On June 17, 2024 Evaxion Biotech A/S (NASDAQ: EVAX) ("Evaxion" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage TechBio company specializing in developing AI-Immunology powered vaccines, reported publication of data from its Phase 1 dose escalation study of its lead personalized cancer vaccine candidate, EVX-01, for metastatic melanoma (Press release, Evaxion Biotech, JUN 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644383]). The study results, published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, demonstrated that eight out of 12 patients (67%) experienced objective clinical responses (ORR) with six partial and two complete responses. Further, EVX-01 immunization did not induce vaccine-related serious adverse events in patients co-administered with anti-PD1 therapy.

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The EVX-01 cancer vaccine is designed to target neoantigens – antigenic sequences derived from cancer mutations – that are displayed on the surface of cancer cells, allowing the immune system to recognize, attack and eliminate the malignant cells. Since the neoantigen tumor profiles vary from one cancer patient to another, the EVX-01 cancer vaccine is truly personalized and tailored to the unique characteristics of each patient’s tumor and immune system profile. This represents a novel treatment paradigm with potential broad application in cancer therapy.

At this year’s ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting, the Company presented comprehensive immune data from its ongoing EVX-01 Phase 2 study, with 71% of the administered neoantigens inducing a specific T-cell response. Furthermore, a positive correlation between the neoantigen prediction score assigned by AI-Immunology and the reported induced immune response confirmed the Phase 1 study findings and further substantiated the predictive power of Evaxion’s AI platform.

"This publication provides a clear conclusion to our Phase 1 study, with peer-reviewed validation of our reported outcomes. We are very impressed with EVX-01 achieving a 67% objective response rate in the trial. This is encouraging as it verifies a true reduction in tumor burden following dosing and compares favorably with historical data from anti-PD-1 monotherapy trials. With the encouraging data from our ongoing Phase 2 study of EVX-01 presented at this year’s annual ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) meeting, we are on track to report our one-year readout in the third quarter of this year," said Christian Kanstrup, CEO of Evaxion.

For more information about the recent EVX-01 Phase 2 immune data presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper), please visit our recent press release.

About EVX-01 Phase 2 Clinical Trial

EVX-01 is Evaxion’s lead clinical asset and constitutes a peptide-based personalized cancer vaccine. The ongoing Phase 2 clinical study is a self-sponsored, open-label, single-arm, multi-center trial carried out in collaboration with Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, together with leading principal investigators and research centers from Italy and Australia. It aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EVX-01 vaccination in combination with the anti-PD1 treatment pembrolizumab (more commonly known as KEYTRUDA) in treatment-naive patients with metastatic or unresectable malignant stage III or IV melanoma. More information can be accessed under clinical trial ID NCT05309421.

On June 17, 2024 CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: CTMX), a leader in the field of masked, conditionally activated biologics, reported the promotion of Chris Ogden to Chief Financial Officer effective June 15, 2024 (Press release, CytomX Therapeutics, JUN 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644382]).

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"Chris has made broad contributions as a member of the CytomX executive team and is a proven cross-functional leader within the organization," said Sean McCarthy, D.Phil., chief executive officer and chairman of CytomX. "We are excited to announce this promotion, which is a reflection of Chris’ financial acumen, strategic leadership and deep commitment to CytomX’s mission."

Mr. Ogden joined CytomX in August of 2021 as Vice President, Finance and Accounting and has since served in roles of increasing responsibility spanning finance, accounting, investor relations, capital raising, information technology, and facilities, most recently as Senior Vice President, Finance and Accounting. Mr. Ogden joined CytomX after a 16-year tenure at Eli Lilly and Company, where he held senior financial leadership positions, including most recently as chief financial officer of Lilly Diabetes. Prior to his role in Lilly Diabetes, Mr. Ogden was the chief financial officer and treasurer of Lilly del Caribe in Puerto Rico. Over the course of his career at Eli Lilly, Mr. Ogden held financial leadership roles that included drug development, manufacturing, commercial operations, and investor relations. Mr. Ogden received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and his B.A. in economics from Wabash College.

"It is a privilege to work with the incredibly talented team at CytomX, and I am thrilled to assume the CFO role and to continue to help lead the company through this next chapter, as we pursue our vision to transform lives with safer, more effective cancer therapies," said Chris Ogden. "CytomX’s pipeline is positioned in some of the most exciting areas of oncology research and development including T-cell engagers and antibody drug conjugates, and our PROBODY platform and business model provides a strong foundation to build significant long-term shareholder value through sustained innovation."

On June 17, 2024 AstraZeneca reported that Imfinzi (durvalumab) in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel followed by Imfinzi monotherapy has been approved in the US as treatment for adult patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer that is mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) (Press release, AstraZeneca, JUN 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644379]).

The approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was based on the results of a prespecified exploratory subgroup analysis by MMR status in the DUO-E Phase III trial. Results from DUO-E were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In the trial, Imfinzi plus carboplatin and paclitaxel followed by Imfinzi monotherapy (Imfinzi arm) reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 58% in patients with dMMR endometrial cancer versus chemotherapy alone (hazard ratio 0.42; 95% confidence interval 0.22-0.80).2

In the US, endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women, with more than 66,000 patients diagnosed and almost 12,000 deaths in 2022.3,4 Patients diagnosed at an early stage of disease have a five-year survival rate of approximately 80-90%, but there is a significant need for new treatment options for people with advanced disease, where the survival rate falls to less than 20%.5,6

Shannon N. Westin, Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and principal investigator of the trial, said, "With the incidence and mortality of endometrial cancer expected to continue to increase significantly in the coming decades, it is more important than ever that we bring new treatment options to patients at the earliest possible moment in their care. This approval underlines clear evidence that durvalumab plus chemotherapy followed by durvalumab monotherapy delivers important clinical benefits for patients with mismatch repair deficient endometrial cancer."

Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Oncology Business Unit, AstraZeneca, said: "There have been limited advances in the treatment of endometrial cancer in the last few decades, and continued innovation is critical as the burden of this cancer is expected to grow in the future. Immunotherapy in combination with chemotherapy is emerging as a new standard of care in this setting, and the approval of Imfinzi offers an important new option for patients with mismatch repair deficient disease."

The safety and tolerability profile of the Imfinzi and chemotherapy regimen was generally manageable, well tolerated and broadly consistent with prior clinical trials with no new safety signals.1,2

The Lynparza (olaparib) and Imfinzi arm, which investigated Imfinzi plus chemotherapy followed by Imfinzi plus Lynparza as maintenance therapy, also met the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS). The trial continues to assess OS as a key secondary endpoint for both arms. Regulatory applications for both Imfinzi as well as Imfinzi and Lynparza regimens are currently under review in the EU, Japan and several other countries based on the DUO-E results.

Notes

Endometrial cancer
Endometrial cancer is a highly heterogeneous disease that originates in the tissue lining of the uterus and is most common in women who have already been through menopause, with the average age at diagnosis being over 60 years old.7-10 It is the sixth most common cancer in women worldwide.11,12 Incidence and mortality of endometrial cancer are expected to increase by approximately 61% and 87% respectively (from 420,400 cases and 97,700 deaths in 2022 to 676,300 cases and 183,100 deaths) in 2050.13

The majority of patients with endometrial cancer are diagnosed at an early stage of disease, where the cancer is confined to the uterus.9,10 They are typically treated with surgery and/or radiation, and the five-year survival rate is high (approximately 80-90%).5,6 Patients with advanced disease (Stage III-IV) usually have a much poorer prognosis, with the five-year survival rate falling to less than 20%.5,6 Immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy is emerging as a new standard of care for advanced endometrial cancer, particularly for patients with dMMR disease, who make up approximately 20-30% of all patients with this type of cancer.6,14,15,16 There remains a high unmet need for treatments for the remaining 70-80% of endometrial cancer patients with pMMR disease.15,16

DUO-E
The DUO-E trial (GOG 3041/ENGOT-EN10) is a three-arm, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre Phase III trial of 1st-line Imfinzi (durvalumab) plus platinum-based chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel) followed by either Imfinzi monotherapy or Imfinzi plus Lynparza (olaparib) as maintenance therapy versus platinum-based chemotherapy alone as a treatment for patients with newly diagnosed advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.

The DUO-E trial randomised 699 patients with newly diagnosed advanced or recurrent epithelial endometrial carcinoma to receive either Imfinzi (1120mg) or placebo, given every three weeks in addition to standard-of-care platinum-based chemotherapy. After 4-6 cycles of chemotherapy, patients (whose disease had not progressed) then received either Imfinzi (1500mg) or placebo every four weeks as maintenance, plus 300mg Lynparza (300mg BID [2x150mg tablets, twice a day]) or placebo until disease progression.

The dual primary endpoint was PFS of each treatment arm versus standard of care. Key secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), safety and tolerability. The trial continues to assess OS for both Imfinzi monotherapy and Imfinzi plus Lynparza as maintenance therapy in the overall trial population. Mismatch repair (MMR) status, recurrence status and geographic location were stratification factors. The trial was sponsored independently by AstraZeneca and conducted in 253 study locations across 22 countries including the US, Europe, South America and Asia.

For more information about the trial, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

Imfinzi
Imfinzi (durvalumab) is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the PD-L1 protein and blocks the interaction of PD-L1 with the PD-1 and CD80 proteins, countering the tumour’s immune-evading tactics and releasing the inhibition of immune responses.

In addition to its indications in unresectable, Stage III NSCLC and ES-SCLC, Imfinzi is currently approved in a number of countries in combination with a short course of tremelimumab (Imjudo) and chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic NSCLC.

Imfinzi is also approved in a number of countries in combination with chemotherapy in locally advanced or metastatic biliary tract cancer and in combination with Imjudo in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Imfinzi is also approved as a monotherapy in unresectable HCC in Japan and the EU.

Since the first approval in May 2017, more than 220,000 patients have been treated with Imfinzi. As part of a broad development programme, Imfinzi is being tested as a single treatment and in combinations with other anti-cancer treatments for patients with SCLC, NSCLC, bladder cancer, breast cancer, several gastrointestinal cancers and other solid tumours.

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On June 17, 2024 Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: APRE) ("Aprea", or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on precision oncology through synthetic lethality, reported that the first patient has been dosed in the ACESOT-1051 Phase 1 study evaluating daily oral WEE1 inhibitor APR-1051 as monotherapy in advanced solid tumor patients with unmet medical need (Press release, Aprea, JUN 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644378]).

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APR-1051 was discovered and preclinically evaluated by Aprea’s team of chemists and scientists. APR-1051 is a potent and highly selective small molecule designed to limit off-target toxicity that may provide good safety and tolerability and has shown a potentially favorable drug exposure in pre-clinical models.

APR-1051 targets WEE1 kinase, an enzyme involved in the DNA damage response pathway. Based on preclinical studies, we believe APR-1051 may solve liabilities associated with other WEE1 inhibitors and is differentiated based on: 1) molecular structure; 2) selectivity for WEE1 versus off-target inhibition of the polo-like kinase, or PLK, family of kinases; 3) potentially improved pharmacokinetic (PK) properties; and 4) potential absence of QT prolongation at doses that significantly inhibit WEE1. No head-to-head studies with APR-1051 have been conducted.

ACESOT-1051 is a focused biomarker-driven study with advanced/metastatic solid tumors harboring the following cancer-associated gene alterations:

Amplification/overexpression of CCNE1 or CCNE2 regardless of tumor type, or
Deleterious mutations in FBXW7 or PPP2R1A regardless of tumor type, or
Colorectal cancer with KRAS-GLY12 and TP53 co-mutation, or
Uterine serous carcinoma regardless of biomarker status
"Dosing of the first patient in the ACESOT-1051 study is an important milestone in our APR-1051 development program and represents a key advancement of our clinical pipeline," said Oren Gilad, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Aprea. "Adding a second clinical program enriches our asset portfolio. We are initially evaluating single agent activity of APR-1051 to provide the basis for future rational combination treatments. We hope to confirm APR-1051’s safety profile in this Phase 1 study and generate the necessary data that will help us understand how it can be best utilized to treat patients. We plan to provide a clinical update by year-end 2024 and generate preliminary efficacy data during 2025."

The first patient was enrolled at NEXT Oncology, San Antonio, Texas. Additional centers, including The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, are expected to participate.

Anthony Tolcher M.D., Founder of Next Oncology commented, "NEXT Oncology is committed to exploring new treatment options for cancer patients and we are pleased to begin this important clinical trial. Cancers that over express Cyclin E (CCNE1 and CCNE2) represent a high unmet medical need, and patients with Cyclin E over expression have poor prognosis and no effective therapies. WEE1 kinase is a validated oncology target and we look forward to the results of this study."

ACESOT-1051 Study Design

ACESOT-1051 (A Multi-Center Evaluation of WEE1 Inhibitor in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors, APR-1051) is designed to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary efficacy of single-agent APR-1051 in advanced solid tumors harboring cancer-associated gene alterations. Oral APR-1051 will be administered once daily for 28-day cycles. The study consists of two parts: Part 1 is dose escalation and is expected to enroll up to 39 patients with advanced solid tumors. The first three dose levels will use accelerated titration followed by Bayesian Optimal Interval (BOIN) design for the remaining dose levels; Part 2 (up to 40 patients) is designed for dose optimization, with the goal of selecting the Recommended Phase 2 Dose (RP2D).

The primary objectives of the study are to measure safety, dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), maximum tolerated dose or maximum administered dose (MTD/MAD), and RP2D; secondary objectives are to evaluate pharmacokinetics, preliminary efficacy according to RECIST or PCWG3 criteria; pharmacodynamics is an exploratory objective. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is the lead site, and the study will be performed at between 3 and 10 sites in the U.S.

The ACESOT-1051 design was featured in a poster at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) annual meeting which took place in April 2024 in San Diego. A copy of the poster can be found here. For more information, refer to ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06260514.

On June 17, 2024 Alivexis, Inc. (Headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO S. Roy Kimura) reported that the Company has entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement with Astellas Pharma Inc. ("Astellas") to identify small molecule compounds for a new drug target selected by Astellas, utilizing Alivexis’ drug discovery platform ModBind and other technologies (Press release, Alivexis, JUN 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234644376]).

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The collaboration aims to utilize Alivexis’ computational drug discovery platform, including ModBind, to discover new small molecule compounds which will regulate the function of a novel drug target molecule selected by Astellas. As this target has no reported functional modulators to-date, the collaboration will accelerate the drug discovery of novel therapeutics against the target. In addition to in silico evaluation using the computational drug discovery platform, Alivexis will be responsible for integrated drug discovery research, including the development of experimental assays and compound evaluation using those assays. Under the terms of the collaboration, Astellas will have the option to acquire rights to the research deliverables.

About ModBind.
Alivexis has established a computational drug discovery platform that greatly accelerates small molecule drug discovery, which includes physics-based molecular dynamics simulations using GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), large-scale virtual screening algorithms, and deep learning models. With the help of their computational drug discovery platform, Alivexis has already delivered several clinical candidate molecules for both in-house drug discovery projects and external collaborations. Among Alivexis’ various computational drug discovery tools, the newly developed ModBind is a molecular simulations-based algorithm that can predict the efficacy of drug candidate compounds with high accuracy, yet performs more than 100 times faster than the other state-of-the-art technologies in the field. ModBind is based on a theoretical approach that is fundamentally different from industry standard simulations-based prediction technologies. One significant advantage of ModBind is that it is an absolute predictor of ligand efficacy and does not require known reference compounds, which are usually necessary for other methodologies. Therefore, ModBind is useful in all stages of preclinical drug discovery – from screening large random chemical libraries for initial hit finding to delivering clinical candidates in the lead-optimization stage. This capability has already been proven by Alivexis’ in-house research and external collaborations and is contributing to the progression of many drug discovery projects.

【CEO S. Roy Kimura’s Comments】
"I am excited to announce the signing of our drug discovery collaboration with Astellas focused on the use of our proprietary and ground-breaking ModBind simulation technology to accelerate early drug discovery for a particular disease target. Through our collaboration, we look forward to gaining further validation of our technology while contributing to the discovery of novel clinical candidate compounds for diseases with high patient need."