ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 09, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vaccinex, Inc. (Nasdaq: VCNX), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a differentiated approach to treating cancer and neurodegenerative disease through the inhibition of SEMA4D, today announced that it has been selected for poster presentation related to the phase 1b segment of its KEYNOTE-B84 study of pepinemab in combination with KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer during the upcoming 2022 American Association for Cancer Research Meetings (2022 AACR), taking place from April 8th to April 13th in New Orleans via in person and virtual attendance.

Details are shown below:
Abstract title: Phase 1/2 study of pepinemab, an inhibitor of semaphorin 4D, in combination with pembrolizumab as first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer (KEYNOTE B84)
Presenter: Terrence Fisher, PhD, VP Clinical Science
Abstract: CT111
Session: Phase II Clinical Trials 1
Date and Time: Monday Apr 11, 2022 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM, CST
Venue: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA, USA

Vaccinex has global commercial and development rights to pepinemab, and is sponsor of the KEYNOTE-B84 study which is being performed in collaboration with Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp, a subsidiary of Merck and Co, Inc. Kenilworth, NJ, USA. Additional information about the study is available at: clinicaltrials.gov link.

KEYTRUDA is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co. Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.

About Pepinemab
Pepinemab is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that inhibits SEMA4D, which regulates tumor immunity. Preclinical and clinical data show that pepinemab promotes infiltration/activation of dendritic cells/ CD8+ T-cells and reverses immunosuppression within the tumor.

Results of a Phase 1b/2 study to evaluate the combination of pepinemab with checkpoint inhibitor, BAVENCIO®, avelumab (Merck KGaA) were presented at ASCO 2020 and were highlighted in the July 2021 publication of Clinical Cancer Research. Vaccinex reported that results of the Phase 1b/2 CLASSICAL-Lung trial showed a 25-33% Overall Response Rate (ORR) for patients with difficult to treat PD-L1 low/negative tumors treated with combination therapy and highlighted reason to anticipate a potentially greater response in cancer indications with higher levels of myeloid suppressor cells including R/M HNSCC. The study report also indicated that pepinemab did not increase immune-related toxicities of BAVENCIO but increased penetration of cytotoxic T cells. The publication is available electronically at: Clinical Cancer Research.        

About Vaccinex, Inc. 
Vaccinex, Inc. is pioneering a differentiated approach to treating cancer and slowly progressive neurodegenerative diseases through the inhibition of semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D). The Company’s lead drug candidate, pepinemab, blocks SEMA4D, a potent biological effector that it believes prevents immune infiltration into tumors and triggers inflammation in chronic diseases of the brain. Pepinemab is being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2 study in recurrent or metastatic head and neck cancer and a Phase 1/2a study in Alzheimer’s Disease, with ongoing exploration of potential Phase 3 development in Huntington’s disease. The Company additionally intends to leverage its proprietary drug discovery platform, ActivMAb^®, to create strategic collaborations, particularly by exploiting its unique capability to select high value antibodies against important multi-pass membrane receptors.

Forward Looking Statements
To the extent that statements contained in this presentation are not descriptions of historical facts regarding Vaccinex, Inc. (“Vaccinex,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), they are forward-looking statements reflecting management’s current beliefs and expectations. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, expectations and objectives with respect to the results and timing of our clinical trials of pepinemab in various indications, the use and potential benefits of pepinemab in Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s disease and other indications, and other statements identified by words such as “may,” “will,” “appears,” “expect,” “hope”, “planned,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “hypothesis,” “potential,” “suggest”, “advance,” and similar expressions or their negatives (as well as other words and expressions referencing future events, conditions, or circumstances). Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause the outcome of our research and pre-clinical development programs, clinical development programs, future results, performance, or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, uncertainties inherent in the execution, cost and completion of preclinical and clinical trials, uncertainties related to regulatory approval, risks related to our dependence on our lead product candidate pepinemab, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other matters that could affect our development plans or the commercial potential of our product candidates. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of these and other factors that could cause future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement, see the section titled “Risk Factors” in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and the other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s most recent year-end Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the SEC.                

Investor Contact                                        
John Mullaly                                        
LifeSci Advisors, LLC                                
617-429-3548                                        
jmullaly@lifesciadvisors.com

Source: Vaccinex, Inc.