Alx oncology reports aspen-03 and aspen-04 phase 2 trials evaluating evorpacept with a checkpoint inhibitor for the treatment of head and neck cancers did not meet primary endpoints

South san francisco, april 25, 2025 (globe newswire) -- alx oncology holdings inc., (“alx oncology” or the “company”) (nasdaq: alxo), a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of novel therapies designed to treat cancer and extend patients' lives, today announced topline data from its phase 2 aspen-03 and aspen-04 clinical trials. the company's investigational cd47-blocker evorpacept, when added to merck's (known as msd outside of the us and canada) anti-pd-1 therapy, keytruda® (pembrolizumab) with or without chemotherapy, did not meet the primary endpoints in the aspen-03 and aspen-04 trials of improved objective response rates (orr) as compared to historical controls of pembrolizumab alone and pembrolizumab with chemotherapy, respectively, as a first-line treatment in patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (hnscc). the combination of evorpacept and pembrolizumab with or without chemotherapy in aspen-03 and aspen-04 demonstrated a manageable safety profile and was consistent with what has been previously reported for pembrolizumab and chemotherapy in this setting. although the company will no longer pursue evorpacept in combination with pembrolizumab in hnscc, multiple clinical trials of evorpacept in combination with anti-cancer antibodies will continue based on established proof-of-concept.
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