News
ImmunOs Therapeutics Announces Clinical Trial Collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA
– Evaluation of IOS-1002, a LILRB1 (ILT2), LILRB2 (ILT4), KIR3DL1 targeting agent, in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) as part of ongoing Phase 1a/b trial in advanced solid tumors
Schlieren (Zurich Area), Switzerland, and Gaithersburg, MD, USA – October 17, 2023 – ImmunOs Therapeutics AG, a biopharmaceutical company pioneering HLA-based therapeutics to create transformational medicines for cancer and inflammation, today announced a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA to evaluate its lead compound IOS-1002 in combination with Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA’s anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), in an ongoing Phase 1a/b clinical trial for the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumors.
IOS-1002 is a first-in-class checkpoint inhibitor targeting LILRB1 (ILT2), LILRB2 (ILT4), and KIR3DL1. As a multi-functional agent based on a naturally occurring human leukocyte antigen (HLA) targeting multiple immune checkpoints, IOS-1002 is designed to activate both innate and adaptive immune cells and to trigger anti-tumor activity. ImmunOs is currently enrolling patients in the Phase 1a/b trial, initiated earlier this year, to evaluate the potential of IOS-1002 as a monotherapy and in combination with KEYTRUDA in adult patients with advanced solid tumors.
“We are pleased to enter into this agreement for our ongoing Phase 1a/b trial of IOS-1002,” said Christoph Renner, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, and co-founder of ImmunOs. “In preclinical models, we have demonstrated that IOS-1002 in combination with KEYTRUDA acts additively to increase T cell activation and eliminate tumor cells. We look forward to evaluating how the unique mechanism of action of IOS-1002, targeting three checkpoint receptors, LILRB1 (ILT2), LILRB2 (ILT4), KIR3DL1, in combination with KEYTRUDA will translate in the clinic to potentially activate broader and deeper anti-tumor immune responses, leading to significantly better outcomes for more cancer patients.”
“This agreement is an exciting milestone for the Company as we continue the clinical development of IOS-1002,” continued Sean R. Smith, Chief Executive Officer at ImmunOs. “KEYTRUDA is the global benchmark for anti-PD-1 therapy and our goal in the Phase 1a/b trial is to show safety, tolerability and potential efficacy of IOS-1002, both as monotherapy and in combination with KEYTRUDA. There is a significant unmet clinical need to treat patients with advanced solid tumors who have no further therapeutic options, and we believe IOS-1002 can play a pivotal role in closing this therapeutic gap.”
KEYTRUDA® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
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About ImmunOs Therapeutics AG
ImmunOs Therapeutics AG is pioneering HLA-based therapeutics to create transformational medicines for cancer and inflammation. The Company has identified specific HLA molecules known to activate the immune system and is utilizing these HLA molecules as the backbone of novel therapies capable of stimulating both the innate and the adaptive immune systems of cancer patients to eliminate tumor cells. ImmunOs’ lead program is a multi-functional fusion protein that blocks specific LILRB (leukocyte immunoglobulin-like) and KIR (killer cell immunoglobulin-like) receptors and activates anti-tumor responses. ImmunOs is also developing antibodies to block the activation of specific HLA protein molecules associated with inflammatory diseases. The Company is supported by leading international investors including Samsara BioCapital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Gimv, Pfizer Ventures, BioMed Partners, Schroder Adveq, Mission BioCapital, GL Capital, PEAK6, and Fiscus. ImmunOs is located in Schlieren, Switzerland, and Gaithersburg, MD, USA.
For more information, please visit www.immunostherapeutics.com