Cancer Patients Have Partial Response With Drug

The developer of this antibody just released the results of its dose evaluation in solid tumors, noted a Wedbush report.

Just released data from Xencor Inc.’s (XNCR:NASDAQ) DUET-3 trial of XmAb-104 in advanced solid tumors showed some patients experienced a partial response from it, reported Wedbush analyst David Nierengarten in a May 27 research note.

The biopharma will present these results and an update on its ongoing study of another antibody in prostate cancer, in the poster session at the upcoming annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference, June 3 to 7.

In DUET-3, the Phase 1 dose escalation study of Xencor’s XmAb-104, a PD-1 x ICOS bispecific antibody, the 62 participating patients had one of various solid tumors, Nierengarten noted. They included colorectal, head and neck, endometrial and nonsmall cell lung cancers, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, soft tissue sarcoma, melanoma and other types. Most of the patients had stage IV disease and had received a median of three prior treatments, including at least one checkpoint therapy.

California-based Xencor will detail the DUET-3 results in one of its posters at ASCO, #2604.

The study yielded 51 evaluable patients, reported Nierengarten. Two of them experienced a confirmed partial response, one patient had an unconfirmed partial response and four patients had stable disease, as of April 15, 2022.

In terms of safety, the reported adverse events associated with XmAb-104 included decreased appetite (9.7%), diarrhea (9.7%), fatigue (9.7%) and maculopapular rash (8.1%), Nierengarten relayed. One patient experienced grade 3 hyperbilirubinemia, and another had an asymptomatic, grade 4 lipase increase, however, both conditions resolved.

“We are encouraged by the tolerability of the bispecific,” wrote Nierengarten.

The next step, now underway, is patient enrollment for the study expansion. It will evaluate XmAb-104 10 milligrams per kilogram alone or in combination with ipilimumab.

Also at ASCO, Xencor will address the status of one of its lead drug candidates, via poster #TPS5097. Its title will be, “A Phase 2, Multicenter, Parallel-Group, Open-Label study of Vudalimab (XmAb20717), a PD-1 x CTLA-4 Bispecific Antibody, Alone or in Combination with Chemotherapy or Targeted Therapy in Patients with Molecularly Defined Subtypes of Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.”

Wedbush has an Outperform rating and a $48 per share target price on Xencor. Its stock is trading at around $22.36 per share.

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Disclosures for Wedbush, Xencor, May 27, 2022

Analyst Certification: We, David Nierengarten and Dennis Pak, certify that the views expressed in this report accurately reflect our personal opinions and that we have not and will not, directly or indirectly, receive compensation or other payments in connection with our specific recommendations or views contained in this report.

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