On September 24, 2025 Immuneering Corporation (Nasdaq: IMRX), a clinical-stage oncology company focused on keeping cancer patients alive, reported positive updated survival and safety data from its ongoing Phase 2a trial of atebimetinib (IMM-1-104) in combination with modified gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (mGnP) in first-line pancreatic cancer patients (N=34), with 9 months median follow up (Press release, Immuneering, SEP 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234656195]). The data, to be presented at the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) Scientific Summit 2025, marks a milestone for the Company in the treatment of one of the deadliest and most treatment-resistant solid tumors. The Company also announced it will not be hosting its previously scheduled conference call.

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"Overall survival is the gold standard in oncology and has been Immuneering’s goal from the very beginning. In cancer nothing matters more than keeping patients alive and helping them thrive. We are beyond thrilled to report that not only was our extraordinary 94% overall survival at 6 months sustained with additional follow up time, but that our observed 9-month overall survival of 86% shows an even larger gap with standard of care benchmarks," said Ben Zeskind, Ph.D., CEO of Immuneering. "To combine such meaningful overall survival with such favorable tolerability has the potential to be truly game-changing for first-line pancreatic cancer patients."

Extraordinary and Growing Survival Advantage Observed
Atebimetinib (320mg dosed once-daily) + mGnP demonstrated remarkable overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) at 9 months median follow up in first-line pancreatic cancer patients (N=34). The MPACT pivotal trial for the standard of care, gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel, reported significantly lower OS and PFS at 9 months.

OS observed at 9 months was 86% in patients receiving atebimetinib + mGnP. The median OS was not yet reached as of the data cutoff date. The standard of care reported a ~47% OS at 9 months.
As previously reported, OS observed at 6 months was 94% in patients receiving atebimetinib + mGnP. The standard of care reported a 67% OS at 6 months.
PFS observed at 9 months was 53% in patients receiving atebimetinib + mGnP. The standard of care reported a ~29% PFS at 9 months.
PFS observed at 6 months was 70% in patients receiving atebimetinib + mGnP. The standard of care reported a ~44% PFS at 6 months.
Unless otherwise specified, all data are reported using a data cutoff date of August 26, 2025, from the same patient cohort (N=34) as previously reported in June 2025. The estimates of (and other references to) standard of care with respect to the nine-month follow-up data were extrapolated and reconstructed by the Company based on the publicly available third-party MPACT pivotal trial data for gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel. The estimates of (and other references to) standard of care set forth above with respect to the six-month follow-up data were reported out directly from the publicly available third-party MPACT pivotal trial data for gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel. The Company’s Phase 1/2a clinical trial of atebimetinib does not include a head-to-head comparison against any other agents, and caution should be exercised when comparing data across trials.

The Company believes these compelling updated survival data reflect the potential for a durable, compounding benefit with atebimetinib + mGnP.

Favorable Tolerability Profile Observed:

As of the data cutoff date, Atebimetinib (320mg dosed once-daily) + mGnP continued to demonstrate a favorable tolerability profile in first-line pancreatic cancer patients (N=34), with only two categories of adverse events observed at the Grade 3 level in more than 10% of patients (neutropenia and anemia, both of which are categories commonly observed with standard of care chemotherapy). No new safety signals were identified.

Safety Data for Pivotal Trials and for Atebimetinib + mGnP in 1L PDAC

How Did Atebimetinib Achieve Such Extraordinary Survival?

Atebimetinib is a Deep Cyclic Inhibitor: A New Paradigm in Targeted Therapy

Immuneering’s proprietary Deep Cyclic Inhibitors (DCIs) challenge the conventional model of sustained or continuous inhibition in oncology.
Most therapies are designed for sustained inhibition, driving cancer to adapt and develop resistance so tumors shrink quickly but temporarily.
Deep Cyclic Inhibitors are designed to pulse faster than tumors can adapt, so tumors shrink slowly but durably.
Sustained inhibition also causes suppressed transient signaling in healthy cells, leading to many adverse events.
Deep Cyclic Inhibitors aim to restore full transient signaling to healthy cells, with the goal of leading to fewer adverse events.

Atebimetinib Targets MEK: A Broader, Potentially More Durable Approach

MEK is a key control point in the MAPK pathway (RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK), which is pathologically activated in a majority of cancers, including approximately 97% of pancreatic cancers.
Targeting MEK blocks a broader range of MAPK pathway alterations because it is further downstream, creating the potential for more durable benefit.

"Deep Cyclic Inhibitors like atebimetinib represent a fundamental shift in targeted therapy, away from continuous inhibition and toward pulsatile modulation of key oncogenic pathways," said Brett Hall, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Immuneering. "This approach has the potential to deliver both durability and tolerability, two patient-centered essentials oncology has long struggled to balance."

"Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most challenging cancers we face in the clinic with far too few treatment options available to patients and survival rates that have remained unacceptably low for decades," said Vincent Chung, M.D., F.A.C.P., Professor, Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research at City of Hope, principal investigator of the Phase 2a clinical trial and a paid member of the company’s scientific advisory board. "I have seen firsthand in my own patients the benefits of atebimetinib’s durability and tolerability. The remarkable overall survival, progression-free survival, and tolerability data we are seeing with atebimetinib + mGnP in first-line pancreatic cancer patients, now out to 9 months of median follow up, represent an important step towards creating urgently needed new options for these patients. We are also planning a confirmatory study."

Near-Term Milestone Expectations

Immuneering is planning for several near-term anticipated milestones related to atebimetinib, including:

Regulatory feedback on pivotal trial plans in Q4 2025
Announcing further updated OS and PFS data from first-line pancreatic cancer patients (N=34) treated with atebimetinib + mGnP, including at a scientific conference in 2026
Pending regulatory feedback, initiating a pivotal Phase 3 trial of atebimetinib in combination with mGnP in first-line pancreatic cancer by the end of 2025, and dosing the first patient by mid-2026
Initiating additional atebimetinib clinical trial combination arms in 2026, including in non-small cell lung cancer

On September 24, 2025 FORE Biotherapeutics, a registration stage biotherapeutics company dedicated to developing targeted therapies to treat patients with cancer, reported that following a pre-specified interim efficacy analysis for the Phase 2 FORTE basket study evaluating plixorafenib as a monotherapy in patients with recurrent or progressive BRAF V600-mutated primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors, the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) has recommended that the study should continue as planned (Press release, Fore Biotherapeutics, SEP 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234656194]).

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The interim efficacy analysis was conducted by the IDMC and was pre-specified to evaluate plixorafenib at a defined efficacy threshold after the first 25 participants treated in this basket had sufficient data for response assessment, in addition to the IDMC’s ongoing oversight for safety.

"We are very pleased that the BRAF V600 primary CNS basket of the FORTE study has passed the protocol-specified interim analysis supporting that tumor regressions in patients treated with plixorafenib continue to be observed," said Stacie Peacock Shepherd, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Fore. "We believe this is an encouraging development for the study, and more importantly, for patients in need of novel treatment options for recurrent primary CNS tumors. The data with this novel BRAF inhibitor, known as a paradox breaker, builds on the recent momentum for the potential of plixorafenib to benefit patients across BRAF-altered solid tumors, including the recent presentation of encouraging data in patients with BRAF-altered thyroid cancers, which has generated significant enthusiasm in the field. This significant milestone builds upon the validated approach of targeting BRAF, while avoiding the limitations of the earlier generation compounds that led to rapid recurrence of disease and the need for combination with a MEK inhibitor, and brings us one step closer to our objective of accelerating access to adults and children diagnosed with recurrent BRAF-altered brain or spinal cord tumors. We look forward to completing enrollment and reporting topline results from this registrational CNS basket in the second half of 2026."

Macarena de la Fuente, M.D., Chief of Neuro-Oncology at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and lead CNS Investigator for both the Phase 1/2a and FORTE Phase 2 plixorafenib clinical studies, commented, "Primary CNS tumors can lead to significant disease and treatment-related morbidity, including neurocognitive deterioration and seizures, and premature death. The unique mechanism and tolerable safety profile seen in early clinical trials set plixorafenib apart from current limited treatments, including lower side effects of rash or fever and less risk of intratumoral bleeding, cardiac, ocular, or growth effects. The data that have been previously presented are very promising with durable clinical activity and favorable tolerability and we look forward to the full readout of data at the completion of this trial. We anticipate plixorafenib, with its unique mechanism of action, has the potential to transform the treatment paradigm for people with BRAF-altered recurrent or refractory primary CNS tumors."

The primary endpoint of overall response rate (ORR), supported by duration of response, in the FORTE CNS basket is being evaluated in up to 50 patients with BRAF V600 primary recurrent CNS tumors.

About the Global Phase 2 FORTE Basket Study

The registration-intended FORTE Master Protocol is a global Phase 2 clinical trial which includes four sub-protocol baskets evaluating plixorafenib in distinct patient populations. The three monotherapy indications currently under evaluation are recurrent or progressive BRAF V600 primary CNS tumors, solid tumors with BRAF fusions and rare BRAF V600 mutated solid tumors. As part of the design of the trial, interim efficacy analyses will be conducted in the other two baskets of FORTE – the advanced solid tumors with BRAF fusions basket and the rare BRAF V600 solid tumors basket – after sufficient scans from approximately 25 patients in each basket are evaluated by the IDMC.

About BRAF Altered Recurrent Primary CNS Tumors

BRAF altered recurrent primary CNS tumors represent a high unmet medical need and a large market opportunity for plixorafenib. In the advanced treatment setting, patients are offered currently approved therapies, but those therapies have significant limitations in efficacy, tolerability, and safety.

About Plixorafenib

Plixorafenib is a novel BRAF inhibitor, with a unique mechanism of action that functions both as a dimer and paradox breaker, and that has demonstrated a differentiated and compelling monotherapy profile in clinical studies. In a previously conducted Phase 1/2 study, in patients with MAPK inhibitor naïve BRAF V600 primary recurrent CNS tumors (n=9), plixorafenib monotherapy demonstrated an ORR of 67% and a clinical benefit rate of greater than 75%. Plixorafenib also demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile across tumor types, including relative to existing standard of care treatments for various BRAF altered tumors, with a discontinuation rate due to drug-related adverse events of less than 2%. Fore Bio believes plixorafenib has the potential to overcome the limitations of currently available BRAF inhibitors through its unique mechanism of action targeting BRAF, while avoiding the limitations of the earlier generation BRAF inhibitors that led to rapid recurrence of disease and the need for combination with a MEK inhibitor.

On September 24, 2025 FibroGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: FGEN) reported the initiation of the Phase 2 monotherapy, dose-optimization trial of FG-3246, a potential first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CD46-expressing cancer lesions in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) (Press release, FibroGen, SEP 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234656192]). The trial will also assess the diagnostic and predictive performance of FG-3180, a companion PET imaging agent, which shares the same CD46-targeted antibody used in FG-3246. The ability of FG-3180 to identify mCRPC lesions and predict response to FG-3246 will be evaluated.

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"With the transformation of FibroGen to a U.S.-focused organization now complete and a robust cash runway into 2028, we are excited to advance our FG-3246 program and initiate the Phase 2 monotherapy trial with the activation of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) site," said Thane Wettig, Chief Executive Officer of FibroGen. "FG-3246 demonstrated compelling clinical activity in patients that were heavily pre-treated, with a competitive radiographic progression free survival benefit in the Phase 1 monotherapy study. We are confident that the dosing regimen of FG-3246, use of prophylactic G-CSF, and the enrollment of patients in earlier lines of treatment of mCRPC set us up to further demonstrate the potential of this program. We anticipate results from the interim analysis of our Phase 2 study in the second half of 2026. We also look forward to reporting the results from the ongoing investigator-sponsored study of FG-3246 in combination with enzalutamide in the fourth quarter of this year."

The Phase 2 monotherapy trial (NCT06842498) is a randomized, open label, dose optimization trial designed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of FG-3246 for the treatment of patients with mCRPC who have progressed following ARSI treatment and who have not received chemotherapy for their mCRPC. The trial is scheduled to enroll 75 patients who will be randomized 1:1:1 to receive either 1.8, 2.4 or 2.7 mg/kg AJBW of FG-3246. The primary endpoint of the trial is the determination of the optimal dose for the Phase 3 trial based on efficacy, safety, and PK parameters. Secondary endpoints include radiographic progression free survival (rPFS), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 50 response, and PSA90 response. An interim analysis is planned once 12 patients enrolled in each of the three dose arms have completed 12 weeks on study or discontinued and is anticipated in the second half of 2026. An exploratory sub-study will evaluate FG-3180, a companion PET imaging agent, as a diagnostic radiopharmaceutical. All patients deemed eligible for participation in the Phase 2 trial will participate in the sub-study evaluating FG-3180 prior to randomization.

In addition, topline results from the ongoing investigator-sponsored study of FG-3246 in combination with enzalutamide in patients with mCRPC are expected in the fourth quarter of 2025.

About FG-3246
FG-3246 (FOR46) is a potential first-in-class fully human antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), exclusively in-licensed from Fortis Therapeutics, and is being developed by FibroGen for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer and potentially other tumor types. FG-3246 binds to an epitope of CD46, a cell receptor target, that induces internalization upon antibody binding, is present at high levels in prostate cancer and other tumor types and demonstrates very limited expression in most normal tissues. FG-3246 is comprised of an anti-CD46 antibody, YS5, linked to the anti-mitotic agent, MMAE, which is a clinically and commercially validated ADC payload. FG-3246 has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in both preclinical and clinical studies.

FG-3246 is currently in an ongoing Phase 1b/2 study being conducted at UCSF as an investigator-sponsored trial to evaluate FG-3246 in combination with enzalutamide in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). An additional investigator-sponsored radiopharmaceutical marker trial using a zirconium-89 positron emission tomography (PET) tracer for CD46 that utilizes the YS5 antibody is also underway at UCSF. The Phase 2 monotherapy dose optimization trial for FG-3246 in mCRPC was initiated in the third quarter of 2025, with interim results expected in the second half of 2026. FG-3246 is an investigational drug and not approved for marketing by any regulatory authority.

About Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC)
Prostate cancer is the second most common malignancy in men, contributing significantly to male mortality rates. Approximately 13% of men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point during their lifetime. There are about 65,000 drug treatable mCRPC cases in the U.S. annually and 5-year survival in mCRPC is approximately 30%.

On September 24, 2025 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519) reported that it filed a regulatory application with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) on August 29 for the anti-cancer agent/humanized anti-VEGF*1 monoclonal antibody Avastin for Intravenous Infusion 100mg/4mL, 400mg/16mL [generic name: bevacizumab (genetical recombination)] for neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), a new indication for Avastin (Press release, Chugai, SEP 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234656190]).

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This filing is based on the results from a Japanese phase II BeatNF2 study initiated by investigators, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of Avastin for NF2.

About BeatNF2 study
BeatNF2 study (jRCT2080224914) is an investigator-initiated, Japanese Phase II, multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized study that evaluated the efficacy and safety of Avastin for NF2, a rare hereditary disease. The study enrolled 62 patients who were divided into an Avastin treatment group and a placebo group to compare the improvement in hearing at 24 weeks after treatment initiation. After 24 weeks and up to 48 weeks, both groups received Avastin. The primary endpoint was "the proportion of patients with improved hearing at 24 weeks after treatment initiation compared to baseline, based on the evaluation using maximum speech discrimination score*2." Secondary endpoints included maximum speech discrimination score at weeks 12, 36, and 48, tumor volume, pure tone audiometry, auditory steady-state response, NF2 severity score, and the efficacy of retreatment in patients who experienced hearing deterioration following initial improvement.

*1 VEGF：Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor
*2 Maximum speech discrimination score is an indicator of speech comprehension ability. It refers to the percentage of correct answers in a monosyllabic word recognition test at the volume level that yields the highest accuracy while adjusting sound intensity. The higher this value, the better one’s ability to accurately understand speech when sounds are audible. It also serves as a measure for evaluating the effectiveness of hearing aids.

About neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2)1
NF2 is an autosomal dominant hereditary disease characterized by bilateral acoustic nerve tumors (vestibular schwannomas). Symptoms commonly associated with acoustic schwannomas include hearing loss, dizziness, unsteadiness, and tinnitus. Additionally, symptoms related to other manifestations such as spinal nerve schwannomas may include numbness in the limbs, reduced sensation, and weakness.
For acoustic neuroma, observation, surgery, and radiation therapy are performed. While it is a benign tumor that sometimes shows little growth, in cases where symptoms develop or tumor growth is evident, surgical removal may be performed, which can affect the long-term prognosis. Preservation of hearing through surgery is difficult, and there is a risk of postoperative neurological complications.
According to overseas reports, the incidence rate is a rare 1 in 25,000-60,000 people, and in Japan, approximately 800 people submitted clinical registry data between 2009-2013. Most cases are diagnosed in patients between 10 and 29 years of age.

About Avastin
Avastin is an antibody drug that specifically binds to VEGF2, which plays an important role in angiogenesis necessary for tumor growth and metastasis, and inhibits its action. Since its launch in Japan in June 2007, it has been positioned as one of the standard treatments in treatment guidelines for various types of cancer. It has been approved for seven indications (unresectable advanced or recurrent colorectal cancer, unresectable advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer excluding squamous cell carcinoma, inoperable or recurrent breast cancer, malignant glioma, ovarian cancer, advanced or recurrent cervical cancer, and unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma).

Trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

On September 24, 2025 Artios Pharma Limited ("Artios"), a biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the therapeutic power of targeting the DNA damage response ("DDR") in cancer, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation to its ATR inhibitor, alnodesertib, in combination with a low dose of chemotherapeutic agent irinotecan, for the treatment of adult patients with ATM-negative metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in the third-line setting (Press release, Artios Pharma, SEP 24, 2025, View Source [SID1234656187]).

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"The Fast Track designation for alnodesertib underscores its first-in-class potential for third-line mCRC patients with ATM-negative tumors," said Mike Andriole, Chief Executive Officer of Artios. "Approximately 3,000 patients with ATM-negative third-line mCRC succumb to this disease annually in the United States, with no treatment options that specifically address this protein deficiency. Alnodesertib has the potential to be the first treatment specifically for this invariably lethal disease. Additionally, we are encouraged by the durable responses this program has demonstrated across other tumor types, highlighting its ability to target replication stress across a range of solid tumors."

The designation is supported by encouraging results from the ongoing STELLA Phase 1/2a study, which is evaluating alnodesertib in combination with a low dose of irinotecan. Beyond third-line mCRC, clinical responses were observed in seven additional solid tumor types with ATM deficiency. The combination of alnodesertib plus low-dose irinotecan has a favorable safety profile to date, has been well tolerated, and has been shown to be suitable for long-term dosing.

"Patients with third-line colorectal cancer face a dismal prognosis, with current standards of care for third-line mCRC delivering response rates in the single digits. In our studies to date, alnodesertib has demonstrated compelling clinical activity in ATM-negative patients with mCRC as well as in other heavily pretreated cancer types with high endogenous replication stress," said Ian Smith, Chief Medical Officer of Artios. "These results, together with activity across other solid tumors, highlight alnodesertib’s potential to deliver meaningful benefit where treatment options are limited. The FDA’s Fast Track designation recognizes both the strength of our early clinical data and the urgent need for new therapies, while also providing the opportunity for enhanced interactions with the Agency."

The FDA’s Fast Track program is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of investigational drugs that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs in serious or life-threatening conditions. Product candidates with Fast Track designation are eligible for priority review and accelerated approval if relevant criteria are met. The Fast Track designation for alnodesertib was granted based on early Phase 1/2 clinical studies that are currently ongoing in the United States. The designation will enable Artios to interact early and more frequently with the FDA to discuss alnodesertib’s development path.

About Alnodesertib

Alnodesertib, formerly known as ART0380, is a potential first-in-class, orally administered, selective small molecule inhibitor of ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related protein (ATR). Artios’ differentiated approach combines alnodesertib with a low dose of the chemotherapy irinotecan, targeting cancers with high endogenous replication stress, such as those with ATM protein deficiency.