Arcus Bio Jumps 7% on Positive Cancer Drug Trial Results
Gilead-partnered anti-TIGIT therapy shows a median overall survival of nearly 27 months in a Phase 2 study for advanced gastrointestinal cancers.
Shares of Arcus Biosciences (RCUS) surged approximately 7% after the company, in partnership with Gilead Sciences, announced highly promising results from a mid-stage trial for their investigational cancer drug, domvanalimab. The data provides a significant boost to the company's immunotherapy pipeline and the broader field of anti-TIGIT therapies.
The Phase 2 EDGE-Gastric study evaluated domvanalimab in combination with another immunotherapy, zimberelimab, and chemotherapy. The regimen was tested in patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric, gastroesophageal junction, or esophageal adenocarcinoma. The results were compelling, showing a median overall survival (OS) of 26.7 months and a confirmed overall response rate (ORR) of 59%.
These survival figures represent a potentially meaningful improvement over existing standards of care. In a statement, Dr. Sun Young Rha, a lead investigator and professor at Yonsei University College of Medicine, noted the results were "well beyond what would be required to demonstrate clinically meaningful benefit over standard of care." The combination therapy also demonstrated a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 12.9 months and was found to be effective across all patient subgroups, regardless of PD-L1 expression.
Domvanalimab is an investigational antibody that targets TIGIT, a receptor on immune cells that can suppress the body's anti-cancer response. By blocking TIGIT, the therapy aims to unleash a more powerful immune attack on tumors. The positive outcome from this trial is a crucial win for the TIGIT class of drugs, which has seen mixed results in other clinical studies. leverages the larger company's extensive oncology experience to advance this novel treatment.
, the safety profile of the combination was manageable and consistent with previous studies, with no new safety concerns identified. The strong efficacy and safety data provide a solid foundation as Arcus and Gilead advance the treatment into a larger, registrational Phase 3 trial named STAR-221. While both domvanalimab and zimberelimab remain investigational molecules pending regulatory approval, have significantly increased investor confidence in the drug's potential as a future cornerstone of cancer therapy.