IMU (ASX) Ann: IMU Meets Endpoints in Phase 1b Gastric Cancer Trial

Originally posted by Jase99: ↑

Hi Everyone,

My first post in the IMU threads...

To give you all some context around the trial results, let me give you a brief run down on my late wife's nightmare:

Diagnosed with metastatic HER2+ cancer of the GEJ (gastric cancer; found by accident) at 34 years of age (1 in a million unlucky).
A gastroscopy was required to confirm the primary as stomach tumours aren't visible in CT scans.
The primary was about 40mm (think golf ball) and there were multiple secondary tumours in liver and lungs up to 15+mm in size.
2 x 21-day cycles of ECX (Epirubicin, Cisplatin, and Capecitabine) scans after 42 days showed a partial response; some shrunk but some grew.
8 x 21-day cycles of EOX (Epirubicin, Oxiliplatin and Capecitabine) which showed an exceptional response. No secondary tumours visible in scans. Primary had shrunk by about 95% (think 5 cent piece).
About 6 weeks off treatment then commenced 3 weekly cycles of Herceptin (via a compassionate plan) with Cisplatin (and later Irinotecan)and Capecitabine.
This treatment regime lasted about 28 months before the Herceptin was no longer effective (ie. Herceptin isn't 100% effective against Her2+ gastric cancer.)
About 6 months later her nightmare ended (4 years and 1 week after initial treatment).

It's fair to say the results of the trial are promising andI understand why IMU is cautiously optimistic. It is unrealistic to think that all the tumours were going to instantly melt away. Sure, a vaccine like response results in the body continuing to produce antibodies but we don't know how quick it produces them. Bear in mind that tumours likely have far greater cell numbers than say, a virus and every antibody produced likely results in the death of a single cell. The body may need to continually produce antibodies for months/years before the tumorous cells are eradicated from the body (if at all).

56 days is almost certainly too short a time period to assess efficacy of the drug. It however appears long enough to confirm toxicity(or lack thereof) whilst also demonstrating some efficacy (which could have been completely as a result of chemo only although unlikely given the increase in antibodies).

As has been noted by others, the life expectancy of a HER2+gastric cancer patient is extremely short. An anti HER2+ drug can almost certainly extend the life of a patient fora moderate amount of time or potentially longer. As my wife’s oncologist would point out, cure is unnecessary if the disease can be kept stable (although to be honest, that never really sat well with my wife but she had read on the Herceptin website that it wasn't completely effective against her disease). The doctor also mentioned he had breast cancer patients that had been on Herceptin for 8-9+ years.

Make no mistake, cure isn't the only acceptable result. I'm almost certain that my late wife would have been happy enough to have had access to a side effect free drug that kept her disease stable for an indefinite period. Herceptin wasn’t side effect free and neither was the chemo… I won’t mention the last 6 months when she had neither except to say it was much worse for her.

The outcome that I would be happy to see is that clinical trials show that B cell technology works, that B cell technology results in side effect free treatment and finally the treatment extends life expectancy well beyond the extra couple of years that my wife got from Herceptin. If that was achieved or at least if a big pharma concluded that that was what was going to be achieved, I would not be surprised to see a T/O offer for around $1 per share ($4.6 Billion dollars). I think any offers below 50c would result in a bidding war which could well drive the price well over $1. Whilst I would like it to occur sooner rather than later whatever the case, I don't think it'll come before Phase 2results are known and there is a really good understanding of how effective the treatment and the B Cell platform will be.

Good luck to the scientists involved and also us shareholders. (I won't say good luck to all the cancer suffers because sadly it's almost certain they will be long gone before this drug hits the market.)

Expand

Hi Jase

I have been out all day. I just sat down to catch up on the HC forum and found your post. There are many good people here, so others have already said what I will say, but I would like to add my voice.

Your post is indeed a reminder of what this is all about. Your wife was certainly 1 in a million unlucky. I send all my human best wishes and support. There are no words to take away your grief.

Jase, it is small consolation, but I can tell from what you write that in at least one respect, she was actually a very fortunate woman. She had a good man by her side, who cared for and loved her.

I bet she knew that.

I hope your life brings peace and renewal.

Dave

No.	Vol.	Price($)
3	146314	3.8¢

No.

Vol.

Price($)

146314

3.8¢

Price($)	Vol.	No.
3.9¢	2536521	6

Price($)

Vol.

No.

3.9¢

2536521

No.	Vol.	Price($)
18	5665336	0.018
14	3997559	0.017
6	2974375	0.016
10	3219799	0.015
4	497500	0.014

No.

Vol.

Price($)

5665336

0.018

3997559

0.017

2974375

0.016

3219799

0.015

497500

0.014

Price($)	Vol.	No.
0.019	400000	2
0.020	5410946	12
0.021	8494780	17
0.022	8757253	13
0.023	4826614	8

Price($)

Vol.

No.

0.019

400000

0.020

5410946

0.021

8494780

0.022

8757253

0.023

4826614

(20min delay)
Last 3.8¢		Change 0.000(0.00%)		Mkt cap ! $386.7M

Open	High	Low	Value	Volume
3.9¢	3.9¢	3.7¢	$388.1K	10.11M

Ann: IMU Meets Endpoints in Phase 1b Gastric Cancer Trial, page-118

Breaking news: New opportunities for investors & companies - HotCopper opens to capital raising!

This biotech stock raised $11M in a risk-off environment. Its Alzheimer's drug could change the game

History-making uranium sample grades and an imminent drill run. Infini Resources is poised to transform in 2025

Pan Asia rebranding to 'clear confusion' after bagging $35M for Chile projects

MinRes's Ellison knows he screwed up – for that reason, hunt for new Chair to be sped up

Featured News

Buyers (Bids)

Sellers (Offers)

Featured News

Ann: IMU Meets Endpoints in Phase 1b Gastric Cancer Trial, page-118

Top Stories

Breaking news: New opportunities for investors & companies - HotCopper opens to capital raising!

This biotech stock raised $11M in a risk-off environment. Its Alzheimer's drug could change the game

History-making uranium sample grades and an imminent drill run. Infini Resources is poised to transform in 2025

Pan Asia rebranding to 'clear confusion' after bagging $35M for Chile projects

MinRes's Ellison knows he screwed up – for that reason, hunt for new Chair to be sped up

Featured News

Buyers (Bids)

Sellers (Offers)

Featured News