On October 15, 2019 OncoSec Medical Incorporated ("OncoSec") (Nasdaq: ONCS), a company developing late-stage intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, reported the publication of new data in Clinical Cancer Research which highlighted TAVO (intratumoral plasmid IL-12 with electroporation) as a safe, feasibility and clinically meaningful therapy in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC), an aggressive form of skin cancer (Press release, OncoSec Medical, OCT 15, 2019, View Source [SID1234542267]).
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"These data demonstrate that intratumoral delivery of plasmid interleukin-12 with electroporation (TAVO) as a monotherapy has the potential to have a durable impact on skin cancers such as Merkel cell carcinoma. I’m encouraged by these initial findings and believe that TAVO is a treatment approach that merits further exploration in MCC," commented Shailender Bhatia, M.D., associate professor, medical oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington and lead investigator and author of the study.
The single-arm, open label pilot study evaluated 15 patients with MCC receiving TAVO intratumorally in two cohorts (Cohort A N=3 and Cohort B N=12). Cohort A patients had locoregional MCC and received one treatment cycle prior to a definitive surgery. Cohort B patients had metastatic MCC and received four cycles of TAVO. Results showed that 25% of Cohort B patients experienced an overall response, with two patients receiving durable effect over 16 and 55+ months, respectively. Two Cohort A patients (one with pathologic complete remission) were recurrence-free at 44+ and 75+ months.
"We continue to explore the broad therapeutic potential of TAVO across various cancer types and believe this study underscores the power of TAVO monotherapy in solid tumors such as MCC," said Daniel J. O’Connor, president and chief executive officer of OncoSec. "We remain encouraged by the growing body of clinical evidence for TAVO in multiple cancer indications both as a monotherapy and in combination with leading checkpoint inhibitors. We look forward to providing further data updates as we continue to advance our ongoing pivotal clinical trial with TAVO in metastatic melanoma and our phase 2 trial in triple negative breast cancer."
An online version of the publication is available here: View Source