NuCana plc announced it will present preclinical data on the synergistic effects of its investigational drug NUC-7738 combined with PD-1 inhibitors in renal cell cancer at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2025. The presentation, scheduled for October 19, 2025, in Berlin, will showcase findings from patient-derived organoid studies that demonstrate enhanced therapeutic potential when combining these treatment modalities.
Novel Mechanism of Action Shows Promise in Combination Therapy
The upcoming presentation, titled "Patient Derived Organoids Reveal Synergy Between NUC-7738 and PD-1 Inhibition in Renal Cell Cancer," will be delivered by H. Abdullah during the Investigational Immunotherapy session. The research utilizes patient-derived organoids, which provide a more clinically relevant model system for evaluating drug combinations compared to traditional cell culture methods.
NUC-7738 represents a novel approach to cancer treatment through its unique mechanism of action. The drug disrupts RNA polyadenylation, which profoundly impacts gene expression in cancer cells and targets multiple aspects of the tumor microenvironment. This mechanism distinguishes NUC-7738 from conventional chemotherapy agents and may explain its potential synergy with immunotherapy approaches.
Current Clinical Development Program
NUC-7738 is currently being evaluated in the Phase 2 portion of a Phase 1/2 clinical study. The trial is assessing NUC-7738 both as a monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors and in combination with pembrolizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, specifically in melanoma patients. This clinical program demonstrates NuCana's commitment to exploring combination strategies that could enhance treatment outcomes.
The company's approach builds on its proprietary ProTide technology platform, which transforms widely prescribed nucleoside analog chemotherapy agents into more effective and safer medicines. According to NuCana, conventional nucleoside analogs remain part of standard care for many solid and hematological tumors but have significant limitations that restrict their efficacy and tolerability.
Broader Pipeline Development
Beyond NUC-7738, NuCana's pipeline includes NUC-3373, a new chemical entity derived from 5-fluorouracil. NUC-3373 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2 modular study called NuTide:303, which examines the drug in combination with pembrolizumab for advanced solid tumors and with docetaxel for lung cancer patients.
The ESMO Congress 2025 presentation represents an important milestone for NuCana as it continues to build evidence for combination approaches in oncology. The abstract will be published online via the ESMO website on October 13 at 6:05 p.m. ET, providing the broader oncology community with access to the detailed findings ahead of the congress presentation.
