Immune Design IMDZ announced that it has started dosing patients in a phase Ib study on its immuno-oncology candidate, CMB305.
The study, divided into two parts, will evaluate the safety and tolerability, immunogenicity and preliminary efficacy of CMB305 in patients suffering from locally advanced, relapsed or metastatic solid cancer forms that express NY-ESO-1. While the first part is expected to be a dose escalation study (n~12), the second part will be an expansion study (n~27) of the optimal dose.
CMB305, generated from the company's ZVex and GLAAS platforms, is a combination of two potentially synergistic agents – LV305 and G305.
The company’s pipeline also consists of G100. The candidate is being evaluated for the treatment of patients suffering from metastatic sarcoma in a phase I study. The candidate is also being developed for the treatment of Merkel cell carcinoma in a phase I study. Immune Design plans to start another phase I study in the second quarter of 2015 on G100 in combination with local radiation in patients suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
We note that the highly lucrative immuno-oncology market already has products like Bristol-Myers Squibb Company’s BMY Opdivo and Merck’s MRK Keytruda. Several other big companies are also looking to enter the immuno-oncology market.
Immune Design, which has no approved products, is highly dependent on its pipeline. The company’s pipeline candidates are in its early stages of development and have a long way to go before hitting the market. We expect investor focus to remain on the company’s pipeline.
Immune Design carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A better-ranked stock in the health care space is Cytokinetics, Incorporated CYTK carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
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