Inovio Receives Milestone from MedImmune

Inovio Pharmaceuticals has received a milestone payment from MedImmune after MEDI0457 in combination with durvalumab (MEDI4736) successfully completed the phase 1 safety review portion of the study and has advanced to the phase 2 efficacy stage of the trial. 

As part of a $700 million 2015 license and collaboration agreement, MedImmune, the global biologics research and development arm of AstraZeneca, is evaluating MEDI0457 in combination with durvalumab, its PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitor, in patients with recurrent/metastatic HPV-associated head and neck squamous cancer (HNSCC) in a clinical trial with an estimated enrollment of 50 patients.

Under that agreement, MedImmune acquired exclusive rights to Inovio’s MEDI0457 immunotherapy.  MedImmune and Inovio will develop two additional DNA-based cancer therapy products not included in Inovio’s current product pipeline, which MedImmune has exclusive rights to develop and commercialize. Inovio will receive development, regulatory and commercialization milestone payments and will be eligible to receive royalties on worldwide net sales for these additional cancer vaccine products.

Dr. Ildiko Csiki, MD, PhD, Inovio vice president of Clinical Development, said, “We are pleased to see this combination study advance to the efficacy portion of the trial. Published preclinical studies suggest that treatment with HPV targeted immunotherapeutic approach in combination with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition may be synergistic, and potentially increase efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors.”