By Michael Dabaie

Surface Oncology Inc. on Friday said it is in a clinical trial collaboration with Roche Holding AG to evaluate SRF388 in combination with Roche's atezolizumab and bevacizumab in patients with treatment-naive hepatocellular carcinoma.

The clinical-stage immuno-oncology company said atezolizumab plus bevacizumab has been shown to significantly improve overall survival and is the new standard of care for unresectable or metastatic HCC. Surface said the addition of SRF388 to the proven efficacy of the atezolizumab/bevacizumab regimen has the "potential to further improve outcomes in this challenging disease."

Surface Oncology shares were up 4% to $9.42 in premarket trading.

Surface Oncology also said Friday that SRF388 demonstrated monotherapy activity in data being presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. Surface said SRF388 produced a partial response in a heavily pretreated patient with lung cancer.

Preliminary SRF388 results indicate promising single-agent activity in a heavily pretreated population, including a confirmed partial response demonstrating 66% tumor shrinkage and symptomatic improvement in a patient with squamous cell non-small-cell lung carcinoma.

Write to Michael Dabaie at michael.dabaie@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

06-04-21 0829ET