On November 18, 2021 NuCana plc (NASDAQ: NCNA) reported that financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021 and provided an update on its broad clinical program with its transformative ProTide therapeutics (Press release, Nucana BioPharmaceuticals, NOV 18, 2021, View Source [SID1234595833]).

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As of September 30, 2021, NuCana had cash and cash equivalents of £71.0 million compared to £73.4 million at June 30, 2021 and £87.4 million as of December 31, 2020. NuCana continues to advance its various clinical programs and reported a net loss of £8.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, as compared to a loss of £8.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020. Basic and diluted loss per share was £0.15 for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, as compared to £0.24 per share for quarter ended September 30, 2020.

"NuCana had a very productive third quarter," said Hugh S. Griffith, NuCana’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "We completed enrollment of 418 evaluable patients required to conduct the first interim analysis in the Phase III study (NuTide:121) evaluating Acelarin combined with cisplatin compared to the global standard of care, gemcitabine plus cisplatin, as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer. We believe that a statistically significant improvement in the Objective Response Rate (ORR) at the first interim analysis, accompanied by positive trends in other endpoints, has the potential to allow for accelerated approval of a new drug application (NDA) for Acelarin in the United States. We look forward to announcing the outcome of the first interim analysis in the first half of 2022."

Mr. Griffith continued: "Additionally, we announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for Acelarin (NUC-1031) for the treatment of patients with biliary tract cancer. With both Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations in place, we look forward to working closely with the FDA in our efforts to gain approval for Acelarin as the first approved front-line treatment option for patients with biliary tract cancer."

"We also announced positive data at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2021 for three of our programs: NUC-3373 in patients with advanced colorectal cancer (NuTide:302); NUC-3373 in patients with advanced solid tumors (NuTide:301); and NUC-7738 in patients with advanced solid tumors (NuTide:701)," said Mr. Griffith. "Building on the exciting data presentations we made earlier in the year at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) and ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) GI, the data presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) continue to support the broad potential of our ProTide technology by demonstrating encouraging efficacy signals, durable anti-cancer activity and favorable safety and pharmacokinetic profiles."

Mr. Griffith added: "We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Rafaèle Tordjman who retired as a director in September after ten years on the NuCana Board. We are also pleased to have welcomed Elliott Levy, who was most recently SVP of Global Development and R&D Strategy at Amgen, to the NuCana Board in November."

Mr. Griffith concluded: "Throughout the remainder of 2021 and in the first half of 2022, we look forward to achieving multiple milestones, including: initiating a Phase III study of NUC-3373 in combination with other agents for patients with colorectal cancer, subject to anticipated regulatory feedback; reporting additional data from the Phase Ib / Phase II study of NUC-3373 in combination with other agents for patients with colorectal cancer; and initiating and reporting data from the Phase II study of NUC-7738 in patients with solid tumors."

Anticipated Milestones: Q4 2021 & H1 2022

•Acelarin (a ProTide transformation of gemcitabine)

In the first half of 2022, NuCana expects to:

•Announce whether the overall response rate objective for the first interim data from the Phase III study of Acelarin combined with cisplatin as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer has been met, which may allow for accelerated approval of an NDA submission in the United States.

•NUC-3373 (a ProTide transformation of 5-FU)

In Q4 2021, NuCana expects to:

•Initiate a Phase III study of NUC-3373 in combination with other agents for patients with colorectal cancer, subject to anticipated regulatory feedback.

In the first half of 2022, NuCana expects to:

•Initiate a Phase Ib / Phase II basket study of NUC-3373 in combination with other agents in a variety of solid tumors; and
•Expand the Phase Ib / Phase II study of NUC-3373 in combination with other agents for patients with colorectal cancer to include second-line colorectal cancer patients, as well as evaluate NUC-3373 in combination with monoclonal antibodies such as bevacizumab (Avastin).

•NUC-7738 (a ProTide transformation of 3’-deoxyadenosine)

In Q4 2021, NuCana expects to:

•Initiate the Phase II study of NUC-7738 in patients with solid tumors.
In the first half of 2022, NuCana expects to:

Report data from the Phase II study of NUC-7738 in patients with solid tumors.