On September 15, 2024 Akeso reported the Phase 2 clinical results of its internally developed PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, ivonescimab, with or without ligufalimab (anti-CD47 antibody AK117) for the first-line treatment of PD-L1-positive (CPS≥1) recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) at the 2024 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Conference (Press release, Akeso Biopharma, SEP 15, 2024, View Source [SID1234646631]).

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At the data cut-off date of March 19, 2024, results indicate that for HNSCC with a high need for rapid tumor reduction, the ivonescimab regimen has demonstrated clinically meaningful reduction in tumor size. When combined with ligufalimab, both tumor shrinkage and survival benefits demonstrated further improvement from ivonescimab alone. Both ivonescimab alone and the ivonescimab plus ligufalimab combination have achieved preliminary efficacy data that surpassed previously disclosed PD-1 studies.

The objective response rate (ORR) for ivonescimab monotherapy group is 30%, while the ORR increases to 60% in ivonescimab plus ligufalimab group. The disease control rate (DCR) is 80% for ivonescimab monotherapy group improves to 90% with ligufalimab. As of the report time, the antitumor efficacy of the ivonescimab continues to be promising, with some patients showing an improvement from stable disease (SD) to partial response (PR). The ORR for ivonescimab monotherapy and the combination of ivonescimab plus ligufalimab was to 40% and 65%, respectively.
The median progression-free survival (mPFS) for ivonescimab monotherapy group was 5.0 months, with the 6-month PFS rate not yet reached. For the combination with ligufalimab group, the mPFS was 7.1 months, with a 6-month PFS rate of 71.8%.
The safety profile of the ivonescimab for first-line treatment of PD-L1-positive R/M HNSCC was manageable, with no treatment-related adverse events (TRAE) leading to drug discontinuation or death in both the ivonescimab monotherapy and the ivonescimab plus ligufalimab groups.
Although programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors combined with chemotherapy are approved as first-line treatments for recurrent/metastatic (R/M) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), some patients exhibit poor responses to this approach, highlighting the need for new treatment strategies. Akeso has initiated a phase 3 clinical study comparing ivonescimab combined with ligufalimab versus pembrolizumab for the first-line treatment of PD-L1 positive R/M HNSCC. This study offers the potential to provide a new, highly effective immunotherapy option for these patients and may pave the way for the advancement of cancer immunotherapy 2.0.