Imugene's azer-cel trial shows 82% overall response in lymphoma

Imugene Limited announced an increase in the overall response rate (ORR) for its azer-cel CAR T phase 1b trial to 82%, up from 81%. This includes seven complete responses (CR) and seven partial responses (PR) among seventeen evaluable patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). The trial is evaluating azer-cel, an off-the-shelf allogeneic CD19 CAR T therapy.

Patients in the trial had previously failed at least three lines of therapy, with some failing up to six lines, including autologous CAR T. Durability of responses is ongoing, with patients showing durable responses at five, seven, and fifteen months+. The first patient dosed in 2024 remains cancer-free for over nineteen months.

Azer-cel is being developed to address limitations of approved autologous CAR T drugs, offering an on-demand treatment option. The trial has expanded to include CAR T naive patients with various non-Hodgkin lymphomas, with promising clinical activity and durability.