On May 20, 2025 Aptose Biosciences Inc. ("Aptose" or the "Company") (OTC: APTOF, TSX: APS), a clinical-stage precision oncology company developing the tuspetinib (TUS)-based triple drug frontline therapy to treat patients with newly diagnosed AML, reported that the Cohort Safety Review Committee (CSRC) monitoring Aptose’s Phase 1/2 TUSCANY trial of tuspetinib in combination with standard of care dosing of venetoclax and azacitidine (TUS+VEN+AZA triplet) has approved escalating from 80 mg dose TUS to 120 mg dose TUS based on its favorable review of safety and efficacy data from patients in the first two cohorts of the trial (Press release, Aptose Biosciences, MAY 20, 2025, View Source [SID1234653244]). Dosing of the first subject at the 120 mg TUS dose level has commenced. The TUS+VEN+AZA triplet is being developed as a one-of-a-kind, safe and mutation agnostic frontline therapy to treat large, mutationally diverse populations of newly diagnosed AML patients who are ineligible to receive induction chemotherapy.

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No significant safety concerns or dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) have been reported in the TUSCANY trial, including no prolonged myelosuppression of subjects in remission. Patients treated in the 40 mg and 80 mg dose cohorts remain on study while enrollment is open for the 120 mg dose cohort. Aptose has reported that the first two dose cohorts have demonstrated safety, CRs, and minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity across patients with diverse mutations (press release here). The Company will be presenting updated data in an oral presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) Congress (EHA 2025), being held June 12-15, 2025, in Milan, Italy, which will include updated safety, CRs, MRD, and pharmacokinetic (PK) clinical findings and longer duration of follow up.

"Data from the first two cohorts, with a 40 mg or 80 mg dose of TUS in the TUS+VEN+AZA triplet, reveal promising clinical safety and antileukemic activity even in some of the most difficult-to-treat AML populations," said Rafael Bejar, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Aptose. "With these significant findings, our CSRC – comprised of key leaders in the development of therapeutic agents for AML – recommended we dose escalate further, and we have now opened the 120 mg dose cohort of TUS in the triplet therapy."

TUSCANY: TUS+VEN+AZA Triplet Phase 1/2 Study

The tuspetinib-based TUS+VEN+AZA triplet therapy is being advanced in the TUSCANY Phase 1/2 trial with the goal of creating an improved frontline therapy for newly diagnosed AML patients that is active across diverse AML populations, durable, and well tolerated. Earlier APTIVATE trials of TUS as a single agent and in combination as TUS+VEN demonstrated favorable safety and broad activity in diverse relapsed or refractory (R/R) AML populations that went beyond the more prognostically favorable NPM1 and IDH mutant subgroups. Indeed, responses were also in R/R AML patients with highly adverse TP53 and RAS mutations, and those with mutated or unmutated (wildtype) FLT3 genes.

The TUSCANY triplet Phase 1/2 study, being conducted at 10 leading U.S. clinical sites by elite clinical investigators, is designed to test various doses and schedules of TUS in combination with standard dosing of AZA and VEN for patients with AML who are ineligible to receive induction chemotherapy. A convenient, once daily oral agent, TUS is being administered in 28-day cycles. Multiple U.S. sites are enrolling in the TUSCANY trial with anticipated enrollment of 18-24 patients by mid-late 2025. Data will be released as it becomes available.

More information on the TUSCANY Phase 1/2 study can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov (here).

On May 20, 2025 ALX Oncology Holdings Inc., ("ALX Oncology" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: ALXO), a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of novel therapies designed to treat cancer and extend patients’ lives, reported an overview of the clinical development program for its highly-differentiated antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), ALX2004, at the Company’s R&D webcast event today (Press release, ALX Oncology, MAY 20, 2025, View Source [SID1234653243]). ALX Oncology leadership will discuss the unique design profile, preclinical data and clinical development plans for ALX2004, a potential best- and first-in-class ADC for the treatment of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-expressing solid tumors, that is planned to enter Phase 1 studies in mid-year 2025.

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"ALX Oncology is driving a new, highly differentiated approach to the treatment of EGFR-expressing tumors, harnessing our proprietary linker-payload platform to bring forward an ADC candidate that we believe may be able to overcome challenges seen with EGFR-ADCs in the past and drive a best-in-class molecule forward," said Jason Lettmann, Chief Executive Officer at ALX Oncology. "As we advance ALX2004 into the clinic, we are excited to share the development program and highlight how we rigorously designed all components of this ADC with an optimized, validated payload and antibody to maximize its potential for success across a variety of tumor types."

The Company’s ALX2004 R&D webcast event will include presentations on:

ALX2004 Unique Design: Optimized for Anti-Tumor Activity and Improved Outcomes

Developed by ALX Oncology’s protein engineers utilizing the Company’s proprietary topoisomerase I inhibitor payload and linker-payload platform, ALX2004 has been rigorously designed to maximize the therapeutic window and overcome toxicity challenges observed in this class.

This includes an affinity-tuned EGFR antibody with a binding epitope distinct from approved EGFR antibodies. ALX2004 also has a proprietary linker-Top1i payload engineered to offer enhanced bystander effect with improved linker stability for on-target delivery of payload.

Robust Preclinical Data: Supporting Differentiation in EGFR-ADC Class

Preclinical data supports ALX2004’s differentiated linker-payload construct, which has demonstrated superior stability versus other ADCs in its class, with dose-dependent activity and a favorable safety profile. In addition, ALX2004 has shown dose-dependent activity across a range of tumors, EGFR expression levels and mutations. Potent activity in tumor models supports its potential for treating patients with EGFR-expressing tumors. Preclinical model findings did not demonstrate EGFR-related skin toxicity at clinically relevant doses or payload-related interstitial lung disease, supportive of a potentially differentiated safety profile.

Initiation of Phase 1 Clinical Development Program

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared ALX Oncology’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for ALX2004 in April 2025. ALX Oncology will provide an overview of its Phase 1 clinical trial design for ALX2004 planned to initiate mid-2025. The Company anticipates initiating a Phase 1 dose escalation trial in EGFR-expressing solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, targeting patients with relapsed/refractory cancers. The Company anticipates initial safety data in the first half of 2026.

ALX2004 Webcast Information
The virtual event will be webcast live and a replay will be available after the event by visiting the "Investors" section of ALX Oncology’s website and selecting "Events and Presentations."

Date & Time: Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 8:00 a.m. PT/11:00 a.m. ET
Webcast Access: View Source

On May 20, 2025 Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX: CU6) ("Clarity" or "Company"), a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company with a mission to develop next-generation products that improve treatment outcomes for patients with cancer, reported that it has commenced its second registrational Phase III 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA diagnostic trial in prostate cancer, AMPLIFY (NCT06970847)1, with the initiation of the first clinical site at XCancer in Omaha, NE (Press release, Clarity Pharmaceuticals, MAY 20, 2025, View Source [SID1234653232]).

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AMPLIFY is a study of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA Positron Emission Tomography: A Phase 3 Study of Participants with Biochemical Recurrence of Prostate Cancer. It is a non-randomised, single-arm, open-label, multi-centre, diagnostic clinical trial of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA positron emission tomography (PET) in participants with rising or detectable prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after initial definitive treatment.

The aim of this Phase III trial is to investigate the ability of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA PET/computed tomography (CT) to detect recurrence of prostate cancer. Evaluation will be across 2 imaging timepoints, Day 1 (day of administration, same-day imaging) and Day 2 (approximately 24 hours post administration, next-day imaging).

The study will enroll approximately 220 participants at multiple clinical sites across the United States (US) and Australia, and the first participant is expected to be imaged in the coming weeks. As a pivotal trial, the final study results are intended to provide sufficient evidence to support an application to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA as a new diagnostic imaging agent in biochemical recurrence (BCR) of prostate cancer.

Clarity’s Executive Chairperson, Dr Alan Taylor, commented, "We are very excited to commence our second registrational Phase III trial with the optimised SAR-bisPSMA agent in patients that are experiencing the return of their disease following treatment of the primary cancer.

"The recent devastating news that former US President, Joe Biden, has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that has metastasised to the bone is yet another reminder that no man is safe from this insidious disease, and he joins over 3.3 million men in the US who live with prostate cancer today2. Australia is also not immune. A recent public announcement revealed that MP Barnaby Joyce has recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and he joins over 250,000 Australian men who are living with prostate cancer today3. These large numbers highlight the need for more timely and accurate diagnosis to safely and effectively treat the cancer with suitable therapies."

The AMPLIFY trial is based on favourable preclinical and clinical data generated to date, including the Phase I/II COBRA trial in patients with BCR of prostate cancer and the Phase I PROPELLER trial in patients with confirmed prostate cancer pre-prostatectomy4,5. These earlier studies demonstrated an excellent safety profile and exciting efficacy results, especially in comparison to current standard of care imaging. PROPELLER showed improved diagnostic performance of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA compared to 68Ga-PSMA-11 on same-day imaging, including higher number of lesions identified and 2-3 times higher uptake and tumour-to-background ratio, favouring 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA. The COBRA trial showed that more lesions and more patients with a positive scan were identified on 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA PET compared to conventional scans and on next-day vs. same-day imaging. 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA also allowed for the identification of lesions in the 2-mm range. The most recent findings from the COBRA trial demonstrated that 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA was able to detect lesions from 29 days to more than 6 months earlier than standard-of-care (SOC) prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET agents.

"These compelling findings, along with preliminary theranostic SECuRE trial data6, laid the foundation for the receipt of three Fast Track Designations (FTD) for SAR-bisPSMA from the US FDA within six months7-9, highlighting how impressive our science and clinical development are, the significance of the data so far and the high unmet need for better therapies and diagnostics in prostate cancer. We believe 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA could become a best-in-class product and look forward to progressing its clinical development through several trials in prostate cancer: AMPLIFY in BCR, our first Phase III CLARIFY study in pre-prostatectomy patients, the investigator-initiated trial led by Prof Louise Emmett, Co-PSMA (head-to-head study comparing the diagnostic performance of 64Cu-SAR-bisPSMA vs. SOC 68Ga-PSMA-11 in BCR), and the theranostic SECuRE study in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The FTDs will enable us to accelerate the development of this comprehensive program to be used in patients with prostate cancer throughout the management of their cancer, from initial to late-stage disease, with an opportunity to completely change the entire treatment landscape for the large prostate cancer market.

"We have received a lot of interest in the AMPLIFY trial and look forward to seeing this study progress in such an important patient population. Knowing whether or not their prostate cancer has returned following initial treatment and where the cancer lesions are located are essential for the appropriate treatment of BCR patients. Identifying lesions as early as possible can arm clinicians with important information to help determine the right treatment regimen and ensure positive long-term treatment outcomes. We would like to thank all clinicians and patients who participate in our clinical trials and who trust us in delivering on our promise of developing best-in-class products. Our team and collaborators look forward to bringing this next-generation PSMA diagnostic to prostate cancer patients around the world," said Dr Taylor.

About SAR-bisPSMA
SAR-bisPSMA derives its name from the word "bis", which reflects a novel approach of connecting two PSMA-targeting agents to Clarity’s proprietary sarcophagine (SAR) technology that securely holds copper isotopes inside a cage-like structure, called a chelator. Unlike other commercially available chelators, the SAR technology prevents copper leakage into the body. SAR-bisPSMA is a Targeted Copper Theranostic (TCT) that can be used with isotopes of copper-64 (Cu-64 or 64Cu) for imaging and copper-67 (Cu-67 or 67Cu) for therapy.

On May 19, 2025 FUJIFILM Corporation reported the successful validation of the cancer cell-targeting potential of its peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates (Press release, Fujifilm, MAY 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234653238]). This validation resulted from combining oligonucleotides with cyclic peptides developed from Fujifilm’s proprietary peptide library, which contains trillions of variants. This research achievement will be presented at TIDES USA, an exhibition to be held from May 19 to 22, 2025, in San Diego (poster number: 35).

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Cyclic peptides, including those containing unnatural amino acids, are emerging as a promising new modality in drug discovery due to their unique and favorable properties, including high binding affinity and specificity, improved tissue permeability, and synthetic versatility. Peptide-oligonucleotide conjugation addresses delivery challenges associated with oligonucleotide-based therapies by utilizing the excellent delivery properties of peptides and have been actively researched.

Leveraging its large peptide library constructed with mRNA display technology, and structural optimization techniques, Fujifilm has developed a proprietary cyclic peptide that binds strongly to integrins overexpressed on the surface of cancer cells, with a low dissociation constant (KD) of 1.6 nM. Utilizing chemical modification methods Fujifilm can successfully synthesize the peptide-oligonucleotide conjugate at high yield. Uptake of these peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates by cancer cells is higher compared to uptake of the non-conjugated oligonucleotide, demonstrating the peptide-oligonucleotide conjugate’s ability to selectively accumulate in cancer cells.

Fujifilm is expanding its drug discovery services for peptide therapeutics globally, providing a wide range of contract research services focusing on peptide discovery, high-throughput screening, and structural optimization. Fujifilm’s one-stop comprehensive service includes peptide chemical synthesis and target protein expression and purification to meet diverse research demands. Fujifilm is committed to driving research and development that fosters technological innovation in the healthcare field, leveraging the ability of cyclic peptides to regulate cellular functions and their specific molecular recognition capabilities, contributing to the advancement of pharmaceutical development of peptide therapeutics.

On May 19, 2025 Zai Lab Limited (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 9688) reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to ZL-1310, the Company’s potential first-in-class Delta-like ligand (DLL3) antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), for the treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) (Press release, Zai Laboratory, MAY 19, 2025, View Source [SID1234653237]). ZL-1310, which is being evaluated in an ongoing global Phase 1a/1b clinical trial (NCT06179069), previously received an Orphan Drug designation for SCLC from the FDA. The company will present updated data at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.

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"The FDA’s decision to grant Fast Track designation to ZL-1310 highlights the significant need for expanded treatment options for patients with SCLC and represents an important step in our efforts to advance a novel therapeutic option as quickly as possible," said Rafael G. Amado, M.D., President, Head of Global Research and Development, Zai Lab. "This designation reinforces the clinical progress we have achieved for ZL-1310 to-date, and we remain on track to initiate a pivotal study in small cell lung cancer later this year, positioning us for a potential accelerated approval in 2027."

Fast Track designation facilitates the expedited development and review of new drugs to address an unmet medical need or treat serious or life-threatening diseases. Benefits of this designation include more frequent engagements with the FDA to discuss the drug’s clinical development plan and eligibility for Accelerated Approval and Priority Review if relevant criteria are met. More information on the Fast Track process is available here.

Zai Lab will hold an investor conference call and webcast to highlight updated ZL-1310 data at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) and outline the next steps in clinical development.

Details regarding upcoming ZL-1310 webcast and conference call are as follows:

Date/Time: Monday, June 2, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. CT / 8:00 a.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. HKT., please register at:
Webcast presentation (preferred): View Source;
Dial-in: View Source
Presenter: Rafael G. Amado, M.D., President, Head of Global Research and Development, Zai Lab

About Small Cell Lung Cancer and ZL-1310

SCLC is one of the most aggressive and lethal solid tumors, accounting for approximately 5% of the approximately 2.5 million patients diagnosed with lung cancer worldwide each year. 1,2 Additionally, two-thirds of all SCLC patients are diagnosed at extensive stage. 3

DLL3 is an antigen overexpressed in many neuroendocrine tumors, such as SCLC, and is often associated with poor clinical outcomes. ZL-1310 comprises a humanized anti-DLL3 monoclonal antibody connected via a cleavable linker to a novel camptothecin derivative (a topoisomerase 1 inhibitor) as its payload. The compound was designed with a novel ADC technology platform called TMALIN, which leverages the tumor microenvironment to overcome challenges associated with first-generation ADC therapies.