Candel Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:CADL) has recently shared updated interim survival data from the phase 2 trial of CAN-2409 plus valacyclovir for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The data, presented at the 2023 Society for Immunotherapy Annual Meeting, showed promising results with prolonged and sustained survival in patients with borderline resectable PDAC.
As of March 29, 2024, the estimated median overall survival was 28.8 months in the CAN-2409 group compared to 12.5 months in the control group. Additionally, at 24 months, a survival rate of 71.4% was observed in the CAN-2409 treated patients, while only 16.7% survived in the control group. At 36 months, the survival rate was 47.6% in the CAN-2409 group versus 16.7% in the control group.
Furthermore, the data revealed that 4 out of 7 patients who received CAN-2409 were still alive at the time of data cut-off, with two patients surviving more than 50 months from enrollment. In contrast, only 1 out of 6 patients in the control group remained alive at the data cut-off.
The study also showed consistent activation of the immune response in patients treated with CAN-2409, with dense aggregates of cytotoxic tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes observed in pancreatic tissue. The treatment was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities reported.
Following the release of this positive data, CADL shares surged by 31.70% to $2.21. The promising results from this study highlight the potential of CAN-2409 in improving outcomes for patients with pancreatic cancer.