Keynote 200 Data Better Than Expected
Viralytics recently provided an update of important clinical data in Melanoma (from CAPRA) as well as in NSCLC and Bladder Cancer from Keynote 200 (formerly known as (STORM).
While all the data was encouraging, the standout is unquestionably the early efficacy data from Keynote 200. Patients received the full therapeutic dose of CAVATAK (dosed via IV) in combination with the anti PD1 therapy Keytruda (Pembrolizumab).
A total of 64 patients have been enrolled, with 19 reaching the first evaluation point. Both lung and bladder patients showed encouraging signs of efficacy including at least one complete response in NSCLC. There is insufficient data at this time to evaluate the long term efficacy of the combination in Keynote 200 against the standard of care, although we expect this data will emerge over the next year. In particular the duration of response time will be crucial to determining the future development of the combination. The adverse event profile is encouraging with just 11% of 64 patients having displayed grade 3 or worse side effects to date.
VLA also updated the market on progress of the CAPRA study in melanoma. The combination in this study continues to show a disease control rate of over 70%.
Why is the Keynote 200 data so important?
The success rate of checkpoint inhibitor therapies (primarily Keytruda, Opdivo and Yervoy) in lung and bladder are modest – below 30% when used alone. The market continues to search for agents to stimulate immune system activity to increase the efficacy of these checkpoints, without adversely impacting safety and tolerability. The Keynote 200 data demonstrates the drug combination can be effective in these high value disease targets while not adversely impacting safety and tolerability. We continue to believe there are multiple developers that may acquire VLA to secure the exclusive right to Cavatak. We believe the Keynote 200 data has the potential to attract further international attention.
We need all the help we can get lol
Aloha
