PFE - Vaccinex starts trial of pepinemab Bavencio combo to treat pancreatic cancer

2023-03-21 12:51:16 ET

• Vaccinex ( NASDAQ: VCNX ) said a phase 1b/2 trial of pepinemab in combination with avelumab as second line combination immunotherapy for patients with metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has started.
• The main goal of the trial is to investigate the safety and efficacy of the combination of pepinemab and the PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) avelumab, sold as Bavencio by Pfizer ( PFE ) and Merck KGaA ( OTCPK:MKKGY ) ( OTCPK:MKGAF ), in patients with PDAC, with main attention to changes in the tumor microenvironment, the company added.
• Vaccinex noted that trial aims to test if pepinemab can reverse the suppressive tumor microenvironment found in PDAC, thereby helping the anti-tumor activity of immune checkpoint blockade.
• The trial, which has been sponsored by Vaccinex, will be conducted at the University of Rochester.
• "We believe that pepinemab has demonstrated a favorable safety profile when used in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitor ( OTC:ICI ) avelumab1, and the combination may represent a novel treatment option for patients with this devastating disease," said Vaccinex CEO Maurice Zauderer.
• Vaccinex noted that primary funding support was from a grant from the Gateway Discovery Award.

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