Idera Pharma Reports Presentation of New Intratumoral IMO-2125 Preclinical Data at CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Conference

Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing Toll-like receptor (TLR) and RNA therapeutics for patients with cancer and rare diseases, today announced new preclinical data that showed cancer immunotherapy with intratumoral injections of IMO-2125 alone and in combination with ipilimumab demonstrated potent and systemic anti-tumor activity in preclinical cancer models. IMO-2125 is a synthetic oligonucleotide-based agonist of Toll-like receptor 9 discovered and developed by Idera. Ipilimumab is a checkpoint inhibitor targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4). Additionally, Idera presented preclinical data which demonstrated that IMO-2125 induces a systemic antitumor immune response with the potential to sensitize the tumor microenvironment for combination with various checkpoint inhibitors. These data are being presented at the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference in New York City, beginning today. "The body of preclinical data that we have assembled further illustrates the potential of intratumoral IMO-2125 to play an important role in the emerging field of cancer immunotherapy," stated Sudhir Agrawal, D.Phil., President of Research at Idera Pharmaceuticals. "We are looking forward to advancing this approach into clinical development with our first study and exploring additional clinical studies with intratumoral IMO-2125 in other tumor types and with other checkpoint inhibitor combination regimens." In the presentation, entitled "Intratumoral administration of IMO-2125, a novel TLR9 agonist, modulates the tumor microenvironment and exerts systemic antitumor activity alone and in combination with an anti-CTLA4 monoclonal antibody (mAb)," Idera scientists presented data suggesting that intratumoral IMO-2125 monotherapy led to dose-dependent decreases in treated and distant tumor volume, an increase in infiltrating CD8+ T cells and specific cytotoxic T cell responses against tumor antigens. Combination of intratumoral IMO-2125 and an anti-CTLA4 mAb showed improved inhibition of tumor growth, regression of systemic lung metastases and infiltration of TILs versus monotherapy with either agent. Collectively, these data demonstrate the potent antitumor activity of IMO-2125, a novel immunostimulatory TLR9 agonist, alone and in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor. Idera expects to initiate the first clinical study of intratumoral IMO-2125 in combination with ipilimumab in patients with metastatic melanoma in the fourth quarter of this year as part of the previously announced clinical research alliance with MD Anderson Cancer Center. In the presentation, entitled "Modulation of checkpoint expression in tumor microenvironment by intratumoral administration of a novel TLR9 agonist: Rationale for combination therapy," Idera scientists presented data suggesting that intratumoral IMO-2125 treatment led to antitumor activity in preclinical tumor models of lymphoma, colon carcinoma and melanoma. Specifically, intratumoral IMO-2125 treatment resulted in changes in the tumor microenvironment in both treated and distant tumors, as demonstrated by modulation of immune checkpoint gene expression. These data showed that intratumoral IMO-2125 has the potential to sensitize the tumor microenvironment for combination with various checkpoint inhibitors. These presentations are both currently available on Idera's website at http://www.iderapharma.com/our-science/key-presentations-and-publications. Additionally, Idera announced that pre-clinical data relating to the combination of intratumoral IMO-2125 and an anti-PD-1 mAb in a murine colon carcinoma model will be presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Boston from November 5-9th.