NETRIS Pharma to Present Clinical Results of NP137 in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors at ESMO 2025

Primary efficacy endpoint met in secondary refractory patients

LYON, FRANCE, October 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- NETRIS Pharma, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering novel therapies targeting Netrin-1 to overcome resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy, today announced the presentation of the first results from its ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial IMMUNONET. The Study evaluates NP137 in combination with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapies with advanced solid tumors. The data will be shared in a poster session at the upcoming ESMO Oncology Congress 2025 in Berlin, Germany.

Resistance to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI) remains a major challenge in the treatment of solid tumors such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Netrin-1, an embryonic guidance factor re-expressed in various cancers, contributes to tumor resistance and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). NP137, a first-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting Netrin-1, has demonstrated the ability to inhibit EMT and modulate the tumor microenvironment, thereby potentially restoring sensitivity to immunotherapy.

IMMUNONET (NCT05605496) was designed to evaluate whether NP137 was able to (re)-sensitize solid tumors to ICI. Patients who had progressed under a prior anti–PD-1/PD-L1 were enrolled to receive NP137 as an add–on to their immunotherapy. They were enrolled in 3 distinct cohorts depending on their best response and time to progression (cohort 1, stable disease; cohort 2, primary refractory and cohort 3, secondary refractory). The study was designed as a 2-stage adaptive design.

This poster reports the results of stage 1. In cohort 3 (secondary refractory) where a majority of NSCLC and HNSCC patients were enrolled, the primary endpoint of Progression-Free Rate at 12 weeks (PFR-12W) was met ahead of stage 2. These results strongly suggest the efficacy of combining NP137 with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in this difficult-to-treat population and warrant further controlled studies to confirm these findings.

Importantly, the combination of NP137 with ICI was very well tolerated. “These preliminary results are particularly encouraging,” said Dr Jérome Fayette, M.D., Ph.D., Principal Investigator of the study. “Patients who have progressed after prior anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy represent one of the most difficult populations to treat. The encouraging efficacy and safety results observed in this study strongly support the continued clinical development of NP137.
Advancing to a confirmatory randomized study will allow to further validate these findings and better define the therapeutic potential of NP137 in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors for patients with advanced solid tumors.”

“Observing durable disease control in this setting supports the concept that targeting Netrin-1 can re-sensitize tumors to immune checkpoint inhibition », added Dr. Sébastien Hazard, Chief Medical Officer of NETRIS Pharma. “Combining NP137 with checkpoint inhibitors may offer a new option for patients who no longer benefit from standard immunotherapy.”

Poster Details
• Title: NP137 combined with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 therapy in ICI-pretreated solid tumors: Interim efficacy and safety results from the IMMUNONET study
• Session: 966P
• First Author: Dr. Jerome Fayette

About EIC Accelerator
The EIC Accelerator supports individual Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), in particular Startups and spinout companies to develop and scaleup game-changing innovations. ImmunoNET is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or NETRIS Pharma. Neither the European Union nor NETRIS Pharma can be held responsible for them.

About NETRIS Pharma
NETRIS Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative therapies targeting netrin-1, a protein aberrantly expressed in cancer cells and a key driver of resistance to oncology treatments. The company’s lead product, NP137, is the most advanced netrin-1-targeting candidate and has shown promising anti-cancer activity in both preclinical and clinical settings. NETRIS Pharma has recently completed the enrolment of its four phase1b/2 clinical trials with readouts expected at the end of 2025 and 2026: GyNET (NCT04652076), IMMUNONET (NCT05605496), Liver-NET1 (NCT05546879), and LAP-NET1 (NCT05546853).

For more information about NETRIS Pharma, its pipeline, and the ongoing clinical trials, please visit www.netrispharma.com.

Media Contact:
NETRIS Pharma
Christophe GUICHARD, CFO and IR

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NETRIS Pharma
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