Aprea Therapeutics (APRE) said Wednesday that initial data from a phase 1 trial showed that APR-1051 achieved "early disease control" with a 5% tumor reduction at the first radiographic assessment of a patient with advanced human papillomavirus-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, or HNSCC.

The investigational therapy was also well-tolerated, with no dose-limiting toxicities, the company said, adding the trial is actively enrolling more HPV+ patients and moving into higher dose levels.

Aprea also said preclinical data generated through an ongoing research collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center showed that APR-1051 has potential both as a standalone therapy and in combination with immunotherapy for biomarker-driven treatment of HPV+ HNSCC.

APR-1051 showed "robust" antiproliferative effects across a wide range of human and mouse head and neck cancer cell lines, including HPV+ subtypes, according to the company. When combined with anti-PD-1 immunotherapies, APR-1051 demonstrated "significant" anti-tumor synergy, Aprea added.

Shares of Aprea were up 1.2% in recent trading.

Price: 1.66, Change: +0.02, Percent Change: +1.22