ImmunSYS Announces it Hosted a Virtual Analyst Day Event on July 7, 2020

On July 14, 2020 ImmunSYS, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative cancer immunotherapy products, reported that it hosted a virtual Analyst Day event on Tuesday, July 7th, 2020 (Press release, ImmunSYS, JUL 14, 2020, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=immunsys-announces-it-hosted-a-virtual-analyst-day-event-on-july-7-2020 [SID1234561854]).

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Eamonn Hobbs, Chairman and CEO of ImmunSYS and Charles J. Link, Jr., M.D., Chief Medical Officer and President of ImmunSYS provided a business overview and highlighted upcoming milestones. Two world-renowned, key opinion leaders, E. David Crawford, M.D. Professor of Urology at the University of San Diego, and Steven J. O’Day, M.D., Executive Director of the John Wayne Cancer Institute and Cancer Clinic provided updates on the current prostate cancer landscape and reviewed new data on the company’s platform technology, YourVaccx. Dr. O’Day provided an in-depth review of the company’s Proof of Concept (PoC) study data that was recently presented at the 2020 AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Virtual Annual Meeting II.

A replay of the event can be accessed on the ImmunSYS website in the ‘Publications’ section at www.immunsys.com/publications

Sanofi and MD Anderson announce strategic collaboration to accelerate oncology research and development

On July 14, 2020 Sanofi and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported a five-year strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of investigational treatments, including targeted and immune-therapies, for patients with cancer (Press release, Sanofi, JUL 14, 2020, View Source [SID1234561852]). The alliance will combine MD Anderson’s clinical trials infrastructure and Sanofi’s pipeline of investigational treatments to lead biomarker-driven clinical studies to better understand how novel cancer drugs work.

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"Our goal is to improve the outcome for patients with a range of difficult-to-treat cancers, which is best achieved through a deep understanding of how investigational new drugs work," said Peter Adamson, M.D., Global Development Head, Oncology and Pediatric Innovation at Sanofi. "This alliance leverages MD Anderson’s agile approach to early phase clinical trials, their laboratory capabilities and broad scientific expertise. This will get us to go/no-go decisions much faster and help us identify potential new combinations and indications more accurately. That will save precious time and help us expand the spectrum of patients who could potentially benefit from our therapies."

MD Anderson manages one of the country’s largest oncology clinical trial programs, with well-established platforms for tissue collection, molecular and immune profiling, and data analysis. This infrastructure enables the comprehensive study of tumor samples taken before, during and after treatment to uncover valuable insights that help streamline patient selection and hasten the identification of new therapy combinations and indications.

"Not only do clinical trials help us to advance life-saving new treatments for our patients in need, they provide us with valuable information to understand which therapies may be more effective for which patients," said Funda Meric-Bernstam, M.D., chair of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics. "We are pleased to collaborate with Sanofi in this effort to accelerate the development of a pipeline of innovative cancer therapies."

The new alliance also will support investigations into additional indications and combinations for studies already in the clinic. Sanofi and MD Anderson scientists will collaborate on experimental design, applying a core set of biomarkers and assays. Joint projects also will apply novel investigational agents developed at Sanofi to existing tumor samples to obtain further data on their effects at different disease stages.

"MD Anderson’s expertise in deep immune phenotyping and molecular profiling will provide invaluable insights into our emerging immunotherapy assets, helping us refine our selection of indications and explore new avenues," said Dmitri Wiederschain, Ph.D., Global Head of Immuno-Oncology Research at Sanofi. "The knowledge we gain in this collaboration will also deepen our shared understanding of cancers’ potential vulnerabilities."

New findings, as well as large-scale molecular and phenotype datasets, will be applied to the design of new translational studies on selected Sanofi molecules, and guide the selection of indications. The collaboration is expected to launch its first projects in summer 2020.

GSK announces FDA advisory committee votes in favour of positive benefit/risk profile for belantamab mafodotin for patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

On July 14, 2020 GlaxoSmithKline reported the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted 12-0 in favour of the demonstrated benefit of monotherapy treatment with belantamab mafodotin outweighing the risks for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior therapies including an immunomodulatory agent, a proteasome inhibitor and an anti-CD38 antibody (Press release, GlaxoSmithKline, JUL 14, 2020, View Source [SID1234561851]). Two committee members could not participate in the final vote.

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Dr Axel Hoos, Senior Vice President and Head of Oncology R&D, GSK said: "We are pleased the committee recognised the potential for belantamab mafodotin to help patients who have relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, an incurable disease with limited treatment options. We look forward to working with the FDA as they complete their review of our Biologics License Application."

The recommendation was based on data from the DREAMM (DRiving Excellence in Approaches to Multiple Myeloma) clinical trial programme, including the pivotal DREAMM-2 study which enrolled heavily pre-treated patients who had actively progressing multiple myeloma that had worsened despite current standard of care.[i] The six-month primary results from the study were published in The Lancet Oncology in December 2019 and serve as the basis for the Biologics License Application (BLA).

The FDA will consider the recommendation of the committee but is not obligated to follow it. The FDA granted breakthrough therapy designation to belantamab mafodotin in 2017 and priority review designation for the BLA earlier this year. A Marketing Authorisation Application for belantamab mafodotin also is under accelerated assessment by the European Medicines Agency.

Belantamab mafodotin is not currently approved for use anywhere in the world.

About belantamab mafodotin (GSK2857916)
Belantamab mafodotin is an investigational antibody drug conjugate comprising a humanised anti-B cell maturation antigen (BCMA) monoclonal antibody conjugated to the cytotoxic agent auristatin F via non-cleavable linker. The drug linker technology is licensed from Seattle Genetics; monoclonal antibody is produced using POTELLIGENT Technology licensed from BioWa.

About DREAMM-2
DREAMM-2 is an open label study of belantamab mafodotin. Patients in the trial had actively progressing multiple myeloma that had worsened despite current standard of care and were randomised to two arms to receive either 2.5 mg/kg or 3.4 mg/kg belantamab mafodotin every three weeks. Overall, patients in DREAMM-2 had more advanced disease, poorer prognosis and performance status and also had a greater number of prior lines of therapy in comparison with patients in DREAMM-1, the first time in human study of belantamab mafodotin.

About multiple myeloma
Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer in the US and is generally considered treatable, but not curable.[ii] Research into new therapies is needed as multiple myeloma commonly becomes refractory to available treatments.[iii]

About B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA)
The normal function of BCMA is to promote plasma cell survival by transduction of signals from two known ligands, BAFF (B-cell activating factor) and APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand). This pathway has been shown to be important for myeloma cell growth and survival. BCMA expression is limited to B cells at later stages of development. BCMA is expressed at varying levels in myeloma patients and BCMA membrane expression is universally detected in myeloma cell lines.iii

GSK in Oncology
GSK is focused on maximising patient survival through transformational medicines. GSK’s pipeline is focused on immuno-oncology, cell therapy, cancer epigenetics, and synthetic lethality. Our goal is to achieve a sustainable flow of new treatments based on a diversified portfolio of investigational medicines utilising modalities such as small molecules, antibodies, antibody drug conjugates and cells, either alone or in combination.

Karyopharm Announces Preliminary Unaudited Second Quarter Product Sales for XPOVIO® (selinexor)

On July 14, 2020 Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:KPTI), an innovation-driven pharmaceutical company, reported preliminary unaudited second quarter 2020 net product sales for XPOVIO (selinexor), the Company’s first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compound, and provided additional updates on XPOVIO’s commercial results (Press release, Karyopharm, JUL 14, 2020, View Source [SID1234561849]).

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Oral XPOVIO tablets became commercially available to patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma in the U.S. in July 2019. Based on preliminary unaudited financial information, Karyopharm expects net product sales of XPOVIO to be approximately $18.5 million during the second quarter 2020 representing an approximate 15% increase in net product sales compared to the first quarter of 2020. Despite COVID-19-related operational challenges, which included the diversion of physician and other healthcare resources to manage the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the significant reduction in Karyopharm’s field force in-person activities, XPOVIO sales grew as a result of an increasing demand from both academic and community-based physicians. Additionally, prescription refill rates, as well as the average number of prescriptions per patient, continued to grow during the quarter, further reinforcing the positive experience that Karyopharm believes many patients are having with XPOVIO treatment.

"While no company is immune to the challenges of the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic, we are very pleased to see demand for XPOVIO increase during this most recent quarter," said Michael G. Kauffman, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Karyopharm. "In addition to encouraging preliminary second quarter sales, we are excited by the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval of XPOVIO for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, as well as the recently presented positive results from the Phase 3 BOSTON study in patients with multiple myeloma following one to three prior lines of therapy. We are proud to be making such an important impact for patients battling relapsed or refractory disease and look forward to providing the investment community with additional details of our recent achievements when we report our unaudited financial results for the second quarter in early August 2020."

The financial information presented in this press release may be adjusted as a result of the completion of the customary quarterly review process, and the Company’s actual financial results may differ from the preliminary estimated financial information set forth above. As there remains significant uncertainty surrounding the overall market implications driven by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Karyopharm is announcing preliminary unaudited sales results for the second quarter 2020 to increase transparency to the investment community during these unique times. Additionally, Karyopharm does not expect to regularly announce preliminary unaudited sales information in each subsequent quarter.

About XPOVIO (selinexor)

XPOVIO is a first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compound. XPOVIO functions by selectively binding to and inhibiting the nuclear export protein exportin 1 (XPO1, also called CRM1). XPOVIO blocks the nuclear export of tumor suppressor, growth regulatory and anti-inflammatory proteins, leading to accumulation of these proteins in the nucleus and enhancing their anti-cancer activity in the cell. The forced nuclear retention of these proteins can counteract a multitude of the oncogenic pathways that, unchecked, allow cancer cells with severe DNA damage to continue to grow and divide in an unrestrained fashion. Karyopharm received accelerated U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of XPOVIO in July 2019 in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) who have received at least four prior therapies and whose disease is refractory to at least two proteasome inhibitors, at least two immunomodulatory agents, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody. Karyopharm has also submitted a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) with a request for conditional approval of selinexor in this same RRMM indication. Karyopharm submitted a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the FDA requesting an expansion of its current indication to include the treatment for patients with multiple myeloma after at least one prior line of therapy based on the positive results from the Phase 3 BOSTON study which evaluated selinexor in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) and low-dose dexamethasone. In June 2020, Karyopharm received accelerated FDA approval of XPOVIO for its second indication in adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma, after at least 2 lines of systemic therapy. Selinexor is also being evaluated in several other mid-and later-phase clinical trials across multiple cancer indications, including as a potential backbone therapy in combination with approved myeloma therapies (STOMP), in liposarcoma (SEAL) and in endometrial cancer (SIENDO), among others. Additional Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies are ongoing or currently planned, including multiple studies in combination with approved therapies in a variety of tumor types to further inform Karyopharm’s clinical development priorities for selinexor. Additional clinical trial information for selinexor is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Thrombocytopenia: XPOVIO can cause life-threatening thrombocytopenia, potentially leading to hemorrhage. Thrombocytopenia was reported in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and developed or worsened in patients with DLBCL.

Thrombocytopenia is the leading cause of dosage modifications. Monitor platelet counts at baseline and throughout treatment. Monitor more frequently during the first 3 months of treatment. Institute platelet transfusion and/or other treatments as clinically indicated. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of bleeding and evaluate promptly. Interrupt, reduce dose, or permanently discontinue based on severity of adverse reaction.

Neutropenia: XPOVIO can cause life-threatening neutropenia, potentially increasing the risk of infection. Neutropenia and febrile neutropenia occurred in patients with MM and in patients with DLBCL.

Obtain white blood cell counts with differential at baseline and throughout treatment. Monitor more frequently during the first 3 months of treatment. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of concomitant infection and evaluate promptly. Consider supportive measures, including antimicrobials and growth factors (e.g., G-CSF). Interrupt, reduce dose, or permanently discontinue based on severity of adverse reaction (AR).

Gastrointestinal Toxicity: XPOVIO can cause severe gastrointestinal toxicities in patients with MM and DLBCL.

Nausea/Vomiting: Provide prophylactic antiemetics. Administer 5-HT3 receptor antagonists and other anti-nausea agents prior to and during treatment with XPOVIO. Interrupt, reduce dose, or permanently discontinue based on severity of ARs. Administer intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration and replace electrolytes as clinically indicated.

Diarrhea: Interrupt, reduce dose, or permanently discontinue based on severity of ARs. Provide standard anti-diarrheal agents, administer intravenous fluids to prevent dehydration, and replace electrolytes as clinically indicated.

Anorexia/Weight Loss: Monitor weight, nutritional status, and volume status at baseline and throughout treatment. Monitor more frequently during the first 3 months of treatment. Interrupt, reduce dose, or permanently discontinue based on severity of ARs. Provide nutritional support, fluids, and electrolyte repletion as clinically indicated.

Hyponatremia: XPOVIO can cause severe or life-threatening hyponatremia. Hyponatremia developed in patients with MM and in patients with DLBCL.

Monitor sodium level at baseline and throughout treatment. Monitor more frequently during the first 2 months of treatment. Correct sodium levels for concurrent hyperglycemia (serum glucose >150 mg/dL) and high serum paraprotein levels. Assess hydration status and manage hyponatremia per clinical guidelines, including intravenous saline and/or salt tablets as appropriate and dietary review. Interrupt, reduce dose, or permanently discontinue based on severity of the AR.

Serious Infection: XPOVIO can cause serious and fatal infections. Most infections were not associated with Grade 3 or higher neutropenia. Atypical infections reported after taking XPOVIO include, but are not limited to, fungal pneumonia and herpesvirus infection.

Monitor for signs and symptoms of infection, and evaluate and treat promptly.

Neurological Toxicity: XPOVIO can cause life-threatening neurological toxicities.

Coadministration of XPOVIO with other products that cause dizziness or mental status changes may increase the risk of neurological toxicity.

Advise patients to refrain from driving and engaging in hazardous occupations or activities, such as operating heavy or potentially dangerous machinery, until the neurological toxicity fully resolves. Optimize hydration status, hemoglobin level, and concomitant medications to avoid exacerbating dizziness or mental status changes. Institute fall precautions as appropriate.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: XPOVIO can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman.

Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential and males with a female partner of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with XPOVIO and for 1 week after the last dose.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

The most common adverse reactions (ARs) in ≥20% of patients with MM are thrombocytopenia, fatigue, nausea, anemia, decreased appetite, decreased weight, diarrhea, vomiting, hyponatremia, neutropenia, leukopenia, constipation, dyspnea, and upper respiratory tract infection.

The most common ARs, excluding laboratory abnormalities, in ≥20% of patients with DLBCL are fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, appetite decrease, weight decrease, constipation, vomiting, and pyrexia. Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities in ≥15% of patients included thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, neutropenia, anemia, and hyponatremia. Grade 4 laboratory abnormalities in ≥5% were thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, and neutropenia.

In patients with MM, fatal ARs occurred in 9% of patients. Serious ARs occurred in 58% of patients. Treatment discontinuation rate due to ARs was 27%. The most frequent ARs requiring permanent discontinuation in ≥4% of patients included fatigue, nausea, and thrombocytopenia.

In patients with DLBCL, fatal ARs occurred in 3.7% of patients within 30 days, and 5% of patients within 60 days of last treatment; the most frequent fatal AR was infection (4.5% of patients). Serious ARs occurred in 46% of patients; the most frequent serious AR was infection. Discontinuation due to ARs occurred in 17% of patients.

USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

In MM, no overall difference in effectiveness of XPOVIO was observed in patients >65 years old when compared with younger patients. Patients ≥75 years old had a higher incidence of discontinuation due to an AR than younger patients, a higher incidence of serious ARs, and a higher incidence of fatal ARs.

Clinical studies in patients with relapsed or refractory DLBCL did not include sufficient numbers of patients aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger patients.

The effect of end-stage renal disease (CLCR <15 mL/min) or hemodialysis on XPOVIO pharmacokinetics is unknown.

Fate Therapeutics Announces Exclusive License Agreement with Baylor College of Medicine for Rejection-resistant iPSC-derived Cellular Therapies

On July 14, 2020 Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of programmed cellular immunotherapies for cancer and immune disorders, reported that the Company entered into an exclusive license agreement with Baylor College of Medicine covering alloimmune defense receptors, a first-in-class approach that renders off-the-shelf allogeneic cell products resistant to host immune rejection (Press release, Fate Therapeutics, JUL 14, 2020, View Source [SID1234561848]). Preclinical studies published in the journal Nature Biotechnology (View Source) demonstrate that allogeneic cells engineered with a novel alloimmune defense receptor (ADR) are protected from both T- and NK-cell mediated rejection, and provide proof-of-concept that ADR-expressing allogeneic cell therapies can durably persist in immunocompetent recipients.

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"Allogeneic cell therapy requires a patient to endure systemic lympho-conditioning to suppress the immune system and mitigate cellular rejection, often resulting in severe blood cell deficiencies and related toxicities. There is great interest in strategies that enable allogeneic cells to overcome host immunity and evade immune rejection while maintaining a patient’s functional hematopoietic system," said Scott Wolchko, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fate Therapeutics. "The published preclinical data provide compelling evidence that allogeneic cell therapies armed with novel alloimmune defense receptors can effectively abrogate both T- and NK-cell rejection responses and can persist and remain functional in immunocompetent patients."

ADRs are synthetic receptors that selectively recognize cell surface receptors, such as 4-1BB, that are uniquely expressed on activated lymphocytes, which are responsible for host immune rejection. The published preclinical findings show that the arming of allogeneic T cells with an ADR selectively eliminates alloreactive T and NK cells, while sparing resting lymphocytes. Importantly, in in vivo preclinical models of cancer, allogeneic T cells expressing both an ADR and a CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) demonstrated increased expansion and persistence, resulting in sustained tumor eradication and a long-term survival benefit compared to conventional CD19-targeted CAR T cells.

"There is tremendous promise for the use of off-the-shelf allogeneic cells as replacement therapy. One of the most significant barriers to overcome is host immunity, which can prevent the engraftment of allogeneic cells and the long-term replacement of a patient’s damaged or dysfunctional cells," said Maksim Mamonkin, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine and the senior author on the Nature Biotechnology publication. "We are excited for Fate Therapeutics to explore the use of alloimmune defense receptors in the development of rejection-resistant, iPSC-derived cellular therapies."

About Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC Product Platform
The Company’s proprietary induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) product platform enables mass production of off-the-shelf, engineered, homogeneous cell products that can be administered with multiple doses to deliver more effective pharmacologic activity, including in combination with cycles of other cancer treatments. Human iPSCs possess the unique dual properties of unlimited self-renewal and differentiation potential into all cell types of the body. The Company’s first-of-kind approach involves engineering human iPSCs in a one-time genetic modification event and selecting a single engineered iPSC for maintenance as a clonal master iPSC line. Analogous to master cell lines used to manufacture biopharmaceutical drug products such as monoclonal antibodies, clonal master iPSC lines are a renewable source for manufacturing cell therapy products which are well-defined and uniform in composition, can be mass produced at significant scale in a cost-effective manner, and can be delivered off-the-shelf for patient treatment. As a result, the Company’s platform is uniquely capable of overcoming numerous limitations associated with the production of cell therapies using patient- or donor-sourced cells, which is logistically complex and expensive and is subject to batch-to-batch and cell-to-cell variability that can affect clinical safety and efficacy. Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC product platform is supported by an intellectual property portfolio of over 300 issued patents and 150 pending patent applications.