On December 2, 2021 ITM Isotope Technologies Munich SE, a leading radiopharmaceutical biotech company and Navigo Proteins GmbH, a premier protein engineering company developing optimized scaffold protein-based affinity ligands called Affilin molecules from its Precision Targeting toolbox, reported a research collaboration for the development of a fibroblast activation protein (FAP)-targeted radiopharmaceutical program for the treatment of solid tumors (Press release, ITM Isotopen Technologien Munchen, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234596411]). The program is planned to be added to ITM’s growing proprietary pipeline of Targeted Radionuclide Therapies spanning multiple radioisotopes and targeting molecules for optimal therapeutic effect. FAP-Targeted Radionuclide Therapy is a promising new approach to treating cancer within the precision oncology field.

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Under the terms of the agreement, Navigo’s proprietary protein engineering platform will be used to develop and select a FAP-targeting Affilin molecule which will then be coupled with a therapeutic radioisotope provided by ITM. Following candidate selection, ITM will have the exclusive rights to further advance the radiolabeled FAP-specific Affilin through clinical testing in potentially multiple cancer indications. The agreement also includes a non-exclusive license for diagnostic use in radio-imaging. Further details of the agreement were not disclosed.

"FAP-targeting approaches have received heightened attention for good reason. We believe this approach holds the potential to treat a wide range of cancer indications. As such, we look forward to exploring this innovative targeted radiopharmaceutical approach for our growing precision oncology pipeline, further expanding its reach and breadth. We believe that developing a new candidate by combining our radioisotopes with an Affilin ligand targeting FAP has the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of patients," commented Steffen Schuster, CEO of ITM.

FAP is a highly attractive tumor target for Targeted Radionuclide Therapy that is preferentially expressed on cancer cells and in particular on cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs). It is detectable in most epithelial cancers, including over 90% of breast, lung, colorectal and pancreatic carcinomas. High expression levels are associated with poor prognosis, and therefore warrant additional medical research and focus. ITM and Navigo are addressing this urgent need through their research collaboration and combined efforts to develop a promising FAP-targeted radiopharmaceutical.

"We welcome the opportunity to extend our productive partnership with ITM with yet another promising project. We strongly believe in the potential of our technology to generate high-quality Affilin ligands targeting FAP and capable of breaking the tumor microenvironment. By joining forces with ITM, we are fully equipped to build a strong FAP-targeting candidate, that ITM will then advance through clinical development," said Henning Afflerbach, CEO of Navigo Proteins.

The therapeutic candidate developed together by ITM and Navigo will enable a direct attack against tumor cells by irradiating them via crossfire effects in a highly precise manner. Through the direct depletion of CAFs it additionally provides a new access point to modify the tumor microenvironment in which CAFs play a central role in upholding the barrier for effective immune cell infiltration.

This agreement further strengthens the existing partnership between the two organizations, combining ITM’s deep expertise in developing promising Targeted Radionuclide Therapies for cancer patients with Navigo’s proprietary Affilin molecules and protein engineering proficiency.

On December 2, 2021 BeiGene (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160), a global, science-driven biotechnology company focused on developing innovative and affordable medicines to improve treatment outcomes and access for patients worldwide, reported that clinical results and updates from its diverse immuno-oncology portfolio will be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology Immuno-Oncology (ESMO IO) Congress 2021 being held December 8-11, 2021 (Press release, BeiGene, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234596410]).

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"Despite recent advances in immuno-oncology, chemotherapy remains the standard of care for many patients living with cancer around the world. We look forward to presenting findings on the potential of our anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab to treat nasopharyngeal cancer, a rare cancer that is more common in underserved areas of the world, as well as in melanoma and ovarian cancer," commented Yong (Ben) Ben, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Immuno-Oncology at BeiGene. "Our R&D team, one of the largest oncology R&D teams in the world, is exploring novel combinations and mechanisms of action around the PD-1 axis to identify potential synergies and overcome PD-1 resistance, as we work to increase access to innovative medicines for patients with limited treatment options."

To learn more about BeiGene’s research and development and activities at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) IO, please visit View Source

Broad Clinical Program to Address Unmet Needs

To bring forth potential new treatment options and uncover further insights into checkpoint inhibition in solid tumors and hematological malignancies, BeiGene is evaluating tislelizumab, a potentially differentiated anti-PD-1 antibody, in a broad clinical program, including 13 Phase 3 trials and four pivotal Phase 2 trials, and in collaboration with Novartis.

At ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) IO, results from an interim analysis of the randomized, double-blind, Phase 3 RATIONALE 309 trial (NCT03924986) evaluating tislelizumab in combination with chemotherapy in recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer (RM-NPC) will be presented in a Proffered Paper. These results supported the regulatory submission in China for NPC.

Novel Combination Therapies to Expand Clinical Benefit of Anti-PD-1 Antibodies

Combination strategy is considered key to overcoming primary and acquired resistance to anti-PD-1 therapy and expanding clinical benefit of immunotherapy to more patients. BeiGene is investigating the potential of novel tislelizumab combinations to drive stronger and more sustained tumor responses and impede tumor immune escape. At ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) IO, results from two cohorts of a Phase 1b trial (NCT03666143) evaluating tislelizumab in combination with the oral, spectrum-selective kinase inhibitor sitravatinib in metastatic melanoma and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer will be presented. BeiGene is developing sitravatinib in collaboration with Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.

Additionally, BeiGene will share details on the design of the Phase 3 AdvanTIG-301 trial (NCT04866017) evaluating its investigational Fc-competent anti-TIGIT-antibody ociperlimab in combination with tislelizumab and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (eCRT) as a first-line treatment for patients with locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer.

BeiGene’s Presentations at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) IO Congress 2021

Presentation Information

Date and Time

Lead Author

121O—RATIONALE 309: A randomized, global, double-blind, Phase 3 trial of tislelizumab versus placebo, plus gemcitabine + cisplatin, as first-line treatment for recurrent/metastatic nasopharyngeal cancer

Proffered Paper Session 2

Fri, Dec 10 at 9 AM CET

Yunpeng Yang

156P—BGB-900-103 Cohort G: Safety/tolerability and antitumor activity of sitravatinib plus tislelizumab in patients with PD-(L)1-refractory/ resistant unresectable or metastatic melanoma from a Phase 1b study

ePoster Display: Therapeutic Development

Thu, Dec 9 at 11:30 AM CET

Chuanliang Cui

153P—BGB-900-103 Cohort E: Safety/tolerability and antitumor activity of sitravatinib plus tislelizumab in patients with advanced platinum-resistant ovarian cancer

ePoster Display: Therapeutic Development

Thu, Dec 9 at 10:30 AM CET

Jeffrey Goh
144P—Tislelizumab combined with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant therapy for surgically resectable esophageal cancer (TD-NICE): a single arm, phase II study

ePoster Display: Therapeutic Development

Thu, Dec 9 at 7:30 AM CET

Xiaolong Yan

148P—A Phase II Study of tislelizumab plus chemotherapy in EGFR mutated advanced non-squamous NSCLC patients failed to EGFR TKI therapies: first analysis

ePoster Display: Therapeutic Development

Thu, Dec 9 at 8:50 AM CET

Baohui Han

167TiP—AdvanTIG-301: Anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody ociperlimab plus tislelizumab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by ociperlimab plus tislelizumab or tislelizumab plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by tislelizumab versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by durvalumab in previously untreated, locally advanced, unresectable non-small cell lung cancer

ePoster Display: Therapeutic Development

Thu, Dec 9 at 3:10 PM CET

Ligang Xing

BeiGene Oncology

BeiGene is committed to advancing best and first-in-class clinical candidates internally or with like-minded partners to develop impactful and affordable medicines for patients across the globe. We have a growing R&D team of approximately 2,750 colleagues dedicated to advancing more than 70 clinical trials involving more than 14,000 patients and healthy volunteers. Our expansive portfolio is directed by a predominantly internalized clinical development team supporting trials in more than 45 countries. Hematology-oncology and solid tumor targeted therapies and immuno-oncology are key focus areas for the Company, with both mono- and combination therapies prioritized in our research and development. We currently market three medicines discovered and developed in our labs: BTK inhibitor BRUKINSA in the United States, China, Canada, Australia and additional international markets; and non-FC-gamma receptor binding anti-PD-1 antibody tislelizumab and PARP inhibitor pamiparib in China.

BeiGene also partners with innovative companies who share our goal of developing therapies to address global health needs. We commercialize a range of oncology medicines in China licensed from Amgen and Bristol Myers Squibb. We also plan to address greater areas of unmet need globally through our collaborations including with Amgen, Bio-Thera, EUSA Pharma, Mirati Therapeutics, Seagen, and Zymeworks. BeiGene has also entered into a collaboration with Novartis granting Novartis rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize tislelizumab in North America, Europe, and Japan.

On December 2, 2021 NOXXON Pharma N.V. (Euronext Growth Paris: ALNOX), a biotechnology company focused on improving cancer treatments by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), reported that hosted a Key Opinion Leader (KOL) event with Frank A. Giordano, M.D. on November 23, 2021, to discuss the combination of NOX-A12 and radiotherapy in brain cancer (glioblastoma, GBM) (Press release, NOXXON, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234596409]). Dr. Giordano is Director and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Bonn, Germany, and lead investigator of the ongoing NOX-A12 Phase 1/2 study GLORIA in glioblastoma.

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"I have been involved in research and treatment of glioblastoma for many years, and we’ve not seen major changes in the management of this terrible disease for almost two decades. Although the development of an effective treatment for glioblastoma has proved extremely challenging, the data from the GLORIA study are very promising and, if confirmed in a pivotal clinical study, could be transformational for patients affected by this devastating disease," commented Dr. Frank Giordano.

"Dr. Giordano is a research pioneer and expert in precision radiation therapy and intraoperative irradiation of malignant tumors. He has brought together an exceptional team around the GLORIA study which was evident from the data presentation at SNO. His leadership of the trial will ensure that all the insights we can derive will be put to use in future trials of NOX-A12," commented Aram Mangasarian, CEO of NOXXON.

Glioblastoma is a devastating disease affecting 23,000 new patient each year in the US and Europe. The median overall survival for this patient population is only 14 months, and even lower in the MGMT unmethylated (chemotherapy refractory) patient subpopulation. The KOL webinar highlighted data from the Phase 1/2 GLORIA study presented at the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) Annual Meeting, where tumor shrinkage for patients in the study was significantly stronger compared to those of a historic matched cohort that received standard of care. Eight of 9 MGMT unmethylated glioblastoma patients (89%) receiving NOX-A12 demonstrated tumor size reductions, while only 1 of 13 patients from a matched cohort (8%) showed any tumor shrinkage.

During the KOL event, Dr. Giordano emphasized several other important points, summarized in the Annex to this press release.

On December 2, 2021 Merus N.V. (Nasdaq: MRUS) ("Merus", "the Company", "we", or "our"), a clinical-stage oncology company developing innovative, full-length multispecific antibodies (Biclonics and Triclonics), reported the publication of the abstract highlighting interim data, as of a July 14, 2021 cutoff, from the phase 1/2 trial of bispecific antibody MCLA-145 in patients with solid tumors (Press release, Merus, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234596408]). The e-poster will be presented at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Immuno-Oncology (ESMO IO) Congress 2021 being held December 8-11, 2021 in Geneva, Switzerland.

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Presentation Details:

Title: Phase I Dose Escalation Study of MCLA-145, a Bispecific Antibody Targeting CD137 and PD-L1 in Solid Tumors
Poster #: 136P

The e-poster will be available on the virtual platform, in the e-poster section as of Monday, December 6 at 6:00 am ET and on-site at the e-Poster stations starting on Wednesday, December 8. The poster will also be available on the Merus website.

The phase 1, open-label, single-agent clinical trial of MCLA-145 is ongoing. The trial consists of a dose escalation phase, followed by a planned dose expansion phase. MCLA-145 is the first drug candidate co-developed under Merus’ global collaboration and license agreement with Incyte, which permits the development and commercialization of up to 11 bispecific and monospecific antibodies from the Merus Biclonics platform. Merus retains full rights to develop and commercialize MCLA-145, if approved, in the United States; and Incyte holds full rights to develop and commercialize MCLA-145 outside the United States.

About MCLA-145
Discovered through an unbiased functional screening of multiple immunomodulatory target combinations, MCLA-145 is a Biclonics T-cell agonist that binds with high affinity and specificity to human PD-L1 and CD137 in preclinical models. The unique immunostimulatory profile of MCLA-145 derives from the potential to potently activate immune effector cells in the context of the tumor microenvironment while simultaneously blocking inhibitory signals in the same immune cell population.

On December 2, 2021 Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products for patients with cancer, reported that early preliminary data from an investigator-initiated Phase 2 open label trial of rigosertib monotherapy in advanced squamous cell carcinoma complicating recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB-associated SCC) were presented at the Austrian Society of Dermatology and Venerology Annual Conference 2021, which took place from November 25 – 27, 2021 (Press release, Onconova, DEC 2, 2021, View Source [SID1234596407]).

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RDEB is an ultra-rare condition caused by a lack of type VII collagen protein expression. Type VII collagen protein is responsible for anchoring the skin’s inner layer to its outer layer, and its absence leads to extreme skin fragility and chronic wound formation in RDEB patients. Over time, many of these patients develop squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) that typically arise in areas of chronic skin wounding and inflammation. Preclinical investigations demonstrated overexpression of polo like kinase 1 (PLK1) in RDEB-associated SCC tumor cells. These tumors show a highly aggressive, early metastasizing course, making them the primary cause of death for these patients, with a cumulative risk of death of 70% and 78.7% by age 45 and 55, respectively1,2. These neoplasms show limited response rates of mostly short duration to conventional chemo- and radiotherapy as well as targeted therapy with epidermal growth factor and tyrosine kinase inhibitors1,3.

Data from the recent presentation are from a 24-year-old RDEB patient with a history of multiple, unresectable SCCs that were unresponsive to prior treatments including cemiplimab. Results showed that intravenously administered rigosertib had an acceptable safety profile and that the patient experienced sustained clinical and histological remission of all target lesions without signs of metastatic disease following 13 treatment cycles. The patient remains on study and the trial remains ongoing. The enrollment of additional patients is anticipated at sites in Salzburg, Austria; London, UK; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

"Though the trial’s currently available data are from only a single patient, they represent an exciting and powerful finding that warrants further study," said Andrew South Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Biology, Thomas Jefferson University. "RDEB-associated SCC is an indication with an extremely high unmet medical need, as it is invariably fatal with treatment options that have so far yielded disappointing results. The data generated in preclinical models suggesting rigosertib’s robust activity against PLK1 have now been confirmed in the clinic and suggest that rigosertib may play a role in other more common cancers driven by PLK1."

The physicians caring for the patient, Dr. Bauer, Principal Investigator, and Dr. Laimer, Sponsor Medical Expert of the trial, added in a joint statement, "To see a complete response in a patient that has failed multiple prior therapies is highly encouraging and, together with preclinical data, suggests that rigosertib’s ability to inhibit PLK1 may position it as a novel treatment option that can significantly improve upon the current standard-of-care. We look forward to the further evaluation of this hypothesis through the continued advancement of the trial."

A copy of the poster, titled "Rigosertib for locally advanced/metastatic EB-associated SCC," is available on the "Scientific Presentations" section of the Onconova website.

References

Mellerio et al. Br J Dermatol. 2016 Jan; 174(1):56-67. doi: 10.1111/bjd.14104.
Fine et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009 Feb; 60(2):203-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2008.09.035.
Stratigos et al. Eur J Cancer. 2020 Mar;128:83-102. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.01.008.