EXTON, Pa., May 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDRA) today announced that it will not continue ILLUMINATE-301, the Company’s trial of tilsotolimod in combination with ipilimumab versus ipilimumab alone in patients with anti-PD-1 refractory advanced melanoma, to its overall survival (OS) primary endpoint. The Company reported in March 2021 that the trial did not meet its primary endpoint of objective response rate (ORR). Full results from the study will be presented in a future publication.
“Since receiving the disappointing ORR results from ILLUMINATE-301, we have interrogated the full data set and consulted with our study Steering Committee, our partners at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), and other stakeholders regarding next steps for the trial. Our conclusion is that the totality of the data, with all patients having completed the study treatment, does not support the likelihood that the combination of tilsotolimod with ipilimumab would achieve a statistically significant OS benefit over ipilimumab alone,” stated Vincent Milano, Idera’s Chief Executive Officer. “I want to personally thank all the patients and investigators for their dedication to the study.”
Added Mr. Milano, “We remain committed to our additional trials and are continuing to enroll and treat patients in ILLUMINATE-206, our Phase 2 study of tilsotolimod in combination with BMS’s nivolumab and ipilimumab for patients with microsatellite-stable colorectal cancer and to support AbbVie in the form of study drug in their trial for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.”
Continued Mr. Milano, “As we turn our attention toward the future, we continue to be active in our goal to identify and secure new development or commercial-stage assets. We have an exceptional team with a strong track record and passion for helping patients that I believe can be beneficial in delivering results from promising compounds.”
The Company is also announcing that Elizabeth Tarka, M.D., the Company’s Chief Medical Officer since July 2019, will be leaving the Company on May 28, 2021. Dr. Tarka will continue working with Idera on a consulting basis.
“I want to thank Liz for helping us deliver ILLUMINATE-301 and for her many other contributions over the past two years,” stated Mr. Milano. “We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”
