MRK - Werewolf Therapeutics jumps on early-sage data from lead program

2023-11-03 08:04:12 ET

Shares of Werewolf Therapeutics ( NASDAQ: HOWL ) added ~34% after announcing two partial remissions in an early-stage clinical program for WTX-124, one of its lead cancer candidates targeted at solid tumors.

Citing early data, Watertown, Massachusetts-based Werewolf ( HOWL ) said that the treatment caused dose-dependent biomarker and antitumor activity in its WTX-124x2101 trial.

The Phase 1/1a study is deigned to test WTX-124 as a single agent and with Merck’s ( MRK ) anti-PD1 immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda).

The  trial involved patients with immunotherapy-sensitive advanced or metastatic solid tumors who didn’t respond to standard of care, including checkpoint inhibitors.

Based on an Oct. 18 data cut of 16 patients who received WTX-124 at 1, 3, 6, and 12 mg doses, Werewolf ( HOWL ) said one patient out of five in the 12 mg group developed an unconfirmed partial response while another had a restaging scan consistent with a partial response.

All doses were well tolerated, with only Grade 1 or Grade 2 treatment-emergent adverse events and no dose-limiting toxicities. Patients received intravenous WTX-124 in an outpatient setting once every two weeks.

The company has completed enrollments to test the 18 mg dose, and it expects additional data from this monotherapy portion of the trial, including the recommended dose for the expansion arm in H1 2024.

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