ASX Health Stocks: Immutep hooks leading research firm CHDR to conduct Phase 1 drug study

Immutep teams up with CHDR for landmark human study of IMP761 in autoimmune diseases
Next Science’s XPERIENCE proven effective: study shows zero infection rate after surgeries

Immutep to partner with CHDR on first human study of IMP761

Cancer and autoimmune diseases focused biotech, Immutep (ASX:IMM), has partnered with the Centre for Human Drug Research (CHDR) in the Netherlands to study a new drug called IMP761 in humans for the first time.

Under the agreement, CHDR – a world-class institute in Leiden, the Netherlands, specialising in cutting-edge early-stage clinical drug research – will perform a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical study of IMP761.

IMP761 is a special antibody that aims to help the immune system work better by restoring balance to the system and address the underlying cause of many autoimmune diseases.

Subject to the relevant ethic and regulatory approvals, the study will involve about 49 healthy volunteers. It will test the safety and effects of different doses of IMP761 compared to a placebo.

The study will use a unique method developed by CHDR – the keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) challenge model – to see how well the drug works in changing the immune system’s response.

“We are excited to leverage CHDR’s expertise in working with targeted immunotherapy candidates in the clinical setting to evaluate IMP761’s potential in changing how autoimmune disorders are treated,” said Immutep’s chief scientific officer, Dr Frédéric Triebel.

The healthcare industry is starting to notice immune checkpoint agonists like LAG-3, PD-1, and CTLA-4 more and more.

These are special checkpoints because they can help treat autoimmune diseases. Prior research papers for instance have identified LAG-3 as a promising immunotherapy target for autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis, among others.

Next Science’s study published on respected journal

Next Science (ASX:NXS) has published a study showing that its product, XPERIENCE, can help prevent infections after joint replacement surgeries in knees, hips, and shoulders.

In November 2023, leading orthopaedic surgeon Dr Robert Harris shared the results of a study on VuMedi. It showed that XPERIENCE is effective in preventing infections after joint replacement surgeries.

The retrospective study showed a zero per cent infection rate in a cohort of 423 patients up to 90 days post-surgery.

The findings of this study have now been reviewed by other experts and published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery.

“The publication of these findings means the study will now receive broader recognition in the orthopaedic community, and adds to the growing body of clinical evidence that will support Next Science being able to challenge for standard of care in surgical irrigation,” said CEO, I.V. Hall.