Immutep Limited (IMMP, IMM.AX) has announced a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK). This partnership aims to assess the efficacy of eftilagimod alfa (efti) in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), along with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in an upcoming pivotal Phase III trial.
This new collaboration builds upon two prior collaborations: the TACTI-002 Phase II and TACTI-003 Phase IIb trials, which together included over 350 patients.
Under the terms of the agreement, Immutep will be responsible for conducting the registrational TACTI-004 study, while Merck will provide Keytruda. This arrangement allows both Immutep and Merck to pursue marketing authorization for the combination therapy and to promote their respective compounds under an appropriate label indication.
Both companies retain commercial rights to their individual compounds and retain the freedom to conduct additional clinical studies, either independently or jointly, across various therapeutic areas.
