On February 26, 2019 Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS) reported the initiation of ARTISTRY-2, a new clinical study of ALKS 4230 administered subcutaneously as monotherapy and in combination with the PD-1 inhibitor KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) in patients with advanced solid tumors (Press release, Alkermes, FEB 26, 2019, View Source;p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2388952 [SID1234533688]). The study will explore the safety, tolerability and efficacy of ALKS 4230 administered subcutaneously and assess once-weekly and once-every-three-week dosing schedules. ALKS 4230 is a novel, engineered fusion protein designed to selectively activate tumor-killing immune cells while avoiding the expansion of immunosuppressive cells by preferentially binding to the intermediate-affinity interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor complex. Pembrolizumab is an anti-PD-1 therapy that works by increasing the ability of the body’s immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells.
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ARTISTRY-2, a phase 1/2 study, will be conducted in two stages: dose-escalation followed by dose-expansion. The dose-escalation stage is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of ascending doses of ALKS 4230 administered subcutaneously once-weekly and once-every-three-weeks as both lead-in monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab. Following identification of the optimal dose and recommended dosing schedule, the dose-expansion stage of the study will evaluate ALKS 4230 administered subcutaneously in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors. The dose-expansion stage will evaluate overall response rate, duration of response, non-progression rate at specific time points and overall survival.
"The initiation of our clinical subcutaneous dosing study represents an important milestone for the ALKS 4230 program as we explore new regimens that may offer patients a more convenient alternative to daily IV dosing that is complementary to checkpoint inhibitor regimens," said Craig Hopkinson, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Medicines Development and Medical Affairs at Alkermes. "Based on the emerging profile of ALKS 4230, we’ve rapidly expanded our clinical development program in recent months to evaluate combination therapy, potential efficacy in new tumor types and dosing optionality. The expansion of this program reflects our belief in the significant potential of ALKS 4230 and our recognition of the urgent and persistent need that exists for patients with cancer."
Data presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper)’s (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 33rd Annual Meeting demonstrated that subcutaneous administration of ALKS 4230 in non-clinical models achieved similar total systemic exposure of ALKS 4230 compared to intravenous (IV) administration, yet with less frequent dosing and a lower Cmax, leading to similar expansion of total CD8+ T cell and natural killer (NK) cell populations. These data support further clinical evaluation of subcutaneous administration of ALKS 4230 as an alternative to IV dosing.
About ALKS 4230
ALKS 4230 is a novel, engineered fusion protein designed to selectively activate tumor-killing immune cells while avoiding the expansion of immunosuppressive cells by preferentially binding to the intermediate-affinity interleukin-2 (IL-2) receptor complex. The selectivity of ALKS 4230 is designed to leverage the proven anti-tumor effects of existing IL-2 therapy while mitigating certain limitations.
About the ARTISTRY Clinical Program
ARTISTRY is an Alkermes-sponsored clinical program evaluating ALKS 4230 in patients with advanced solid tumors. ARTISTRY-1 is an ongoing phase 1 study in which ALKS 4230 is administered as an intravenous infusion daily for five consecutive days. ARTISTRY-1 has three distinct stages: an ongoing monotherapy dose-escalation stage, a planned monotherapy dose-expansion stage and an ongoing combination therapy stage with pembrolizumab. ARTISTRY-2 is the second clinical study to initiate in the ARTISTRY clinical development program for ALKS 4230.