Immune-Onc Therapeutics to Present Additional Positive Interim Data from IO-202 Phase 1b Expansion Cohort in Patients with Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) at 2024 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Congress

June 14, 2024 |

6 min read

Immune-Onc Therapeutics, Inc. announced the company will present additional positive interim Phase 1b expansion cohort data for IO-202 in patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia at the 2024 European Hematology Association Annual Meeting held virtually and in Madrid, Spain, June 13 – 16.

Strength of clinical data presented to date support a registrational CMML study

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Immune-Onc Therapeutics, Inc. (“Immune-Onc”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing novel therapies in immunology and oncology by targeting myeloid cell inhibitory receptors, today announced the company will present additional positive interim Phase 1b expansion cohort data for IO-202 in patients with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) at the 2024 European Hematology Association (EHA) Annual Meeting held virtually and in Madrid, Spain, June 13 – 16.

CMML is a rare hematologic malignancy with poor survival outcomes, incurable with conventional therapy, and has no effective standard of care. Currently, hypomethylating agents (HMA), including azacitidine (AZA), are the only FDA-approved treatment option for CMML with only a 7-17% complete remission (CR) rate.

Promising early-cycle responses, including a 53.8% (7 out of 13) CR rate (4 CR, 1 CR equivalent, and 2 CR bilineage), based on International Working Group 2023 response criteria, were observed in CMML patients treated with IO-202 in combination with AZA, with CRs lasting ten months and ongoing. The Phase 1b interim data continue to demonstrate that IO-202 is well tolerated.

“Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia remains a disease with poor prognosis and risk of progression into acute myeloid leukemia (AML), resulting in a critical need for innovative medicines,” said IO-202 Phase 1b investigator Courtney DiNardo, M.D., MSCE, professor, Department of Leukemia, Division of Cancer Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX. “We are encouraged by Phase 1b trial data showing early and sustained complete remissions among CMML patients, regardless of their prognosis or mutation status. This supports the potential of IO-202 in combination with azacitidine as a frontline therapy for CMML patients, and we are pleased to share these data with the medical community at EHA this year.”

“IO-202 has favorable tolerability, a well-understood mechanism of action, and a consistent efficacy response that supports further study as a treatment option in both AML and CMML patients,” said Charlene Liao, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Immune-Onc. “We look forward to continued collaborations with our investigators and the FDA to plan and conduct our registrational study in frontline CMML patients.”

Poster presentation details:

Abstract Number: P792 (here)
Title: Targeting LILRB4 (ILT3) Using IO-202 in Patients with Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML): Interim Efficacy, Safety, and Mechanism of Action Data from the Phase 1b Expansion Cohort
Presenter: Ahmed Aribi, M.D., assistant professor, Division of Leukemia, City of Hope in Duarte, CA
Session Title: Myelodysplastic Syndromes – Clinical
Session Date and Time: Friday, June 14, 6-7 p.m. CEST

ABOUT CHRONIC MYELOMONOCYTIC LEUKEMIA (CMML)

CMML is a rare form of blood cancer, occurring in 4 of every 1,000,000 people in the United States each year,¹ or about 1,100 annual cases.² CMML is characterized by a high monocyte count (>1x10⁹/L peripheral monocytes with monocytes ≥ 10% of white blood count) and dysplastic features in the bone marrow.¹ Current FDA-approved therapies for CMML are all hypomethylating agents, including azacitidine, only achieving a 7%-17% complete response rate.¹

ABOUT LILRB4 (also known as ILT3)

LILRB4, also known as ILT3, is an immune-modulatory transmembrane protein found on monocytes and monocyte-derived cells. LILRB4 is expressed on certain hematologic cancer cells, such as myelomonocytic leukemia blasts, and on certain pathogenic cells involved in autoimmunity and inflammatory processes.

ABOUT IO-202

IO-202 is a first-in-class IgG1 antibody with specific, high-affinity binding to LILRB4 and depletes LILRB4 positive cells via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis. As such, IO-202 is a targeted therapy with broad potential in blood cancers and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

IO-202 has completed the dose escalation part of the first-in-human, multicenter, open-label Phase 1 study in the U.S., and the data was presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) Congress in 2023. This Phase 1 trial has advanced to the dose expansion stage to evaluate IO-202 in combination with azacitidine (NCT04372433) in patients with newly diagnosed chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) who have not received any hypomethylating agents (HMA).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted IO-202 Fast Track Designations for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and relapsed or refractory CMML, respectively. The FDA has also granted IO-202 Orphan Drug Designations for the treatment of AML and CMML, respectively.

ABOUT IMMUNE-ONC THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Immune-Onc Therapeutics Inc. (“Immune-Onc”) is a private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapies in immunology and oncology by targeting myeloid cell inhibitory receptors.

Immune-Onc has a differentiated pipeline with a current focus on targeting the Leukocyte Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor subfamily B (LILRB). Immune-Onc’s focused platform approach has led to the development of several promising therapeutics across various stages of development. Those include IO-108, an antagonist antibody targeting LILRB2 (also known as ILT4), in Phase 1b/2 clinical development for solid tumors, and IO-202, a first-in-class antibody targeting LILRB4 (also known as ILT3), in Phase 1b clinical development for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). IO-202 is also being evaluated for immunology and inflammation applications. Additional assets in Immune-Onc’s pipeline include IO-312 (a novel bispecific antibody targeting LILRB4 and CD3), IO-106 (first-in-class antagonist antibody targeting LAIR1), and undisclosed immunology and oncology programs.

Immune-Onc has established agreements with leading biopharmaceutical companies, including BeiGene, Regeneron and Roche, to support its global product development plans for IO-108 and IO-202. It has received research grants from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and investment from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Therapy Acceleration Program® (LLS TAP®). Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Immune-Onc has assembled a diverse team with deep expertise in drug development and proven track records of success at leading biopharmaceutical companies. For more information, please visit www.immune-onc.com and follow us on X and LinkedIn.

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia: 2022 update on diagnosis, risk stratification, and management. Am J Hematol. 2022 Mar 1;97(3):352-372. doi: 10.1002/ajh.26455.
Epidemiology of myelodysplastic syndromes and chronic myeloproliferative disorders in the United States, 2001-2004, using data from the NAACCR and SEER programs. Blood. 2008 Jul 1;112(1):45-52. doi: 10.1182/blood-2008-01-134858