Swedish biotech company BioInvent International AB (STO:BINV) on Wednesday reported encouraging Phase 1 data for BI-1206, its immune-modulatory antibody, in combination with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) for the treatment of solid tumours.

Keytruda is owned by US pharmaceutical company Merck & Co Inc (NYSE:MRK), known as MSD outside the US and Canada.

The trial included heavily pre-treated patients, with results showing one complete response, one long-lasting partial response, and 11 patients with stable disease among 36 evaluable participants.

The combination therapy was well-tolerated, supporting further exploration of higher dose levels and transitioning from intravenous to subcutaneous administration for enhanced therapeutic duration and tolerability. These findings reinforce preclinical evidence of BI-1206's ability to enhance the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy.

Based on these outcomes, BioInvent plans to initiate Phase 2a expansion cohorts in the second half of 2025. The study will focus on first-line treatment of advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and uveal melanoma using subcutaneous BI-1206 with pembrolizumab.