On December 6, 2022 Novartis reported results from the RIGHT Choice Phase II trial evaluating Kisqali (ribociclib) plus endocrine therapy (ET) against combination chemotherapy (CT) in the first-line setting for pre- and perimenopausal patients with aggressive forms of hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative (HR+/HER2−) metastatic breast cancer (MBC), including patients with visceral crisis (Press release, Novartis, DEC 6, 2022, View Source;and-perimenopausal-patients-with-aggressive-hrher2-metastatic-breast-cancer-compared-to-chemotherapy-301696189.html [SID1234624858]). CT has remained the preferred option for patients with rapidly progressing disease and visceral crisis, despite the widespread adoption of CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) plus ET as first-line treatment for HR+/HER2- MBC. Kisqali demonstrated a nearly one-year progression-free survival (PFS) benefit in the study, supporting the superiority of Kisqali plus ET for this hard-to-treat patient population. RIGHT Choice is the first randomized study comparing a CDK4/6i plus ET vs. combination CT in aggressive HR+/HER2− MBC; data from this open-label, multi-national trial will be presented as a late-breaker oral presentation at the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) and included in the SABCS press program.

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"Younger patients with aggressive disease often show resistance to treatment, resulting in worse prognoses – so it is encouraging to see RIGHT Choice data demonstrating a significant one-year benefit for this patient population when using ribociclib plus endocrine therapy compared to combination chemotherapy. Patients on the ribociclib arm had also lower rates of adverse events, such as diarrhea and fatigue, compared to chemotherapy, which could potentially impact quality of life," said Dr. Yen-Shen Lu, Division Chief of Medical Oncology at Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital. "With these improvements in outcomes and tolerability, oncologists should consider ribociclib plus ET as a treatment option for patients with aggressive forms of HR+/HER2− MBC, including patients with visceral crisis."

The study enrolled 222 patients with aggressive forms of HR+/HER2− MBC (i.e., with symptomatic visceral metastases, rapid disease progression or markedly symptomatic non-visceral metastases), including more than 50% of patients with visceral crisis as determined by investigators; Kisqali plus ET doubled the median PFS vs. combination CT at 24.0 months compared to 12.3 months (HR=0.54; 95% CI: 0.36-0.79; p=.0007) in the first-line setting. Median time to treatment failure with Kisqali plus ET was 18.6 months compared to 8.5 months with combination CT (HR=0.45; 95% CI: 0.32-0.63). Furthermore, patients in the Kisqali plus ET arm of the trial reported lower rates of treatment-related serious adverse events (AEs) and lower rates of discontinuation due to treatment-related AEs, compared to patients in the combination CT trial arm. Overall, the Kisqali safety profile was consistent with previously reported data1.

"Kisqali is a unique CDK4/6 inhibitor with the most robust evidence demonstrating overall survival and quality of life benefits for a wide spectrum of patients, including those with aggressive disease," said Jeff Legos, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Oncology and Hematology at Novartis. "RIGHT Choice adds to the breadth of data that supports Kisqali as the first-line treatment of choice for patients with MBC, including those with visceral crisis."

About Kisqali (ribociclib)
Kisqali is the only CDK4/6 inhibitor with proven overall survival benefit across all three pivotal Phase III advanced breast cancer trials2-13 and is recognized by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines as the only CDK4/6i with overall survival benefit in first-line HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer14. Additionally, Kisqali has the highest rating of any CDK4/6i on the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale, achieving a score of five out of five for first-line premenopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer15. Further, Kisqali in combination with either letrozole or fulvestrant has uniquely, among other CDK4/6i, received a score of four out of five for postmenopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer treated in the first line16.

Kisqali has been approved in more than 95 countries worldwide, including by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Commission, for the treatment of women with HR+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination either with an aromatase inhibitor or with fulvestrant as initial endocrine-based therapy or following disease progression on endocrine therapy. Kisqali in combination with fulvestrant is approved as initial endocrine-based therapy or following disease progression on endocrine therapy in men by the FDA17.

Novartis is committed to continuing to study Kisqali in breast cancer. NATALEE is a large Phase III clinical trial of Kisqali plus endocrine therapy in the adjuvant treatment of HR+/HER2- early breast cancer being conducted in collaboration with Translational Research In Oncology (TRIO)18. Additionally, Novartis is collaborating with SOLTI, who is leading HARMONIA, to test whether Kisqali changes tumor biology to enable a better response to endocrine-based therapy compared to Ibrance* for patients with advanced HR+/HER2-, HER2-enriched subtype19, and with the Akershus University Hospital in Norway on the NEOLETRIB trial, a neoadjuvant Phase II trial studying the effects of Kisqali in HR+/HER2- early breast cancer to discover the potentially unique underlying mechanism of action20.

Kisqali was developed by the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) under a research collaboration with Astex Pharmaceuticals.

Indications

KISQALI (ribociclib) is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2−) breast cancer that has gotten worse or has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), in combination with:

an aromatase inhibitor as the first endocrine-based therapy; or
fulvestrant as the first endocrine-based therapy or following disease progression on endocrine therapy in postmenopausal women or in men.
It is not known if KISQALI is safe and effective in children.

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about KISQALI?

KISQALI may cause serious side effects, including:

Lung problems. KISQALI may cause severe or life-threatening inflammation of the lungs during treatment that may lead to death. Tell your health care provider right away if you have any new or worsening symptoms, including:

trouble breathing or shortness of breath
cough with or without mucus
chest pain
Severe skin reactions. Tell your health care provider or get medical help right away if you get severe rash or rash that keeps getting worse; reddened skin; flu-like symptoms; skin pain/burning; blistering of the lips, eyes, or mouth; or blisters on the skin or skin peeling, with or without fever.

Heart rhythm problems (QT prolongation). KISQALI can cause a heart problem known as QT prolongation. This condition can cause an abnormal heartbeat and may lead to death. Your health care provider should check your heart and do blood tests before and during treatment with KISQALI. Tell your health care provider right away if you have a change in your heartbeat (a fast or irregular heartbeat), or if you feel dizzy or faint.

Liver problems (hepatobiliary toxicity). KISQALI can cause serious liver problems. Your health care provider should do blood tests to check your liver before and during treatment with KISQALI. Tell your health care provider right away if you get any of the following signs and symptoms of liver problems:

yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes (jaundice)
dark or brown (tea-colored) urine
feeling very tired
loss of appetite
pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen)
bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
Low white blood cell counts (neutropenia). Low white blood cell counts are very common during treatment with KISQALI and may result in infections that may be severe. Your health care provider should check your white blood cell counts before and during treatment with KISQALI. Tell your health care provider right away if you have signs and symptoms of low white blood cell counts or infections such as fever and chills.

Your health care provider may tell you to decrease your dose, temporarily stop, or completely stop taking KISQALI if you develop certain serious side effects during treatment with KISQALI.

What should I tell my health care provider before taking KISQALI?
Before you take KISQALI, tell your health care provider if you:

have any heart problems, including heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and QT prolongation
have ever had a heart attack
have a slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
have problems with the amount of potassium, calcium, phosphorus, or magnesium in your blood
have fever, chills, or any other signs or symptoms of infection
have liver problems
have any other medical conditions
are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant. KISQALI can harm your unborn baby
If you are able to become pregnant, your health care provider should do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with KISQALI.
Females who are able to become pregnant and who take KISQALI should use effective birth control during treatment and for at least 3 weeks after the last dose of KISQALI.
Talk to your health care provider about birth control methods that may be right for you during this time.
If you become pregnant or think you are pregnant, tell your health care provider right away.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if KISQALI passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with KISQALI and for at least 3 weeks after the last dose of KISQALI
Tell your health care provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. KISQALI and other medicines may affect each other, causing side effects. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your health care provider or pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

What should I avoid while taking KISQALI?
Avoid eating grapefruit and avoid drinking grapefruit juice during treatment with KISQALI since these may increase the amount of KISQALI in your blood.

The most common side effects of KISQALI include:

decreased white blood cell counts
decreased red blood cell counts
abnormal liver function tests
infections
nausea
increased kidney function test
tiredness
decreased platelet counts
diarrhea
vomiting
headache
constipation
hair loss
cough
rash
back pain
low blood sugar level
KISQALI may cause fertility problems if you are male and take KISQALI. This may affect your ability to father a child. Talk to your health care provider if this is a concern for you.

Tell your health care provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of KISQALI. For more information, ask your health care provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

On December 6, 2022 Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Syndax," the "Company" or "we") (Nasdaq: SNDX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing an innovative pipeline of cancer therapies, reported that it plans to offer and sell, subject to market and other conditions, $150 million of shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering (Press release, Syndax, DEC 6, 2022, View Source [SID1234624854]). Syndax also expects to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the number of shares of common stock sold in the public offering. All of the shares in the proposed offering are to be sold by Syndax.

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Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, J.P. Morgan and Cowen are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

The shares are being offered pursuant to a "shelf" registration statement previously filed and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the website of the SEC at www.sec.gov. When available, copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from: Goldman Sachs and Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY 10282, telephone: 866-471-2526, facsimile: 212-902-9316 or by emailing [email protected]; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, telephone: (866) 803-9204, or by emailing [email protected] Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, Attention: Prospectus Department, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by telephone at (833) 297-2926, or by email at [email protected].

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. Any offer, if at all, will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, which are a part of the effective registration statement.

On December 6, 2022 SQZ Biotechnologies Company (NYSE: SQZ) reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track Designation for the company’s Enhanced Antigen Presenting Cell (eAPC) candidate for the treatment of HPV16+ advanced or metastatic solid tumors (Press release, SQZ Biotech, DEC 6, 2022, View Source [SID1234624853]). Fast Track Designation is designed to accelerate the development and review of treatments for serious and life-threatening diseases where no treatment currently exists or where the treatment in discovery may be better than what is currently available.

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The SQZ eAPC platform is the company’s second-generation cell therapy platform which simultaneously delivers five different mRNAs—each encoding for a different protein which plays a part in stimulating key T cell activation signals required to generate an immune response against tumors—to four different cell types.

The company also presented clinical data from its ongoing Antigen Presenting Cells (APC) and eAPC clinical trials at the European Society for Medical Oncology Immuno-Oncology (ESMO-IO) Congress. Data also demonstrated that its APC and eAPC therapeutic candidates were well-tolerated among patients treated in its trials. Manufacturing of the cell product took less than 24 hours, and the median viability of all lots, in both clinical trials, was greater than 90 percent.

In the SQZ eAPC clinical trial, scans showed stable disease as the best overall response for two out of four evaluable patients in low dose Cohort 1. A positive ELISpot response for the E7 antigen was observed in one of these patients and correlated with prolonged stable disease. This patient remains on treatment.

"Receiving FDA Fast Track Designation underscores the significant potential of our SQZ eAPC candidate, which is designed to generate an even more powerful immune response than our APC candidate," said Marshelle Smith Warren, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at SQZ Biotechnologies. "The initial safety and tolerability data presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper)-IO today supports our recent portfolio prioritization decision to focus on our eAPC program. In addition to the clean safety profile, we were pleased to observe stable disease in two of the four evaluable patients in the eAPC trial. The team is working diligently to add more eAPC sites to our study to achieve our goal of a highest-dose monotherapy data readout by the middle of 2023."

img61662729_0.jpgEmpower Cells to Change Lives

Major Findings from Clinical Research:

Poster #183P: COMMANDER-001: Initial safety data from a phase I/II dose escalation/expansion study of SQZ-eAPC-HPV, a cell-based mRNA therapeutic cancer vaccine for HPV16+ solid tumors

•
All patients in Cohort 1 completed the 28-day dose limiting toxicity (DLT) period without experiencing a DLT. No related serious adverse events were reported
•
Of the four patients enrolled in Cohort 1, two patients (50%) experienced a best overall response of stable disease, including one patient who had a pronounced pharmacodynamic response with prolonged stable disease
•
Cell collection to product release took approximately 1 week. One year’s worth of SQZ-eAPC-HPV, the maximum amount of drug able to be administered on study, was able to be manufactured for all patients in Cohort 1
•
Median viability of all lots was 94%

Poster #191P: Preliminary biomarker and safety results of SQZ-PBMC-HPV at recommended phase II dose (RP2D) in monotherapy and combination with checkpoint inhibitors in HLA A*02+ patients with recurrent, locally advanced, or metastatic HPV16+ solid tumors

•
Data suggests SQZ-PBMC-HPV is capable of stimulating an anti-tumor immune response in a subset of patients. As observed in patient 17 (presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper)-IO 2021), increased CD8 tumor infiltration in conjunction with a reduction of E6 (and E7) expressing cells in the presence of elevated MHCI expression is consistent with a biomarker signature of antigen-specific killing
•
SQZ-PBMC-HPV is considered safe and well-tolerated at RP2D both in monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors. The safety profile consisted of mostly low grade (grades 1 and 2) non-specific AEs, only one patient experienced serious adverse events (unrelated to SQZ-PBMC-HPV), and no dose-limiting toxicities observed
•
All batches produced under cGMP yielding multiple cryopreserved doses in <24hrs with about 1 week collection-to-release time. Product characterization confirmed antigen presentation and high viability in all patient batches

About SQZ-eAPC-HPV

SQZ Enhanced Antigen Presenting Cells (eAPC) are derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which are primarily composed of monocytes, T cells, B cells, and NK cells, and engineered with various mRNA encoding for multiple target antigens and immuno-stimulatory signals, including CD86 and membrane-bound IL-2 and IL-12. The company has presented preclinical findings showing that SQZ eAPCs have generated robust T cell responses in human in vitro and in vivo models. Additionally, it was demonstrated preclinically that HPV16-encoding mRNA delivery to PBMCs stimulated CD8+ T cells across a range of HLA haplotypes, supporting eAPC clinical development in broader HPV16+ patient populations.

COMMANDER-001 Trial Design

SQZ-eAPC-HPV is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial (COMMANDER-001) for the treatment of HPV16+ advanced or metastatic solid tumors. The clinical candidate, which targets E6 and E7 oncoproteins, is being studied as a monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor. The study consists of two parts. The first part is designed to assess safety and tolerability of multiple doses of SQZ-eAPC-HPV in treatment-experienced patients, following a dose-escalation scheme for monotherapy, and a dose de-escalation for the combination with pembrolizumab.

img61662729_0.jpgEmpower Cells to Change Lives

The second part of the study will assess clinical response of SQZ-eAPC-HPV in combination with pembrolizumab in immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment-naïve patient populations.

About SQZ-PBMC-HPV
SQZ-PBMC-HPV is the company’s Antigen Presenting Cell (APC) autologous cell therapy clinical candidate and is derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), primarily composed of monocytes, T cells, B cells, and NK cells, and engineered with tumor specific E6 and E7 peptide antigens. It received FDA fast track designation in April 2022. In December 2021, the company presented clinical data at the European Society for Medical Oncology Immuno-Oncology (ESMO-IO) congress that included a checkpoint refractory head-and-neck cancer patient who demonstrated a radiographic, symptomatic, and immune response in the monotherapy cohort of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial.

SQZ-PBMC-HPV-101 Trial Design

SQZ-PBMC-HPV is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of HPV16+ advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Patients must be positive for the human leukocyte antigen serotype HLA-A*02. The investigational candidate, which targets E6 and E7 oncoproteins, is being studied as a monotherapy and in combination with immuno-oncology agents. The study’s primary outcome measures in the monotherapy and combination phases of the trial include safety and tolerability. Antitumor activity is a secondary outcome measure in both the monotherapy and combination phases of the trial, and manufacturing feasibility is a secondary outcome measure in the monotherapy phase of the trial. The monotherapy phase of the study includes escalating dose cohorts with a dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) window of 28 days and is designed to identify a recommended phase 2 dose. The planned combination phase of the study will include SQZ-PBMC-HPV and checkpoint inhibitors. DLT will be measured over 42 days. Patient enrollment is expected to be discontinued by the end of the year with a transition to the currently enrolling COMMANDER-001 trial featuring the second-generation SQZ eAPC candidate for the treatment of HPV16+ advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

About Human Papillomavirus Positive Cancers

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common viruses worldwide and certain strains persist for many years, often leading to cancer. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), in the United States HPV+ tumors represent 3% of all cancers in women and 2% of all cancers in men, resulting in over 39,000 new cases of HPV+ tumors every year. HPV infection is larger outside of the U.S., and according to the International Journal of Cancer, HPV+ tumors account for 4.5% of all cancers worldwide resulting in approximately 630,000 new cases every year. According to the CDC, HPV infection plays a significant role in the formation of more than 90% of anal and cervical cancers, and most cases of vaginal (75%), oropharyngeal (70%), vulval (70%) and penile (60%) cancers.

On December 6, 2022 Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NasdaqGS: SPPI), a biopharmaceutical company focused on novel and targeted oncology reported that ROLVEDON (eflapegrastim-xnst) has been added to the latest National Comprehensive Cancer Network Supportive Care Guidelines (NCCN Guidelines) in oncology for Hematopoietic Growth Factors (Press release, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, DEC 6, 2022, View Source [SID1234624849]). The NCCN Guidelines provide recommendations for the appropriate use of growth factors in the clinical management of febrile neutropenia (FN) and now include ROLVEDON as a treatment option under Management of Neutropenia: G-CSFs for Prophylaxis of Febrile Neutropenia and Maintenance of Scheduled Dose Delivery.

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"We are pleased with the rapid inclusion of ROLVEDON in the NCCN guidelines as an appropriate option for cancer patients who are at risk for febrile neutropenia." said Tom Riga, President and Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. "The NCCN guidelines are a standard resource for determining the best course of treatment and supportive care for people living with cancer. The inclusion in the NCCN guidelines further reinforces the clinical profile of ROLVEDON and is an important milestone for the program."

The NCCN is a not-for-profit alliance of 32 leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education. The NCCN Guidelines are the recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer care and are the most thorough and frequently updated clinical practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. For more information visit: View Source

About ROLVEDON

ROLVEDON (eflapegrastim-xnst) injection is a long-acting granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) with a novel formulation. Spectrum has received an indication to decrease the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in adult patients with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia. ROLVEDON is not indicated for the mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The BLA for ROLVEDON was supported by data from two identically designed Phase 3, randomized, open-label, noninferiority clinical trials, ADVANCE and RECOVER, which evaluated the safety and efficacy of ROLVEDON in 643 early-stage breast cancer patients for the management of neutropenia due to myelosuppressive chemotherapy. In both studies, ROLVEDON demonstrated the pre-specified hypothesis of non-inferiority (NI) in mean duration of severe neutropenia (DSN) and a similar safety profile to pegfilgrastim. ROLVEDON also demonstrated non-inferiority to pegfilgrastim in the mean DSN across all four cycles (all NI p<0.0001) in both trials.

Please see the Important Safety Information below and the full prescribing information for ROLVEDON at www.rolvedon.com.

Indications and Usage

ROLVEDON is indicated to decrease the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in adult patients with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia.

Limitations of Use

ROLVEDON is not indicated for the mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Important Safety Information

Contraindications

ROLVEDON is contraindicated in patients with a history of serious allergic reactions to eflapegrastim, pegfilgrastim or filgrastim products. Reactions may include anaphylaxis.
Warnings and Precautions

Splenic Rupture

Splenic rupture, including fatal cases, can occur following the administration of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) products. Evaluate patients who report left upper abdominal or shoulder pain for an enlarged spleen or splenic rupture.
Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

ARDS can occur in patients receiving rhG-CSF products. Evaluate patients who develop fever, lung infiltrates, or respiratory distress. Discontinue ROLVEDON in patients with ARDS.
Serious Allergic Reactions

Serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can occur in patients receiving rhG-CSF products. Permanently discontinue ROLVEDON in patients who experience serious allergic reactions.
Sickle Cell Crisis in Patients with Sickle Cell Disorders

Severe and sometimes fatal sickle cell crises can occur in patients with sickle cell disorders receiving rhG-CSF products. Discontinue ROLVEDON if sickle cell crisis occurs.
Glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis has occurred in patients receiving rhG-CSF products. The diagnoses were based upon azotemia, hematuria (microscopic and macroscopic), proteinuria, and renal biopsy. Generally, events of glomerulonephritis resolved after dose-reduction or discontinuation. Evaluate and consider dose reduction or interruption of ROLVEDON if causality is likely.
Leukocytosis

White blood cell (WBC) counts of 100 x 109/L or greater have been observed in patients receiving rhG-CSF products. Monitor complete blood count (CBC) during ROLVEDON therapy. Discontinue ROLVEDON treatment if WBC count of 100 x 109/L or greater occurs.
Thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytopenia has been reported in patients receiving rhG-CSF products. Monitor platelet counts.
Capillary Leak Syndrome

Capillary leak syndrome has been reported after administration of rhG-CSF products and is characterized by hypotension, hypoalbuminemia, edema and hemoconcentration. Episodes vary in frequency and severity and may be life-threatening if treatment is delayed. If symptoms develop, closely monitor and give standard symptomatic treatment, which may include a need for intensive care.
Potential for Tumor Growth Stimulatory Effects on Malignant Cells

The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) receptor through which ROLVEDON acts has been found on tumor cell lines. The possibility that ROLVEDON acts as a growth factor for any tumor type, including myeloid malignancies and myelodysplasia, diseases for which ROLVEDON is not approved, cannot be excluded.
Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in Patients with Breast and Lung Cancer

MDS and AML have been associated with the use of rhG-CSF products in conjunction with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in patients with breast and lung cancer. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of MDS/AML in these settings.
Aortitis

Aortitis has been reported in patients receiving rhG-CSF products. It may occur as early as the first week after start of therapy. Consider aortitis in patients who develop generalized signs and symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, malaise, back pain, and increased inflammatory markers (e.g., c-reactive protein and white blood cell count) without known etiology. Discontinue ROLVEDON if aortitis is suspected.
Nuclear Imaging

Increased hematopoietic activity of the bone marrow in response to growth factor therapy has been associated with transient positive bone imaging changes. This should be considered when interpreting bone imaging results.
Adverse Reactions

The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) were fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, bone pain, headache, pyrexia, anemia, rash, myalgia, arthralgia, and back pain.
Permanent discontinuation due to an adverse reaction occurred in 4% of patients who received ROLVEDON. The adverse reaction requiring permanent discontinuation in 3 patients who received ROLVEDON was rash.
To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-888-713-0688 or FDA at 1‑800‑FDA‑1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch

On December 6, 2022 SELLAS Life Sciences Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SLS) ("SELLAS" or the "Company"), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies for a broad range of cancer indications, reported that SELLAS’ highly selective CDK9 inhibitor, GFH009, will be evaluated in pediatric solid tumors and leukemia models through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Pediatric Preclinical in Vivo Testing (PIVOT) Program (Press release, Sellas Life Sciences, DEC 6, 2022, View Source [SID1234624847]).

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GFH009 testing through the program involves a two-phase research plan for pharmacokinetics (PK) and efficacy in pediatric tumors. In the first phase, PIVOT principal investigators will conduct PK experiments to confirm the appropriate dose and route administration for GFH009. In the second phase, monotherapy in vivo efficacy testing for GFH009 will be performed by PIVOT investigators. Studies will be supported through cooperative agreement grants from the NCI to the seven PIVOT research programs performing the testing and a centralized coordinating center.

"Participation in the NCI PIVOT Program provides an extensive and invaluable level of expertise in preclinical pediatric cancer testing and we are excited that we were granted this program after a diligent review process. In addition to being a source of non-dilutive funding for our GFH009 program, we also believe this discovery work could ultimately support a path to a rare disease pediatric voucher," said Angelos Stergiou, MD, ScD h.c., President and Chief Executive Officer of SELLAS. "We are optimistic that the significant anti-tumor activity of GFH009 recently demonstrated in in vitro and in vivo models will be mirrored in PIVOT’s pediatric studies, allowing us to further expand our GFH009 clinical development program to include pediatric tumor types," continued Dr. Stergiou.

The NCI-supported PIVOT program is a comprehensive program to systematically evaluate novel agents against genomically characterized pediatric solid tumor and leukemia models at eight participating research institutions. By supporting a more reliable agent prioritization process, the PIVOT program contributes to the goal of accelerating discovery of more effective treatments for children with cancer.

Each PIVOT principal investigator has expertise in preclinical testing of childhood cancer in vivo models. These models utilize patient derived xenografts, many of which are refractory to current standard of care treatments, from high-risk childhood cancers and have undergone comprehensive genomic characterization to demonstrate close resemblance to genetic alterations seen in the respective human cancers. Research strategies are based on a substantial body of data showing that preclinical testing in the appropriate pediatric cancer models, combined with expertise on relative drug exposures tolerated in mice and humans, provides powerful insights into likely clinical utility of investigational agents.

PIVOT Program participating institutions and relevant pediatric cancer models are as follows:

Jackson Laboratory which serves as PIVOT Coordinating Center
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for soft tissue sarcomas including rhabdomyosarcoma
MD Anderson Cancer Center for osteosarcoma
University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio for Ewing sarcoma rhabdomyosarcoma, kidney, and liver cancers
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for pediatric sarcomas and other solid tumors
Children’s Hospital of Chicago for orthotopic CNS tumors
Children’s Cancer Inst Australia for acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for neuroblastoma