On March 14, 2023 Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, reported that two abstracts have been accepted for presentation at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, to be held in Orlando from April 14-19, 2023 (Press release, Kura Oncology, MAR 14, 2023, View Source [SID1234628701]).

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"We look forward to presenting preclinical data supporting the combination of farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs) with KRASG12C inhibitors and tyrosine kinase inhibitors at this year’s AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting," said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kura Oncology. "These data add to the emerging body of evidence supporting the potential to use FTIs as combination agents to prevent or delay emergence of resistance to certain classes of targeted therapy. We recently announced FDA clearance of the Investigational New Drug application for our next-generation farnesyl transferase inhibitor, KO-2806, which was designed to improve upon potency, pharmacokinetic and physicochemical properties of earlier FTI drug candidates, and we look forward to initiating our FIT-001 Phase 1 trial with KO-2806 later this year."

Session titles and information for the two abstracts are listed below and are now available on the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) online itinerary planner.

Combination of tipifarnib with KRASG12C inhibitors to prevent adaptive resistance 
Session Category / Title: Clinical Research Excluding Trials / Precision Molecular Subtyping and Therapeutic Development
Session Date and Time: Sunday, April 16, 2023; 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM ET
Location: Orange County Convention Center, Poster Section 43
Abstract / Poster: 1079 / 23

Tipifarnib synergizes with TKIs in clear cell renal cell carcinoma models
Session Category / Title: Clinical Research Excluding Trials / Precision Molecular Subtyping and Therapeutic Development
Session Date and Time: Sunday, April 16, 2023; 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM ET
Location: Orange County Convention Center, Poster Section 43
Abstract / Poster: 1071 / 15

Copies of the presentations will be available on Kura’s website at View Source following presentation at the meeting.

On March 14, 2023 ImCheck Therapeutics reported that it will present data from its Phase I/IIa clinical trial EVICTION-2 in a poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2023 (Press release, ImCheck Therapeutics, MAR 14, 2023, View Source [SID1234628700]). The EVICTION-2 trial is evaluating the combination of ImCheck’s lead program, ICT01, a γ9δ2 T cell-activating monoclonal antibody targeting BTN3A, combined with low dose IL-2, to selectively expand the number of γ9δ2 T cells in relapsed/refractory patients with solid tumors. The conference will be held in Orlando, Florida, from April 14 to 19, 2023, and clinical trial abstracts will be posted online on April 14.

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Details of the poster presentation are:

Abstract title: "First-in-Human Study of ICT01, an Anti-BTN3A Activating Monoclonal Antibody in Combination with Low Dose IL-2 in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors (EVICTION-2 Study)"
Session title: First-in-Human Phase I Clinical Trials 2
Abstract number: CT179
Authors: Johann de Bono, Stéphane Champiat, Francois-Xavier Danlos, Martin Wermke, Volker Kunzmann, Aude De Gassart, Emmanuel Valentin, Marina Iché, Maelle Mairesse, Patrick Brune, Katrien Lemmens, Aurélien Marabelle, Daniel Olive, Paul Frohna
Date/Time: Tuesday Apr 18, 2023 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM Eastern Time
Location: Poster Section 45
Poster Board Number: 11

On March 14, 2023 Beyond Cancer, Ltd., an affiliate of Beyond Air, Inc. (NASDAQ: XAIR) that is developing ultra-high concentration nitric oxide (UNO) as an immunotherapeutic for solid tumors, reported that Beyond Cancer, Ltd. will present two posters at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2023, which is scheduled to be held April 14-19 in Orlando, Florida (Press release, Beyond Air, MAR 14, 2023, View Source [SID1234628699]).

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Details of the poster presentations are as follows:

Title: Intratumoral administration of ultra-high concentration nitric oxide (UNO) is more efficacious than anti-PD1 therapy in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice
Session Category: Immunology
Session Title: Anticancer Immunotherapeutics
Session Date and Time: Wednesday, Apr 19, 2023, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM EDT
Location: Orange County Convention Center, Poster Section 22
Poster Board Number: 3
Abstract Number: 6327
Participant: Hila Confino, PhD; Chief Scientific Officer, Beyond Cancer, Ltd.

Title: Short-term exposure of cancer cells to ultra-high concentrations of nitric oxide (UNO) induces PD-L1 upregulation
Session Category: Immunology
Session Title: Immune Checkpoints
Session Date and Time: Wednesday, Apr 19, 2023, 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM EDT
Location: Orange County Convention Center, Poster Section 23
Poster Board Number: 7
Abstract Number: 6363
Participant: Hila Confino, PhD; Chief Scientific Officer, Beyond Cancer, Ltd.

Please note that the proffered abstracts accepted for presentation at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2023 were released publicly at 4:30 PM EDT today, March 14, 2023.

About Nitric Oxide
Nitric Oxide (NO) is a potent molecule, naturally synthesized in the human body, proven to play a critical role in a broad array of biological functions. In the airways, NO targets the vascular smooth muscle cells that surround the small resistance arteries in the lungs. Currently, exogenous inhaled NO is used in adult respiratory distress syndrome, post certain cardiac surgeries and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn to treat hypoxemia. Additionally, NO is believed to play a key role in the innate immune system and in vitro studies suggest that NO possesses anti-microbial activity not only against common bacteria, including both gram-positive and gram-negative, but also against other diverse pathogens.

On March 14, 2023 Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLCM), reported its decision to discontinue its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trials evaluating the safety and preliminary efficacy of its GoCAR-T cell product candidates in combination with rimiducid in heavily pre-treated cancer patients (Press release, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, MAR 14, 2023, View Source [SID1234628698]). The trials for BPX-601 and BPX-603 are being discontinued following the Company’s assessment of the risk/benefit profile of BPX-601 in combination with rimiducid.

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The most recent patient treated in the Phase 1/2 trial of BPX-601 in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) experienced serious immune-mediated adverse events including Grade 4 cytokine release syndrome (CRS), the second dose-limiting toxicity observed in this cohort of dose escalation. The company paused enrollment in its clinical studies and conducted a thorough review of the risk/benefit observed to date. While clinically meaningful efficacy has been observed—including 5 of 9 mCRPC patients treated achieving PSA50 response, 4 of whom achieved PSA90 response—the Company believes it does not have the necessary resources to optimize either the clinical dose and schedule of BPX-601 cells and the activating agent rimiducid, or the design of the BPX-601 cell construct to achieve a favorable risk/benefit profile.

The Company is communicating with clinical trial sites and regulatory agencies regarding its decision to discontinue its trials, and an evaluation of the Company’s strategic alternatives is underway.

More information about Bellicum can be found at www.bellicum.com.

On March 14, 2023 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 an abstract highlighting the preclinical evaluation of the bispecific antibody MCLA-129 for poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2023 taking place in Orlando, Florida April 14-19, 2023 (Press release, Merus, MAR 14, 2023, View Source [SID1234628696]).

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The abstract and presentation describe the mechanism of action of MCLA-129, an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) enhanced Biclonics that targets epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-MET in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other solid tumors in comparison to the EGFR x c-MET bispecific antibody amivantamab. MCLA-129 is a Biclonics common light chain bispecific antibody with multiple mechanisms of action, including inhibition of EGFR and c-MET ligand binding, which is observed in preclinical assays to have antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis and ADCC comparable or more potent than amivantamab.

Presentation Details:

MCLA-129

Title: Preclinical evaluation of MCLA-129, a bispecific antibody targeting EGFR and c-MET on solid tumor cells, in comparison with amivantamab
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session: Targeting Protein Kinases and Phosphatases for Therapy 1
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Time: 1:30-5:30 p.m. ET
Poster #: 12
Abstract #: 4999

The full abstract is available on the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) website. The poster will be available on the Merus website at the start of the session.

MCLA-129 is in clinical development in a phase 1/2, open-label clinical trial evaluating MCLA-129 monotherapy in EGFRex20 NSCLC, MetEx14 NSCLC, and in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, as well as in combination with Tagrisso (osimertinib) in treatment naïve EGFR mutant (m) NSCLC and in EGFRm NSCLC that has progressed on Tagrisso.

MCLA-129 is subject to a collaboration and license agreement with Betta Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. (Betta), which permits Betta to exclusively develop MCLA-129 and potentially commercialize exclusively in China, while Merus retains global rights outside of China.

About MCLA-129
MCLA-129 is an antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity-enhanced Biclonics that is designed to inhibit the EGFR and c-MET signaling pathways in solid tumors. Preclinical data have shown that MCLA-129 can effectively treat TKI-resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in xenograft models of cancer. MCLA-129 is designed to have two complementary mechanisms of action: blocking growth and survival pathways to stop tumor expansion and recruitment and enhancement of immune effector cells to eliminate the tumor.