PDS Biotechnology, a portfolio company of NetScientific, has announced data demonstrating that its lead candidate PDS0101, in combination with standard-of-care chemoradiotherapy (CRT), was associated with a rapid decline in human papillomavirus (HPV) circulating cell-free DNA (cfHPV-DNA). The data was presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2023 Annual Meeting. The IMMUNOCERV Phase 2 clinical trial is investigating PDS0101 in combination with CRT in the treatment of cervical cancer patients with large tumors or cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes. The study evaluated the relationship between the levels of circulating cfHPV-DNA and the extent of disease, clinical staging, and treatment response in patients with HPV-positive cervical cancer. The data showed that patients treated with PDS0101 had greater clearance of cfDNA compared to those treated with standard of care (SOC) treatment. The clearance of cfDNA was 91.7% at week 5 for patients treated with PDS0101, compared to 53.1% for those treated with SOC. The findings suggest that PDS0101 has the potential to positively impact cfDNA, an emerging biomarker of clinical response in cervical and other HPV-related cancers.