An experimental immunotherapy added to Merck's Keytruda produced confirmed tumor responses in 48.3 percent of patients with advanced head and neck cancer in a randomized Phase 2 trial, compared with 26.5 percent of patients on Keytruda alone, Inhibrx Biosciences announced September 8. The gap was widest in a small group of HPV-positive patients. The results come from a company release, have not been peer-reviewed, and involve small numbers of patients.
The drug, INBRX-106, activates OX40, a protein on T cells that helps sustain immune attacks on tumors. Keytruda works by releasing a brake on the immune system, while an OX40 drug is meant to press the accelerator at the same time. Inhibrx says INBRX-106 is the first OX40-activating drug to show clinical benefit in a randomized study.
