged by our partner Immutep's exciting clinical performance, we are ready to further exploit the clinical benefits of this promising drug in the IO realm.”
Commenting on EOC’s plans, Immutep CEO Marc Voigt said, “It is great to see our growing confidence in efti is shared by our Chinese partner, EOC. Like Immutep, EOC is expanding its clinical trial pipeline, adding a new combination therapy study of efti with an anti-PD-1 drug. This is the same promising concept we are evaluating in TACTI-002 and TACTI-003, for example.”
Efti is exclusively licensed to EOC for the territory of Greater China. EOC has full responsibility for the development and commercialisation of efti in the territory, and Immutep is eligible to receive development-based milestone payments and sales-based royalties.