On December 18, 2019 Arcus Biosciences, Inc. (NYSE:RCUS), an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing highly-differentiated therapies, reported a clinical collaboration with Genentech, a member of the Roche group, for the evaluation of novel combinations with AB928, Arcus’s dual antagonist of adenosine receptors A2aR and A2bR, for colorectal (CRC) and pancreatic (PDAC) cancers (Press release, Arcus Biosciences, DEC 18, 2019, View Source [SID1234552520]). The collaboration will utilize the MORPHEUS Phase 1b/2 platform for rapid and efficient combination development, with upfront randomization versus control groups, in two studies:
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Third-line metastatic CRC: two combination arms, (1) AB928 plus atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ) and regorafenib, and (2) atezolizumab plus regorafenib, will be randomized versus regorafenib monotherapy.
First-line metastatic PDAC: the combination of AB928 plus atezolizumab and gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel will be randomized versus gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel.
These new studies further broaden Arcus’s portfolio of ongoing trials with AB928, which include prostate, colorectal, lung and breast cancers – all settings in which adenosine has been shown to play a central role in mediating an immunosuppressive tumor micro-environment, inhibiting the ability of both the body’s immune system and anti-cancer treatments to effectively detect and kill cancer cells.
"We are thrilled to collaborate with Genentech to expeditiously develop the broad potential of AB928 across settings and combinations where blocking the immunosuppressive role of adenosine may be critical," said Bill Grossman, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Arcus. "This collaboration represents a shared commitment from Arcus and Genentech to maximize the potential of innovative combination treatment approaches, based on a deep knowledge of the underlying cancer biology, to address significant unmet needs."
Under the agreement, each company is supplying its respective anti-cancer agent to support the trial and jointly funding the studies. Additional financial terms were not disclosed.
About AB928
AB928, the first and only dual adenosine A2aR/A2bR receptor antagonist in the clinic, is designed to maximally inhibit the adenosine-driven impairment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (mainly CD8+ T cells and NK cells) and myeloid cells (dendritic cells, macrophages), mediated by A2aR and A2bR, respectively. A2bR is also upregulated by certain cancer cells, such as in prostate cancer and KRAS-mutated cancers. As a result, AB928 may uniquely block adenosine’s immunosuppressive and cancer cell-intrinsic effects. Developed specifically for the oncology setting, AB928 achieves high penetration of tumor tissue, robust potency in the presence of high adenosine concentrations, and minimal shift in potency from non-specific protein binding. AB928 has demonstrated a favorable safety profile with a variety of combination regimens and exhibits pharmacokinetics / pharmacodynamics consistent with once-daily dosing. AB928 is currently being evaluated in several Phase 1b/2 studies across multiple indications.