Elios Therapeutics vaccine scores well in Phase IIb melanoma study

Texas, USA-based biotech firm Elios Therapeutics says that its investigational vaccine was most effective in Stage IV melanoma, with 73% of patients found disease-free at 24 months.

Privately-held Elios presented a subgroup analysis of the prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIb clinical trial evaluating its personalized tumor lysate, particle-loaded, dendritic cell (TLPLDC) vaccine, in patients with Stage III and IV resected melanoma.

In the study, 144 participants were randomized to receive either the vaccine or placebo to prevent recurrence. The vaccines were initiated within three months of completion of standard of care therapy at 0, 1, 2, 6, 12, and 18 months. The protocol was amended to allow concurrent treatment with checkpoint inhibitors once approved for the adjuvant setting. The primary endpoint was 24-month disease-free survival (DFS). This pre-specified sub-group analysis examined efficacy by stage, immunotherapy, and checkpoint inhibition. The analysis was performed on the intent-to-treat (ITT) population and per treatment (PT) population, which included all patients who completed the primary TLPLDC or placebo vaccine series at six months.