JNCE Jounce Therapeutics Inc

Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: JNCE), a clinical-stage company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer immunotherapies and predictive biomarkers, today announced that it has initiated dosing in the Phase 2 EMERGE clinical trial of its lead product candidate, vopratelimab, in combination with ipilimumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or urothelial cancer who have progressed on or after PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapies. These patient populations represent a rapidly growing area of unmet need as PD-1 inhibitors move into earlier lines of therapy, with few options and no established standard of care for patients who progress after a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor.

“The Phase 2 EMERGE clinical trial of vopratelimab and ipilimumab builds upon the original science from our founders as well as the reverse translational subset analysis from patients who benefitted in our ICONIC trial versus those who did not. Vopratelimab treatment resulted in the emergence of ICOS hi CD4 T effector cells in the peripheral blood and emergence of these cells was associated with response and improvements in progression free survival and overall survival, as presented at the 2019 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting,” said Beth Trehu, M.D., chief medical officer of Jounce Therapeutics. “Ipilimumab is known to induce a population of ICOS hi CD4 T cells, making it a scientifically logical combination partner for vopratelimab in the EMERGE study, as we have shown vopratelimab stimulates, expands and sustains ICOS hi CD4 T cells. We are pleased to have begun enrollment in the EMERGE clinical trial and expect to report preliminary efficacy data in 2020.”

About the Phase 2 EMERGE Clinical TrialThe Phase 2 EMERGE clinical trial is an open-label, multi-center study to evaluate the efficacy of vopratelimab in combination with ipilimumab. In the initial stage, Jounce expects to enroll approximately 40 patients with NSCLC and approximately 40 patients with urothelial cancer. The primary endpoint is overall response rate (ORR) and secondary endpoints include safety, duration of response, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Additional important assessments will include close monitoring of ICOS hi CD4 T cell emergence, and a range of other biomarkers, including exploratory assessment of potential predictive biomarkers. Jounce expects to report preliminary efficacy and biomarker relationships to clinical outcomes on up to 80 patients in 2020. 

Patients and physicians interested in the Phase 2 EMERGE trial can contact EMERGE@jouncetx.com. For more information on this trial, please visit https://clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT03989362).

About Vopratelimab Jounce’s lead product candidate, vopratelimab (formerly JTX-2011), is a clinical-stage monoclonal antibody that binds to and activates ICOS, the Inducible T cell CO­Stimulator, a protein on the surface of certain T cells commonly found in many solid tumors. Vopratelimab was assessed in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial that we refer to as ICONIC. In the initial Phase 1/2 portion of ICONIC, vopratelimab was found to be safe and well-tolerated, both alone and in combination with nivolumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody. At the June 2018 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, we reported Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, or RECIST, responses and other tumor reductions as determined by investigator assessment that were associated with an ICOS pharmacodynamic biomarker. We subsequently reported that these responses were durable, lasting six or more months and that all responders, as determined by investigator assessments, remained on study for more than one year. ICONIC also included dose-escalation Phase 1 portions to assess vopratelimab in combination with pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, and in combination with ipilimumab, an antibody that binds to CTLA-4 on certain T cells. This Phase 1 portion established the safety of vopratelimab in combination with each of ipilimumab and pembrolizumab.

About Jounce TherapeuticsJounce Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company dedicated to transforming the treatment of cancer by developing therapies that enable the immune system to attack tumors and provide long lasting benefits to patients. Through the use of its Translational Science Platform, Jounce first focuses on specific cell types within the human tumor microenvironment to prioritize targets, and then identifies related biomarkers designed to match the right immunotherapy to the right patient. Jounce has three development-stage programs: its two clinical product candidates, vopratelimab, a monoclonal antibody that binds to and activates ICOS, and JTX-4014, a monoclonal antibody that binds to PD-1 and for potential use in combination with Jounce’s pipeline of future product candidates, and JTX-8064, a monoclonal antibody that binds to Leukocyte Immunoglobulin Like Receptor B2 (LILRB2) that is currently in the IND-enabling phase. In addition, Jounce is progressing numerous novel discovery stage programs. For more information, please visit www.jouncetx.com.

Investor Contact:Komal JoshiJounce Therapeutics, Inc.(857) 320-2523kjoshi@jouncetx.com

Media Contact:Gina NugentThe Yates Network(617) 460-3579gina@theyatesnetwork.com