NuCana plc presented data from its Phase 2 expansion cohort of NUC‑7738 in combination with pembrolizumab at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Immuno‑Oncology Congress in London. The study now includes 21 patients—nine in the expansion cohort and 12 from the dose‑confirmation cohort—showing two partial responses (one confirmed) and seven cases of stable disease, one of which progressed to a complete metabolic response with no detectable active disease. No new safety signals were reported, and several patients remain on therapy with durable disease control.
The clinical activity is notable because NUC‑7738, a ProTide‑modified 3′‑deoxyadenosine that disrupts RNA polyadenylation, targets a mechanism of action distinct from existing checkpoint inhibitors. CEO Hugh S. Griffith highlighted that the data “support continued enrollment and further clinical advancement as we move toward a potential registrational pathway” for patients who have exhausted standard PD‑1‑based therapies. The results reinforce the company’s strategy of leveraging its proprietary ProTide platform to overcome resistance mechanisms and expand the therapeutic window of nucleoside analogues.
NuCana remains a pre‑revenue company with an accumulated deficit of £224 million and a cash runway that depends on future fundraising. The encouraging clinical data strengthen the company’s narrative to investors and potential partners, suggesting that the drug could enter pivotal trials and, ultimately, regulatory review. While the company has not yet generated sales, the milestone provides a tangible measure of progress that can be used to secure additional capital and attract collaboration opportunities.
In the competitive landscape for PD‑1‑resistant metastatic melanoma, few agents have demonstrated meaningful activity. The data position NUC‑7738 as a potential first‑in‑class therapy, offering a new mechanism that could complement or replace existing immunotherapies. If the drug advances to larger confirmatory studies, it could capture a sizable unmet‑need market and differentiate NuCana from other late‑stage oncology candidates.
Overall, the presentation of these early clinical results marks a pivotal step toward a registration pathway for NUC‑7738 and underscores NuCana’s progress in addressing a high‑unmet‑need patient population. The company’s continued enrollment and future data will be closely watched by investors and the oncology community alike.
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