Candel Therapeutics reports positive survival data for CAN-2409 in advanced lung cancer trial
Published: 16:18 26 Mar 2025 EDT
Candel Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ:CADL) said on Wednesday that its experimental immunotherapy, CAN-2409, demonstrated prolonged median overall survival in a Phase 2a clinical trial for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had not responded to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).
Patients receiving CAN-2409 showed a median overall survival of 24.5 months, exceeding historical survival rates for this population, the company said.
Among patients with progressive disease at baseline despite ICI therapy, median overall survival was 21.5 months—nearly double the 9.8-11.8 months typically seen with the standard of care, docetaxel chemotherapy.
Around 37% of patients with progressive disease despite ICI treatment were still alive more than two years after receiving CAN-2409, according to data collected at the beginning of March 2025.
“These updated survival data confirm and strengthen our previously reported findings, demonstrating that CAN-2409 has the potential to extend survival for patients with advanced NSCLC, who have limited treatment options after failing to respond to, or progressing, despite immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy,” Candel CEO Paul Peter Tak said in a statement.
Precision medicine approach
The treatment also appeared more effective in patients with non-squamous NSCLC, with a median overall survival of 25.4 months in this group. Biomarker data suggested a stronger immune response in non-squamous patients, which Candel said further supports a potential precision medicine approach.
CAN-2409 continued to show a favorable safety profile, with no new safety signals emerging during extended follow-up.
Candel said it plans to advance its development program, including preparations for a potential registrational trial.
The US Food and Drug Administration has previously granted CAN-2409 Fast Track Designation in combination with valacyclovir and ICI treatment for stage III/IV NSCLC patients resistant to first-line PD-(L)1 inhibitor therapy.
