Sensei Biotherapeutics Releases Results From The Phase 1/2 Dose Expansion Study Of Solnerstotug Presented At ESMO 2025. The Data Addressed The Critical Challenge Of Secondary Resistance To Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Where Treatment Success Rates Are Typically Below 5%

Author: Benzinga Newsdesk | October 17, 2025 08:16am

Sensei Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SNSE), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of next-generation therapeutics for cancer patients, today announced results from the dose expansion portion of its Phase 1/2 trial evaluating solnerstotug (formerly SNS-101), a conditionally active monoclonal antibody targeting VISTA (V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation). The data will be shared today during a mini oral session at the ESMO Congress 2025.

The Phase 1 dose expansion is a multi-center, open-label study evaluating solnerstotug as monotherapy and in combination with Libtayo® (cemiplimab), Regeneron's PD-1 inhibitor. The study enrolled patients with a basket of "hot" tumor types (that typically respond to immunotherapy) (n=44), of whom 41 had previously received and progressed on PD-(L)1 therapy, as well as patients with "cold" tumor types (that typically exhibit primary resistance to immunotherapy) (n=20).

Patients who progress following treatment with PD-(L)1 inhibitors ("secondary resistance") face a particularly poor prognosis, as resistance to immune checkpoint blockade is a significant challenge in oncology. For patients who develop secondary resistance, the likelihood of benefiting from a rechallenge with the same therapy is estimated to be 5% or less.1

Currently, treatment options for PD-(L)1 resistant tumors are limited, with many patients receiving chemotherapy, experimental therapies in clinical trials, or palliative care in the absence of effective alternatives. While historical benchmarks in this setting are limited, docetaxel, which is widely used in the 2nd line post-PD-(L)1 setting for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), typically has a 6-month PFS of 10-20% in similar patient populations.2 To date, immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) combination therapies have not been approved in this setting.

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