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Re: chickpea598 post# 35771

Tuesday, 09/06/2016 7:56:07 PM

Tuesday, September 06, 2016 7:56:07 PM

Post# of 48316
Thanks for the follow-up chickpea598. The key takeaway is the ability of the assay to identify non-responders to Keytruda accurately so that EP IL-12 can prove it can turn them into responders. In melanoma that's about 70% of patients. The ratios are similar in other indications as well.
In a hypothetical registration trial sample of 100 melanoma patients, currently only about 30 would respond to Keytruda. If ONCS can make only 30 more people respond, that's a 100% increase in Keytruda's response rate from Merck's point of view (45 patients = 150% increase), with no severe side effects. How much is that worth to Merck?
Not sure how many patients out of 41 has UCSF managed to enroll so far in current p2b trial but the response rate from those enrolled will be a precursor to the registration trial. The good thing from investors' perspective is that we are dealing with an already approved drug. ONCS's platform just aims to make it more receptive to tumors. Given the sample patients we have read about so far (head and neck, melanoma) I cannot imagine the upcoming interim data being disappointing. Risk/reward opportunities like this one do not come by that often IMO. GL to those invested.