Ultimovacs provides update from Phase I study in malignant melanoma: Continued strong overall survival in patients treated with UV1 cancer vaccine and pembrolizumab

• All patients in the trial who were alive at 3 years remain alive at 4 years (69.5%) with a minimum follow-up period of 4 years (median 53.0 months)
• The expected next key milestone for UV1 is the readout of the FOCUS trial during Q3 2024, in which the treatment combination is the same as in the UV1-103 trial

Oslo, June 11, 2024: Ultimovacs ASA (“Ultimovacs”) (OSE ULTI), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing immunotherapeutic cancer vaccines, today announced encouraging overall survival (OS) data from both cohorts in the UV1-103 Phase I clinical trial in malignant melanoma.

The UV1-103 study evaluates Ultimovacs’ universal cancer vaccine, UV1, in combination with the anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab, as first-line treatment in patients with advanced non-resectable or metastatic malignant melanoma. The study enrolled 30 patients in the U.S. in two cohorts that differed only in the concentration of GM-CSF used as vaccine adjuvant. With a minimum follow-up of 4 years (median 53.0 months), the updated OS results show that all patients who were alive at the 3-year mark remain alive at 4 years, with an OS rate of 69.5%

Ultimovacs has previously reported data showing a complete response rate in the UV1-103 study of 33% (complete disappearance of tumors) and an objective response rate of 57% (complete or partial disappearance of tumors). Biomarker analyses reported in October 2022 showed robust clinical responses in patients treated with the combination of UV1 and pembrolizumab, regardless of patients’ PD-L1 status. The safety profile of UV1 in combination with pembrolizumab is comparable to that of pembrolizumab alone.

“We are encouraged by the strong overall survival rate observed in this Phase I study,” said Jens Bjørheim, Chief Medical Officer at Ultimovacs. “The data show a high survival rate among patients enrolled in the UV1-103 trial, even after a minimum of 4 years of follow-up. We look forward to the read-out of the FOCUS trial in head and neck cancer, where the same treatment combination has been used”.

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About the UV1-103 phase I trial in Malignant Melanoma

This US-based Phase I clinical trial evaluates the Company’s lead candidate, UV1, combined with the anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor, pembrolizumab, as a first-line treatment in patients with unresectable metastatic malignant melanoma. The trial evaluates safety, tolerability, and initial signs of clinical response. Thirty patients in the U.S. were treated in the study in two cohorts that differed only in the concentration of GM-CSF used as vaccine adjuvant.  The 20 patients in the first cohort received a 37.5 mcg GM-CSF adjuvant dose per UV1 vaccination. The 10 patients in the second cohort received the standard 75 mcg GM-CSF adjuvant dose per UV1 vaccination. The study has completed the enrollment of 30 patients, as announced on August 18, 2020. All included patients received the drugs as first-line treatment for advanced and metastatic malignant melanoma.

Compiled clinical results for the 30 patients enrolled are:  

• Objective response rate (ORR): 57%. Complete response rate (CR): 33%
• Median Progression Free Survival (mPFS): 18.9 months (as measured by iRECIST)
• Overall survival (OS)
  • after 12 months: 87%
  • after 24 months: 73%
  • after 36 months: 69.5%
  • after 48 months: 69.5%
  • Out of the 9 deaths, 4 happened during the first year, 4 during the second year, and one during the third year across both cohorts.

Three patients in cohort 1 chose not to be followed beyond 24 months. The trial had previously reached its primary endpoint of safety and tolerability, and no unexpected safety issues related to UV1 have been observed in this trial.

As a historical reference (not head-to-head comparison since dosing and the patient population are different), the registrational study for pembrolizumab, Keynote-006, showed an overall survival rate of 42% at 48 months (Long GV et al, ASCO 2018).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted a dual Fast Track designation for UV1 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma – either as add-on therapy to pembrolizumab or as add-on therapy to ipilimumab.

About Ultimovacs

Ultimovacs is a clinical-stage biotechnology leader in novel immunotherapeutic cancer vaccines. The lead cancer vaccine candidate UV1 is an off-the-shelf vaccine directed against human telomerase (hTERT), an antigen present in 85-90% of cancers in all stages of tumor growth. A broad clinical program, with Phase II trials in five cancer indications enrolling more than 670 patients, aims to investigate UV1’s impact in combination with other immunotherapies in multiple cancer types. UV1 is a patented technology owned by Ultimovacs. In addition, Ultimovacs’ adjuvant platform, based on the proprietary Tetanus-Epitope-Targeting (TET) technology, combines tumor-specific antigens and adjuvant in the same molecule and is in Phase I clinical development. The Company is listed on the Euronext Oslo Stock Exchange (ULTI).

About UV1

UV1 is a therapeutic cancer vaccine designed to induce a specific T-cell response against telomerase. UV1 consists of long, synthetic peptides representing a sequence in the reverse transcriptase subunit of telomerase (hTERT), shown to induce CD4+ T-cells. These CD4+ T-cells have the potential to provide inflammatory signals, and T-cell support is believed to be critical for triggering a strong anti-tumor immune response. Following intradermal injection, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the skin are exposed to the vaccine peptides. These APCs will process the peptides and present vaccine epitopes on Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) molecules to naïve T-cells in the lymph nodes. Activated vaccine-specific T-cells will then enter the circulation and search for cells displaying their cognate antigen in the context of HLA molecules.

The UV1 peptides contain several epitopes, shown to be non-restrictive in terms of (HLA) alleles for presentation. It is, therefore, not required to perform HLA pre-screening of patients, which potentially enables broad population utilization of the vaccine. UV1 is administered over three months with eight intradermal injections and the immune-modulator GM-CSF.

For further information, please see or contact:

Carlos de Sousa, CEO

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Anne Worsøe, Head of Investor Relations

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This information is considered inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 in the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

This stock exchange announcement was published by Anne Worsøe, Head of IR at Ultimovacs ASA, on June 11, 2024, at 07:00 am CET.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act