Microbio Co., Ltd. (4128)  revealed encouraging results from an exploratory clinical trial of MS-20 combined with Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in stage IIIb/IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The trial showed a threefold increase in the objective response rate (ORR) for the MS-20-Keytruda group (75%) compared to Keytruda alone (25%). Additionally, the median progression-free survival (PFS) for MS-20 patients improved from 4.5 months to over 12 months, with a complete response (CR) rate of 12.5%.

Enhancing Immunotherapy with MS-20

MS-20, developed by Microbio, is a microbiome-based postbiotic designed to improve cancer immunotherapy by modulating the gut microbiome. "The results support MS-20's potential to reshape the microbiome and enhance Keytruda's effectiveness in treating advanced NSCLC," said Dr. Wan-Jiun Chen, Executive VP of Research & Development at Microbio. "Currently, hundreds of ongoing trials are aimed to find novel therapeutic agents for improving the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, and this proof-of-concept trial supports the use of MS-20 in such application."

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved 15 patients, with 12 analyzed in the modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04909034). Of the 8 patients receiving MS-20 and Keytruda, 6 (75% ORR) responded positively, including 1 with an ongoing CR lasting over 22 months and 5 with partial responses (PR). In contrast, only 1 of 4 patients in the placebo and Keytruda group showed a PR (25% ORR). The median PFS for the MS-20-Keytruda group was over 12 months, compared to 4.5 months in the placebo group.