BioNTech Shares Plunge 8% on Discontinuation of Colorectal Cancer Vaccine Trial
BioNTech's shares plummeted by approximately 8% on Friday after the company and its partner Genentech announced the discontinuation of a Phase 2 clinical study examining their mRNA-based cancer vaccine for colorectal cancer patients.
The trial, which assessed autogene cevumeran as an adjunctive therapy for individuals with high-risk Stage II or Stage III colorectal cancer who had undergone surgical intervention, was halted due to futility concerns and disparities in survival data across treatment arms.
This marks the second unsuccessful trial for autogene cevumeran this year, following a bladder cancer study that was discontinued in March. The news comes amidst recent positive momentum in the mRNA space, triggered by Moderna and Merck's successful Phase 3 melanoma vaccine results.
BioNTech's Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Özlem Türeci, characterized the outcomes as disappointing while emphasizing the scientific knowledge gained regarding immune-suppressive tumor resistance mechanisms.