Today marks a major milestone for MonTa Biosciences: the first patient has been dosed in Madrid at The START Center for Cancer Research FJD in our Phase 1b clinical study evaluating MBS8, our second-generation TLR7 agonist, in combination with checkpoint inhibitor therapy for patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma who have developed resistance to immunotherapy.
For these patients, options for treatment are poor and we see this as an indication where we can really make a difference.
While checkpoint inhibitors have transformed outcomes in melanoma, many patients who initially respond eventually see their disease return. Once resistance develops, treatment options become limited and the path toward long-term disease control becomes far more difficult.
We have not taken the easiest path to make these decisions moving into cutaneous melanoma with secondary resistance to immunotherapy . With a new drug being tested in patients you are exploring new territory and the decisions you make are critical to the outcome. It is extremely important to understand how the drug works in patients, before deciding what patients you see benefit from the treatment.
Based on the data generated to date, we believe this is a scientifically compelling setting in which to evaluate MBS8. Our hypothesis is that activating innate immunity may help restore anti-tumor immune responses and potentially restore sensitivity to checkpoint therapy.
Study details:
https://lnkd.in/e7r9Pg4D