CureVac (CVAC) said Monday the US Food and Drug Administration has cleared the company to initiate a phase 1 study of its experimental mRNA-based therapy, CVHNLC, in patients with squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

The company said the open-label, dose-finding study will evaluate the safety and tolerability of CVHNLC in combination with pembrolizumab in patients.

The study will include a dose-escalation phase for first-line maintenance treatment following chemotherapy and pembrolizumab or pembrolizumab monotherapy, followed by an optional dose expansion phase combining CVHNLC with first-line chemotherapy and pembrolizumab, the drug developer said.

Shares of the company rose more than 1% in recent premarket activity.

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