Item 8.01. Other Events.
On February 28, 2019, Heat Biologics, Inc. (the
“
Company
”
) issued a press release announcing updated interim results from its ongoing Phase 2 study investigating HS-110 in combination with Bristol-Myers Squibbs anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor, nivolumab (Opdivo®), in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that were presented today at the ASCO-SITC Clinical Immuno-Oncology Symposium by Daniel Morgensztern, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Director of Thoracic Oncology, Washington University School of Medicine, and Lead Investigator in the trial. Data were presented on both Cohort A and Cohort B of the trial. Cohort A enrolls only previously treated patients who have never received a checkpoint inhibitor (CPI), while Cohort B enrolls patients who received a minimum of 4 months of treatment with a CPI as part of their prior therapy, but subsequently had documented progressive disease. Preliminary data suggest that the addition of HS-110 to Nivolumab may restore responsiveness to treatment after tumor progression on prior checkpoint inhibitor. Improved survival was observed in patients with low CD8+ cold tumor at baseline compared to high CD8+ patients and the occurrence of injection site reactions correlated with improved overall survival.
Highlights for both cohorts are presented below:
Cohort B (patients who progressed after prior treatment with a checkpoint inhibitor)
·
Of first 20 patients enrolled in this cohort:
o
Partial response (PR) in 3 patients (15%) per RECIST 1.1 and 4 patients (20%) per investigator assessment
o
Stable disease (SD) in 8 patients (40%)
o
Disease control rate (DCR) of 55%
·
The 3 RECIST 1.1 PR patients had documented progression on a CPI immediately preceding study entry.
·
Median progression free survival (mPFS) was 2.7 months (95% CI; 1.8 - 4.0 months).
Cohort A (patients who have never received a CPI prior to study entry)
·
Of 42 patients enrolled by the cutoff date:
o
PR in 9 patients (21%) per RECIST 1.1
o
SD in 12 patients (29%)
o
DCR of 50%
o
Median overall survival not yet reached (60% still alive with a median follow-up of 14.4 months)
·
Responses and disease stabilization are durable and long-lasting.
·
Subgroup analyses, predefined in the clinical protocol, were performed for levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD8+ TILs) present in tumors at baseline. There was evidence of a survival benefit (HR = 0.39) in patients with levels CD8+ TIL
<
10% (i.e.
“
cold
”
tumors), a population that typically responds poorly to checkpoint inhibitors. The treatment benefit appeared to be independent of PD-L1 status (HR = 0.85).
·
Immune reactivity to HS-110 was measured via ELISPOT assay (high vs. low compared to median) on patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained before and during treatment with a median overall survival benefit of 6.2 months in the high ELISPOT group.
·
Overall survival was significantly higher in patients that experienced at least one dermal injection site reaction to HS-110 at any time during study treatment, supporting HS-110
’
s mechanism of action (HR= 0.15 [95% CI: 0.05-0.45], p=0.0001).
For both cohorts, treatment with HS-110 in combination with nivolumab was well tolerated, with no additional toxicities beyond those observed with single agent CPI therapy.
A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
A copy of the Company
’
s revised corporate presentation that includes the interim results set forth above is attached as Exhibit 99.2 hereto, which is incorporated herein by reference.
The slide presentation attached as Exhibit 99.2 to this Report includes
“
safe harbor
”
language pursuant to the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, indicating that certain statements contained in the slide presentation or in the press release are
“
forward-looking
”
rather than historical.
The Company undertakes no duty or obligation to update or revise information included in this Current Report or any of the Exhibits.