Ultra-Low Dose Immunotherapy Offers Hope for Cancer Patients in Developing Countries

A man in India with advanced melanoma received a radical new treatment of just 10% of the normal dose of immunotherapy drug Opdivo. The lower dose extended his life, and doctors in India are now using ultra-low dose immunotherapy for patients who can't afford the full dose. While not proven as effective, this approach could save thousands of lives in developing countries. However, drug companies have no incentive to fund this treatment, as it does not generate as much revenue as the full dose treatment.

IO Biotech (Nasdaq: IOBT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has announced that two of its late-breaking abstracts have been accepted and selected for oral and poster presentations at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, scheduled from October 17-21 in Berlin, Germany.

The oral presentation, titled "IO102-IO103 cancer vaccine plus pembrolizumab for first-line (1L) advanced melanoma: Primary Phase 3 results (IOB-013/KN-D18)," will highlight the results from a randomized Phase 3 trial assessing the efficacy and safety of IO102-IO103 (IDO/PD-L1 vaccine) in combination with pembrolizumab versus pembrolizumab monotherapy in first-line advanced melanoma. The presentation will be given by Jessica Hassel, MD, Professor at the Department of Dermatology and National Center for Tumor Diseases at the University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany, on Monday, October 20, 2025, from 8:30 to 10:00 CEST IO Biotech Announces Late-Breaking Abstract in Advanced Melanoma Selected for Oral Presentation at ESMO Congress 2025^[1].

The poster presentation, titled "IO102-IO103 cancer vaccine plus pembrolizumab for first line (1L) treatment of advanced solid tumors: Final results of a Phase 2 basket trial," will share final data from a Phase 2 basket trial with updated efficacy and safety data, median progression-free survival (PFS), landmark PFS and overall survival data, as well as biomarker and translational data for first-line treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN). The poster will be presented by Jonathan W. Riess, MD, MS, UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, on Sunday, October 19, 2025, from 12:00 to 12:45 CEST IO Biotech Announces Late-Breaking Abstract in Advanced Melanoma Selected for Oral Presentation at ESMO Congress 2025^[1].

IO Biotech is developing Cylembio®, an investigational, immune-modulatory, off-the-shelf therapeutic cancer vaccine candidate designed to kill both tumor cells and immune-suppressive cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) by stimulating activation and expansion of T cells against indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) positive and/or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) positive cells. The company is currently conducting pivotal Phase 3 trials and Phase 2 basket trials investigating Cylembio® in combination with pembrolizumab for various solid tumors IO Biotech Announces Late-Breaking Abstract in Advanced Melanoma Selected for Oral Presentation at ESMO Congress 2025^[1].

The company's Phase 3 trial (IOB-013/KN-D18) evaluating Cylembio® in combination with Merck's anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), versus pembrolizumab alone in patients with advanced melanoma, completed enrollment in December 2023 and reported topline results in the third quarter of 2025. The Phase 2 basket trial (IOB-022/KN-D38) investigating Cylembio® in combination with pembrolizumab as first-line treatment in patients with advanced solid tumors, and the Phase 2 basket trial (IOB-032/PN-E40) investigating Cylembio® in combination with pembrolizumab as neo-adjuvant/adjuvant treatment of patients with solid tumors, have also completed enrollment IO Biotech Announces Late-Breaking Abstract in Advanced Melanoma Selected for Oral Presentation at ESMO Congress 2025^[1].

IO Biotech's innovative approach to cancer vaccines holds promise for improving patient outcomes and expanding treatment options for various solid tumors. The company's clinical trials and presentations at ESMO Congress 2025 provide valuable insights into the efficacy and safety of Cylembio® in combination with pembrolizumab for advanced melanoma and other solid tumors.