On March 20, 2025 Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRVS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, reported that additional data from the Company’s Phase 1/1b clinical trial of soquelitinib for the treatment of patients with T cell lymphoma (TCL) is being presented at the 16th Annual T-Cell Lymphoma Forum taking place March 20-22, 2025 in San Diego, CA (Press release, Corvus Pharmaceuticals, MAR 20, 2025, View Source [SID1234651319]).

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"The data from the Phase 1/1b clinical trial of soquelitinib in patients with T cell lymphoma continues to demonstrate strong indications of anti-tumor activity in a significant number of patients," said Richard A. Miller, M.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Corvus. "We are encouraged by the high complete response, prolonged median progression free survival and high rate of 18-month progression free survival, which all appear superior to standard of care agents such as belinostat and pralatrexate. In addition, analysis of patient blood samples at baseline and on treatment show that soquelitinib reduces T cell exhaustion, which may allow for improved T cell function and anti-tumor immunity. Supported by this data, our registrational Phase 3 trial of soquelitinib is enrolling patients with relapsed peripheral T cell lymphoma at multiple sites in the U.S., Canada and Australia, along with our Phase 1 trial in atopic dermatitis that is anticipated to deliver data in the second quarter 2025."

The soquelitinib data from the Phase 1/1b clinical trial of soquelitinib for TCL will be presented by John Reneau, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine and The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Reneau is a hematologist who specializes in treating patients with lymphoma and an investigator in the trial. The details of Dr. Reneau’s presentations are as follows:

Oral Presentation

Title: Selective ITK Inhibition for Treatment of PTCL
Time: 4:50 – 5:10 pm PT on March 20, 2025
Poster Presentation

Abstract Title: Soquelitinib, a Selective ITK Inhibitor for Treatment of T Cell Lymphomas: Results of Ph1 trial Reveal Novel Mechanisms of Action
Soquelitinib Phase 1/1b Overview and Key Data
A total of 25 patients were enrolled in the Phase 1/1b trial at the optimum 200 mg two-times a day dose and would have met the eligibility criteria for the ongoing registrational Phase 3 clinical trial based on ≥1 and ≤3 prior therapies, including 23 evaluable patients. For the 23 evaluable patients:

Objective responses (complete response, CR, plus partial response, PR) were seen in nine patients (39%), including six CRs (26%) and three PRs.
The median duration of response (DOR) for the nine patients with objective response by Lugano criteria was 17.2 months.
Three patients continue on therapy at 25+ months, 18+ months and 14+ months.
Kaplan Meier estimated median progression free survival (PFS) was 6.2 months.
At 18-month follow-up, the PFS rate was 30%, which compares favorably to 18-month PFS of <20% with belinostat or pralatrexate.1 2
Peripheral blood samples were collected from patients both prior to the initiation of soquelitinib therapy and during the course of treatment. These samples were analyzed for markers of T cell exhaustion in normal T cells. The results indicated that the majority of patients exhibited a reduction in T cell exhaustion markers on both CD4+ and CD8+ cells after 21 days of treatment. T cell exhaustion is a state in which T cells exhibit diminished functionality due to prolonged exposure to antigens.
Soquelitinib was well-tolerated, with no new safety signals, drug interruptions or dose reductions.
Based on the results from the Phase 1/1b trial, Corvus is enrolling patients in a registrational Phase 3 clinical trial of soquelitinib in patients with relapsed Peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) at multiple sites. This randomized controlled trial is anticipated to enroll a total of 150 patients with relapsed PTCL and is evaluating soquelitinib versus physicians’ choice of either belinostat or pralatrexate. The primary endpoint of the trial is PFS. There are no FDA fully approved agents for the treatment of relapsed PTCL and the FDA has granted soquelitinib Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of T cell lymphoma and Fast Track designation for treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL after at least 2 lines of systemic therapy.

About Peripheral T Cell Lymphoma
Peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) is a heterogeneous group of malignancies accounting for about 10% of non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHL) in western populations, reaching 20% to 25% of NHL in some parts of Asia and South America. The most common subtypes are PTCL-not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) and T follicular helper cell lymphoma. Initial therapy for these diseases is typically combination chemotherapy; however, approximately 75% of patients either do not respond or relapse within the first two years. Patients in relapse are treated with various chemotherapy agents but have poor overall outcomes with median progression-free survival in the 3 to 4 month range and overall median survival of 6 to 12 months. There are no approved drugs in relapsed PTCL based on randomized trials.
PTCL is a disease of mature helper T cells that express ITK (interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase), often containing numerous genetic mutations and frequently associated with viral infection. Most often the malignant cells of PTCL express a Th2 phenotype.

About Soquelitinib
Soquelitinib (formerly CPI-818) is an investigational small molecule drug given orally designed to selectively inhibit ITK (interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase), an enzyme that is expressed predominantly in T cells and plays a role in T cell and natural killer (NK) cell immune function. Soquelitinib has been shown to affect T cell differentiation and induce the generation of Th1 helper cells while blocking the development of both Th2 and Th17 cells and production of their secreted cytokines. Th1 T cells are required for immunity to tumors, viral infections and other infectious diseases. Th2 and Th17 helper T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune and allergic diseases. The Company believes the inhibition of specific molecular targets in T cells may be of therapeutic benefit for patients with cancers, including solid tumors, and in patients with autoimmune and allergic diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated that ITK controls a switch between the differentiation of Th17 proinflammatory cells and T regulatory suppressor cells. Inhibition of ITK leads to a shift toward T regulatory cell differentiation which has the potential to suppress autoimmune and inflammatory reactions. Based on interim results from a Phase 1/1b clinical trial in patients with refractory T cell lymphomas, which demonstrated tumor responses in very advanced, refractory, difficult to treat T cell malignancies, the Company is conducting a registrational Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT06561048) of soquelitinib in patients with relapsed PTCL. Soquelitinib is also being investigated in a randomized placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with atopic dermatitis and a Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS), a rare genetic disease. A recent publication describing the chemistry, enzymology and biology of soquelitinib appeared in NPJ Drug Discovery in December 2024 and is available online at the Nature website and on the Publications and Presentations page of the Corvus website.

On March 20, 2025 Amphista Therapeutics, a leader in the discovery of next-generation, Targeted Protein Degradation (TPD) medicines, reported the presentation of the discovery of a novel mechanism for BRD9 degradation, differentiated from cereblon- or VHL-based PROTACs using the Company’s novel Targeted Glue technology (Press release, Amphista Therapeutics, MAR 20, 2025, View Source [SID1234651318]). These will be at the 2nd SMR Molecular Glues meeting being held on 21 March in Stevenage, UK, and the 5th Annual TPD and Induced Proximity Summit Europe being held 25-27 March in London, UK.

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Dr. Marta Carrara, Associate Director Target Discovery & Validation at Amphista, will deliver the oral presentations that describe the generation of selective and potent degraders of BRD9, an emerging target in acute myeloid leukemia. Amphista’s proprietary Targeted Glue catalyzes degradation via DCAF16, a relatively uncharacterised E3 ligase, and therefore has the potential to create novel TPD therapeutics for application across a wide range of indications.

These data illustrate the strength of the Company’s proprietary chemistry and its Eclipsys platform in enabling the rational design of orally bioavailable protein degraders.

Details of presentations:
Conference: 2nd SMR Molecular Glues meeting, Stevenage, UK
Presentation Date and Time: Friday 21st March, 11.50am-12.30pm GMT
Presentation Title: Degradation of BRD9 by a novel "Targeted Glue"

Conference: 5th Annual TPD and Induced Proximity Summit Europe, London, UK
Presentation Date and Time: Wednesday 26th March, 9.00am GMT
Presentation Title: Rational design of a novel DCAF16-recruting BRD9 Targeted Glue

On March 20, 2025 Wugen, Inc., a clinical-stage U.S. biotechnology company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf cell therapies for the treatment of hematological and solid tumor malignancies, reported the dosing of the first patients in its pivotal Phase 2 study evaluating WU-CART-007, a potential first-in-class, investigational, anti-CD7 CAR-T cell therapy for pediatric and adult patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia or T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-ALL/LBL) (Press release, Wugen, MAR 20, 2025, View Source [SID1234651317]).

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"The data we have previously reported from our Phase 1/2 study on the WU-CART-007 program has paved the way for the initiation of this pivotal study, and suggests it has the potential to set a new standard of care for relapsed or refractory T-ALL/LBL," said Kumar Srinivasan, Ph.D., M.B.A., president and chief executive officer of Wugen. "The program has earned multiple U.S. Food and Drug Administration accelerated approval pathway designations, including RMAT, Fast Track, Orphan Drug, and Rare Pediatric Disease, as well as Priority Medicines designation in the EU. With this pivotal study now underway, we are advancing toward a much-needed off-the-shelf CAR-T option for patients who face historically poor outcomes and limited treatment alternatives."

Wugen previously announced positive results from a Phase 1/2 cohort expansion study showing clinically manageable safety and evidence of anti-leukemic activity (overall response rate of 91%; composite complete remission rate of 73%) in heavily pretreated patients with R/R T-ALL/LBL. Results were presented at both the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) in December of 2024 and the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) 2024 Hybrid Congress in June of 2024.

"It’s been 20 years since a new medicine was approved for patients with relapsed or refractory T-ALL/LBL, which remain challenging hematologic malignancies with limited treatment options in the relapsed or refractory setting," said Cherry Thomas, M.D., chief medical officer of Wugen. "WU-CART-007 has shown clinical response and manageable safety, making it a promising off-the-shelf cell therapy candidate to fill a longstanding treatment gap. The enthusiasm around the program and the need for new treatments have been reflected in the study recruitment thus far, as it is enrolling faster than anticipated."

Pivotal Study Design

The pivotal study entitled, "A Phase 2 Study of WU-CART-007, an Anti-CD7 Allogeneic CAR-T Cell Therapy in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Lymphoblastic Lymphoma", (T-RRex) is a single arm trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of WU-CART-007 in patients with R/R T-ALL/LBL and T-ALL/LBL. The study will involve two groups: a R/R cohort and subsequently an exploratory minimal residual disease (MRD)-positive cohort.

About WU-CART-007

WU-CART-007 is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf, fratricide-resistant CD7-targeted CAR-T cell therapy engineered to overcome the technological challenges of harnessing CAR-T cells to treat CD7+ hematological malignancies. Wugen is deploying CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to delete CD7 and the T cell receptor alpha constant (TRAC), preventing CAR-T cell fratricide and mitigating the risk of graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD). WU-CART-007 is manufactured using healthy donor-derived T cells to eliminate the risk of malignant cell contamination historically observed in the autologous CAR-T setting. WU-CART-007 is currently being evaluated in a global Phase 1/2 clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL)/lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL). More information on the Phase 1/2 trial is available on clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT# 04984356 and on the Phase 2 pivotal trial on clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT06514794.

WU-CART-007 has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT), Fast Track, Orphan Drug, and Rare Pediatric Disease designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Priority Medicines (PRIME) Scheme designation in the European Union for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) and T cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL). RMAT and PRIME designations provide increased agency support to expedite the development and review of promising therapies for patients in need.

On March 20, 2025 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 financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2024, and provided a corporate update (Press release, Sellas Life Sciences, MAR 20, 2025, View Source [SID1234651316]).

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"We are pleased with the progress of our pipeline as we continue to advance our two key assets through clinical development," said Angelos Stergiou, MD, ScD h.c., President and Chief Executive Officer of SELLAS. "The most anticipated milestones in 2025 will be the final analysis of our Phase 3 pivotal REGAL trial of GPS in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the full topline Phase 2 data of SLS009 in AML, both of which represent significant opportunities and offer hope to AML patients in need. If successful, the REGAL trial provides a pathway for regulatory approval in AML, and GPS could become a transformative treatment for patients in their second complete remission. Furthermore, the promising data from the ongoing Phase 2 trial of SLS009 has shown a 56% overall response rate (ORR) in AML patients with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML MRC) prospectively enrolled in two expansion cohorts, exceeding the prespecified target ORR of 33%. In the optimal dosing regimen of 30 mg BIW, the median overall survival (mOS) has not been reached but exceeds 7.7 months at the latest follow-up, where the expected mOS is historically approximately 2.5 months."

Dr. Stergiou continued, "We are especially encouraged by the multiple regulatory designations granted to our programs in 2024, including three FDA Rare Pediatric Disease Designations, one FDA Fast Track Designation, and two EMA Orphan Drug Designations, which reflect the significant potential impact of our therapies and provide valuable regulatory benefits that may accelerate development and potential approval. With strong regulatory recognition and two potentially pivotal inflection points ahead, we remain committed to driving innovation and delivering value to patients and shareholders."

On March 20, 2025 NANOBIOTIX (Euronext: NANO –– NASDAQ: NBTX – the ‘‘Company’’), a late-clinical stage biotechnology company pioneering nanoparticle-based therapeutic approaches to expand treatment possibilities for patients with cancer and other major diseases, reported poster presentations from two Phase 1 studies evaluating JNJ-1900 (NBTXR3) for patients with lung cancer (NSCLC) to be presented at the 2025 European Lung Cancer Conference ("ELCC") (Press release, Nanobiotix, MAR 20, 2025, View Source [SID1234651315]).

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ABSTRACT #207P: Phase 1 Study of Reirradiation ("ReRT") with NBTXR3 (JNJ-1900) for Inoperable Locoregional Recurrent Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer ("NSCLC")
Saumil J. Gandhi, MD, PhD,1 Enoch Chang, MD,1 Aileen Chen, MD,1 Stephen G. Chun, MD,1 Steven H. Lin, MD, PhD,1 Rachel C. Maguire, BS,1 Matthew S. Ning, MD, MPH,1 Julianna K. Bronk, MD, PhD,1 David Qian, MD,1 Joe Y. Chang, MD, PhD,1 James W. Welsh, MD,1 Zhongxing Liao, MD,1 Rahul A. Sheth, MD, 2, Roberto F. Casal, MD3

1Department of Thoracic Radiation Oncology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, 2Department of Interventional Radiology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, 3Department of Pulmonary Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center

ABSTRACT #255P: NBTXR3 (JNJ-1900) Activated by SBRT in Combination with Nivolumab or Pembrolizumab for the Treatment of Patients with Lung Metastases from NSCLC or Other Solid Tumors in the Phase 1 Trial Study 1100
Colette Shen1, Aditya Juloori2, William A Stokes3, Jason Akulian1, Jared Weiss1, Kedar Kirtane4, Laurent Mayrargue5, David Rolando5, Romain Gineste5, Omar I. Vivar5, George Q. Yang4, Jimmy Caudell4, Ammar Sukari6, Nabil F Saba3, Septimiu Murgu2, Ari Rosenberg2

1University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA, 2The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 3Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 4Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, Florida, USA, 5Nanobiotix, Paris, France, 6Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI, USA

About JNJ-1900 (NBTXR3)

NBTXR3 is a novel, potentially first-in-class oncology product composed of functionalized hafnium oxide nanoparticles that is administered via one-time intratumoral injection and activated by radiotherapy. Its proof-of-concept was achieved in soft tissue sarcomas for which the product received a European CE mark in 2019. The product candidate’s physical mechanism of action (MoA) is designed to induce significant tumor cell death in the injected tumor when activated by radiotherapy, subsequently triggering adaptive immune response and long-term anti-cancer memory. Given the physical MoA, Nanobiotix believes that NBTXR3 could be scalable across any solid tumor that can be treated with radiotherapy and across any therapeutic combination, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Radiotherapy-activated NBTXR3 is being evaluated across multiple solid tumor indications as a single agent or in combination with anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors, including in NANORAY-312—a global, randomized Phase 3 study in locally advanced head and neck squamous cell cancers. In February 2020, the United States Food and Drug Administration granted regulatory Fast Track designation for the investigation of NBTXR3 activated by radiation therapy, with or without cetuximab, for the treatment of patients with locally advanced HNSCC who are not eligible for platinum-based chemotherapy—the same population being evaluated in the Phase 3 study.

Given the Company’s focus areas, and balanced against the scalable potential of NBTXR3, Nanobiotix has engaged in a collaboration strategy to expand development of the product candidate in parallel with its priority development pathways. Pursuant to this strategy, in 2019 Nanobiotix entered into a broad, comprehensive clinical research collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to sponsor several Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies evaluating NBTXR3 across tumor types and therapeutic combinations. In 2023, Nanobiotix announced a license agreement for the global co-development and commercialization of NBTXR3 with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, a Johnson & Johnson company.