Osel readout bolsters bacterial immunotherapy pipeline
Osel data gives the microbiome-based cancer therapy field its first efficacy signal from a randomized trial
At least a dozen companies aim to use bacteria to treat cancer, most by inducing immune responses that enhance the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors. The field got its first hint of efficacy from a randomized trial on Monday, when Osel Inc. and City of Hope reported the single-strain therapy CBM588 improved progression-free survival in patients with kidney cancer.
The data came from a small Phase I study that included 30 treatment-naive patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma with clear cell or sarcomatoid histology and intermediate- or poor-risk disease. The patients were randomized 2:1 to receive Opdivo nivolumab and Yervoy ipilimumab, both marketed by Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (NYSE:BMY), with or without daily CBM588, an oral product containing Clostridium butyricum...