Eikon Therapeutics will present new Phase 2 data on its novel TLR7/8 co-agonist EIK1001 in combination with pembrolizumab and chemotherapy for first-line treatment of stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Berlin, Germany from October 17-21, 2025.
The presentation, titled "TeLuRide-005: Phase II study of EIK1001, a toll-like receptor 7/8 (TLR7/8) co-agonist with pembrolizumab (pembro)+chemotherapy (chemo) as first-line (1L) therapy in stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)", will be delivered by Richard J. Gralla, M.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine, during the Mini Oral Session 2 on Monday, October 20 at 10:55AM CEST.
Novel Immunomodulatory Approach
"EIK1001 represents a unique approach to stimulating the immune system, and we are encouraged by its potential to improve outcomes for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer," said Roy Baynes, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Eikon Therapeutics. "By combining a systemically administered TLR7/8 co-agonist with standard-of-care pembrolizumab and chemotherapy, our goal is to broaden immune activation and enhance anti-tumor responses in this hard-to-treat population."
EIK1001 is designed to activate innate and adaptive immunity through TLR7/8 co-activation, providing both direct anti-tumor activity and complementary effects when used in combination with checkpoint inhibitors. By stimulating a broad immune response, EIK1001 is designed to enhance T-cell recognition and tumor killing, potentially overcoming immune resistance often observed in advanced NSCLC.
Clinical Trial Design and Regulatory Progress
The TeLuRide-005 study (NCT06246110) is a Phase 2 trial evaluating EIK1001 in combination with pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®) and histology-appropriate chemotherapy (carboplatin plus either pemetrexed or paclitaxel) in patients with Stage 4 NSCLC. The trial's primary objective is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of EIK1001 in the triplet combination, while also exploring whether the immunomodulatory mechanism of EIK1001 might improve lung cancer treatment regimens.
The results have been reviewed in a successful end-of-Phase-2 meeting with the FDA earlier this year, supporting the continued advancement of this program into a registration-enabling Phase 2/3 trial.
Expanding Oncology Pipeline
Beyond NSCLC, EIK1001 is also being studied in a seamless Phase 2/3 trial (TeLuRide-006; NCT06697301) evaluating its addition to standard-of-care pembrolizumab for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma.
"The data being presented at ESMO mark another step forward for EIK1001 and underscore the increasing momentum across our oncology portfolio," said Roger M. Perlmutter, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Eikon Therapeutics. "This progress reflects the deep expertise of our team in advancing groundbreaking cancer therapies through clinical development, and we are eager to build on this foundation as we work to deliver important new medicines that address grievous illnesses."
Additional Clinical Programs
Eikon is advancing a portfolio of differentiated oncology programs, including both mid-stage clinical assets and internally derived candidates informed by the company's proprietary single-molecule tracking (SMT) platform. These include:
EIK1003-001 (NCT06253130): A highly selective non-CNS-penetrant PARP1 inhibitor, currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 study of adults with advanced solid tumors. Initial pharmacokinetic, safety, tolerability, and early efficacy findings from the monotherapy dose-escalation cohort were reported at ASCO 2025.
EIK1004-001 (NCT06907043): A CNS-penetrant PARP1 inhibitor currently in a Phase 1/2 study assessing safety, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and preliminary antitumor activity in patients with advanced solid tumors, including those with brain metastases.
EIK1005: A novel, internally derived program targeting Werner (WRN) helicase for microsatellite unstable cancers and sensitive cancers that have other defects in DNA repair. EIK1005 is expected to begin Phase 1 clinical testing in Q4, 2025.
Eikon Therapeutics is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company dedicated to integrating advanced engineering with cutting-edge laboratory and in silico research to accelerate drug discovery, leveraging Nobel Prize-winning super-resolution microscopy and proprietary SMT systems to visualize protein movement in living cells.
