Avacta Group, a London-listed oncology drug-and-diagnostics company, has announced successful completion of the sixth dose escalation in its AVA6000 tumor treatment study. This milestone has enabled the company to fast-track their Phase 2 study, which is now scheduled to begin earlier than initially planned.
Positive Market Response
Following the announcement, Avacta Group's shares experienced a notable increase. As of 0752 GMT, the shares showed an upward trend of 10%, equaling a rise of 11.0 pence, and reached 117.0 pence.
Advancing Treatment with Dose Escalation
The process of dose escalation involves incrementally increasing the dosage of a drug until the optimal level is determined—the highest possible dose that does not result in harmful side effects.
In this particular clinical trial conducted in the United Kingdom and United States, a total of 35 patients with various advanced and/or metastatic solid tumors have been dosed. Avacta Group reported that the treatment has continued to demonstrate an excellent safety profile. Notably, one patient with soft tissue sarcoma displayed a significant reduction in tumor volume, affirming the drug's effectiveness.
Looking Ahead: Phase 2 Study
Avacta Group is now preparing for the next phase of its research. Originally scheduled for a later date, the Phase 2 study for soft tissue sarcoma is now slated to commence in 2024. The company's Chief Executive, Alastair Smith, expressed satisfaction with the early positive responses witnessed among patients thus far.
"I'm particularly pleased that, even at this early stage and in this patient group, we have a confirmed, significant response in a patient with soft tissue sarcoma, as well as other positive signals across a number of other patients," stated Smith.
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