Improved outcomes in late-stage skin cancer revealed by new Scancell data

23 July 2025

Scancell, a clinical stage biotechnology company based at The Oxford Science Park, has announced further positive data from its ongoing Phase 2 SCOPE trial of immunotherapies targeting advanced tumours that cannot be removed surgically.

The overall response rate to iSCIB1+, a modified version of Scancell’s lead product (SCIB1) from its DNA Immunobody® platform, was 69% for target HLA type patients, representing 80% of total patients - greatly exceeding the 48-50% for standard of care. 12-month progression-free survival was also markedly improved, with a 20% increase over standard of care.

The data demonstrates a potential new benchmark for treatment of patients with late-stage melanoma in terms of efficacy, durability, immune responses and safety.

Dr Heather Shaw, lead for the Medical Oncology Skin Cancer Service at University College London Hospital, London and Principal Investigator of the SCOPE trial, said:

“The addition of SCIB1 or iSCIB1+ to standard-of-care checkpoint inhibitors has demonstrated extremely exciting early signals, including improved overall response rates and progression-free survival to date, without a meaningful increase in treatment-related toxicity.

“These findings highlight the real potential for a significant clinical benefit for patients with advanced melanoma, where there is an unmet need. As the progression-free survival and overall survival data matures, expediting the planned registrational randomised controlled trial will be critical. This study will have the potential to redefine current treatment paradigms for a disease that remains challenging for many patients.”

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