Immutep (ASX: IMM) started a phase 3 clinical trial evaluating a potential combination therapy for first-line metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, according to a Tuesday filing with the Australian bourse.

The Tacti-004 trial will assess the company's product candidate eftilagimod alfa in combination with US-based pharmaceutical company MSD's Keytruda therapy and chemotherapy, the filing said.

The trial will compare this regimen with placebo in about 750 patients globally, the filing added. Immutep expects to enroll the first patient into this study during the first quarter of fiscal 2025.

The trial will be conducted at over 150 clinical sites across more than 25 countries. Full approval to start the trial in the UK is expected soon, with additional approvals for multiple countries anticipated in the coming months.

Shares of the biotechnology company fell nearly 1% in recent Tuesday trade.

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