SCIB1 – Strong survival data

Scancell is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing two distinct flexible cancer immunotherapy platforms, each with broad applications. ImmunoBody is a DNA vaccine which stimulates high avidity anti-tumour T-cells for use as a monotherapy or in combination with checkpoint inhibitors. Moditope targets modified antigens and stimulates powerful anti-tumour T-cell responses for use in advanced and hard-to-treat cancers. Scancell has released new survival data for its Phase I/II in melanoma, with 69% recurrence-free survival after 3 years. Eight patients have now reached the 5 year survival, with four with no disease relapse.

• Strategy: Scancell is developing two proprietary immuno-oncology platforms which target cancer cells directly to produce potent T-cell responses. Both technologies are highly flexible, potentially targeting many types of cancer. The initial aim is to complete proof-of concept trials in five different indications
• SCIB1 survival data: Unprecedented survival data with SCIB1 as a monotherapy in melanoma patients, with 69% recurrence-free survival at 3 years compared to 46.5% with the checkpoint inhibitor Yervoy, the current standard of care. It is still early days but these data provide reassurance for the ImmunoBody platform
• US trial on schedule: With the new batch of SCIB1 being manufactured, Scancell remains on schedule for the US Investigational New Drug application for the Phase II trial with melanoma patients. The SCIB1 combination study with a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor is expected to start in 2018 with first data available in 2019
• Risks: Scancell is an early-stage drug development company which carries a high risk that a product might fail in clinical trials. Its focus on cancer immunotherapy is an extremely exciting, but competitive, field. More capital will be required to advance its proprietary assets further along the value chain
• Investment summary: Scancell’s proprietary technologies are in the ‘hot’ area of immuno-oncology and are targeting markets of unmet medical need. Scancell is progressing two distinct technologies, spreading the risk, and given that big pharma is willing to pay handsomely for such validated assets, we foresee considerable upside potential in the shares