Candel Therapeutics announced final survival data from a Phase 2a clinical trial of CAN-2409 in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had progressed despite immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment and failed multiple chemotherapy regimens. The trial demonstrated a median overall survival (mOS) of 24.5 months, significantly exceeding the 9.8-11.8 months observed with standard docetaxel chemotherapy in similar patient populations. Notably, 37% of patients treated with CAN-2409 were alive two years post-treatment.
This data holds significant potential to change the treatment landscape for advanced NSCLC. Patients with ICI resistance and limited remaining options face a poor prognosis. CAN-2409 offers a new therapeutic avenue with a potentially improved survival benefit. The long-term survival observed in a substantial portion of patients, particularly those with non-squamous histology, underscores the potential of this therapy. The findings also suggest that CAN-2409’s local administration can trigger a systemic anti-tumor immune response, impacting both injected and non-injected lesions (abscopal effect).
The mOS was 21.5 months in the subset of patients who had progressive disease despite ICI therapy. A median follow-up time of 32.4 months was achieved for the per-protocol population. Interestingly, non-squamous NSCLC patients exhibited a stronger immunological response and an mOS of 25.4 months. The safety profile of CAN-2409 remained favorable throughout the extended follow-up period.
Based on these encouraging results, Candel Therapeutics plans to advance the CAN-2409 development program, focusing on a future, potentially registrational, trial in non-squamous NSCLC patients. This move could ultimately lead to a new treatment option for this challenging patient population, offering the possibility of extended survival and improved quality of life.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Jon, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.
