Pfizer Presents New Evidence of IBRANCE® (palbociclib) Effectiveness in HR+, HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients in Four Real-World Studies at ESMO Congress 2019

On September 24, 2019 Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) reported the presentation of four IBRANCE (palbociclib) real-world analyses (Press release, Pfizer, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539737]). The studies support the effectiveness of IBRANCE combination therapy in everyday clinical practice and provide additional insights on its use in certain patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The posters will be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain on Sunday, September 29.

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Among the data, Pfizer will share the first real-world comparative analysis of a CDK 4/6 inhibitor in combination with an aromatase inhibitor compared to an aromatase inhibitor alone.

"We have an opportunity to make positive changes in cancer care by incorporating learnings from real-world data in addition to data gathered from clinical trials," said Chris Boshoff, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Development Officer, Oncology, Pfizer Global Product Development. "We are pleased to share this view of the impact IBRANCE has had on patients treated outside of traditional clinical studies, as it continues to add to the body of evidence for IBRANCE and provides insights into the patient experience."

About the Real-World Comparative Analysis

In this retrospective analysis (Abstract #329P: Comparative effectiveness of palbociclib plus letrozole vs. letrozole for metastatic breast cancer in U.S. real-world clinical practices), treatment with IBRANCE plus letrozole demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) compared to letrozole alone: 24.5 months (95% CI = 20.7 – 32.7) versus 17.1 months (95% CI = 13.7 – 19.8) (HR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.56 – 0.84, p = 0.0003).

"To help deliver the best care to our patients, it is critical that physicians have compelling evidence of a medicine’s benefit on patients who resemble those who they treat every day," said Rachel Layman, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "The real-world evidence presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) provides a more robust understanding of the effectiveness of IBRANCE in patients who may not be reflected in the randomized trials."

The analysis compared 906 matched patients with HR+, HER2- MBC who started IBRANCE plus letrozole as initial endocrine-based therapy in the metastatic setting (n=453) or letrozole alone (n=453) from February 2015 to August 2018. rwPFS was measured by the treating physician’s clinical assessment of source evidence, such as radiographic scans or pathology from the Flatiron Health longitudinal database. The most recent update for this database includes de-identified electronic health records from more than 280 cancer clinics representing more than 2.2 million cancer patients in the U.S.

The additional real-world posters at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) examining the use of IBRANCE in patients with HR+, HER2- MBC are:

Abstract #327P: Palbociclib plus an aromatase inhibitor as first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer in U.S. clinical practices: Real-world progression-free survival analysis
This single-arm analysis of real-world disease progression and overall survival rates in patients treated with IBRANCE plus an aromatase inhibitor (AI), also from the Flatiron database, examined the use of IBRANCE combination therapy as initial treatment for patients with HR+, HER2- MBC.
Abstract #338P: Real-world effectiveness of first-line palbociclib + letrozole for metastatic breast cancer 4 years post approval in the U.S.
An analysis of clinical effectiveness of IBRANCE plus letrozole in patients who began treatment on or after February 2015, using the Cardinal Health Oncology Provider Extended Network.
Abstract #365P: Measures of functional status in adults aged >70 years with advanced breast cancer receiving palbociclib combination therapy in POLARIS
A subgroup analysis from the ongoing prospective, observational POLARIS study provides insights into the use of IBRANCE in geriatric patients (age 70 or older) treated in everyday clinical practice – a population for which limited data are available.
To further educate the global oncology community about the importance of real-world data at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper), Pfizer is sponsoring a satellite symposium, Real World Data in Oncology: Its Growing Role in Research and Patient Care. The symposium will take place on Friday, September 27, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm CEST at Fira Gran Via in the Alicante Auditorium (Hall 3).

About IBRANCE (palbociclib) 125 mg capsules

IBRANCE is an oral inhibitor of CDKs 4 and 6,1 which are key regulators of the cell cycle that trigger cellular progression.2,3 In the U.S., IBRANCE is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-)advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine based therapy in postmenopausal women or in men; or with fulvestrant in patients with disease progression following endocrine therapy.

The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥10%) associated with IBRANCE are neutropenia, infections, leukopenia, fatigue, nausea, stomatitis, anemia, alopecia, diarrhea, thrombocytopenia, rash, vomiting, decreased appetite, asthenia, and pyrexia. Today in the U.S., IBRANCE is the most prescribed FDA-approved oral combination treatment for HR+, HER2- metastatic breast cancer.

IBRANCE currently is approved in more than 90 countries and has been prescribed to more than 230,000 patients globally.

The full U.S. Prescribing Information for IBRANCE can be found here.

IMPORTANT IBRANCE (palbociclib) SAFETY INFORMATION FROM THE U.S. PRESCRIBING INFORMATION

Neutropenia was the most frequently reported adverse reaction in PALOMA-2 (80%) and PALOMA-3 (83%). In PALOMA-2, Grade 3 (56%) or 4 (10%) decreased neutrophil counts were reported in patients receiving IBRANCE plus letrozole. In PALOMA-3, Grade 3 (55%) or Grade 4 (11%) decreased neutrophil counts were reported in patients receiving IBRANCE plus fulvestrant. Febrile neutropenia has been reported in 1.8% of patients exposed to IBRANCE across PALOMA-2 and PALOMA-3. One death due to neutropenic sepsis was observed in PALOMA-3. Inform patients to promptly report any fever.

Monitor complete blood count prior to starting IBRANCE, at the beginning of each cycle, on Day 15 of first 2 cycles and as clinically indicated. Dose interruption, dose reduction, or delay in starting treatment cycles is recommended for patients who develop Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia.

Severe, life-threatening, or fatal interstitial lung disease (ILD) and/or pneumonitis can occur in patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors, including IBRANCE when taken in combination with endocrine therapy. Across clinical trials (PALOMA-1, PALOMA-2, PALOMA-3), 1.0% of IBRANCE-treated patients had ILD/pneumonitis of any grade, 0.1% had Grade 3 or 4, and no fatal cases were reported. Additional cases of ILD/pneumonitis have been observed in the post-marketing setting, with fatalities reported.

Monitor patients for pulmonary symptoms indicative of ILD/pneumonitis (e.g. hypoxia, cough, dyspnea). In patients who have new or worsening respiratory symptoms and are suspected to have developed pneumonitis, interrupt IBRANCE immediately and evaluate the patient. Permanently discontinue IBRANCE in patients with severe ILD or pneumonitis.

Based on the mechanism of action, IBRANCE can cause fetal harm. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during IBRANCE treatment and for at least 3 weeks after the last dose. IBRANCE may impair fertility in males and has the potential to cause genotoxicity. Advise male patients to consider sperm preservation before taking IBRANCE. Advise male patients with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during IBRANCE treatment and for 3 months after the last dose. Advise females to inform their healthcare provider of a known or suspected pregnancy. Advise women not to breastfeed during IBRANCE treatment and for 3 weeks after the last dose because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants.

The most common adverse reactions (≥10%) of any grade reported in PALOMA-2 for IBRANCE plus letrozole vs placebo plus letrozole were neutropenia (80% vs 6%), infections (60% vs 42%), leukopenia (39% vs 2%), fatigue (37% vs 28%), nausea (35% vs 26%), alopecia (33% vs 16%), stomatitis (30% vs 14%), diarrhea (26% vs 19%), anemia (24% vs 9%), rash (18% vs 12%), asthenia (17% vs 12%), thrombocytopenia (16% vs 1%), vomiting (16% vs 17%), decreased appetite (15% vs 9%), dry skin (12% vs 6%), pyrexia (12% vs 9%), and dysgeusia (10% vs 5%).

The most frequently reported Grade ≥3 adverse reactions (≥5%) in PALOMA-2 for IBRANCE plus letrozole vs placebo plus letrozole were neutropenia (66% vs 2%), leukopenia (25% vs 0%), infections (7% vs 3%), and anemia (5% vs 2%).

Lab abnormalities of any grade occurring in PALOMA-2 for IBRANCE plus letrozole vs placebo plus letrozole were decreased WBC (97% vs 25%), decreased neutrophils (95% vs 20%), anemia (78% vs 42%), decreased platelets (63% vs 14%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (52% vs 34%), and increased alanine aminotransferase (43% vs 30%).

The most common adverse reactions (≥10%) of any grade reported in PALOMA-3 for IBRANCE plus fulvestrant vs placebo plus fulvestrant were neutropenia (83% vs 4%), leukopenia (53% vs 5%), infections (47% vs 31%), fatigue (41% vs 29%), nausea (34% vs 28%), anemia (30% vs 13%), stomatitis (28% vs 13%), diarrhea (24% vs 19%), thrombocytopenia (23% vs 0%), vomiting (19% vs 15%), alopecia (18% vs 6%), rash (17% vs 6%), decreased appetite (16% vs 8%), and pyrexia (13% vs 5%).

The most frequently reported Grade ≥3 adverse reactions (≥5%) in PALOMA-3 for IBRANCE plus fulvestrant vs placebo plus fulvestrant were neutropenia (66% vs 1%) and leukopenia (31% vs 2%).

Lab abnormalities of any grade occurring in PALOMA-3 for IBRANCE plus fulvestrant vs placebo plus fulvestrant were decreased WBC (99% vs 26%), decreased neutrophils (96% vs 14%), anemia (78% vs 40%), decreased platelets (62% vs 10%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (43% vs 48%), and increased alanine aminotransferase (36% vs 34%).

Avoid concurrent use of strong CYP3A inhibitors. If patients must be administered a strong CYP3A inhibitor, reduce the IBRANCE dose to 75 mg. If the strong inhibitor is discontinued, increase the IBRANCE dose (after 3-5 half-lives of the inhibitor) to the dose used prior to the initiation of the strong CYP3A inhibitor. Grapefruit or grapefruit juice may increase plasma concentrations of IBRANCE and should be avoided. Avoid concomitant use of strong CYP3A inducers. The dose of sensitive CYP3A substrates with a narrow therapeutic index may need to be reduced as IBRANCE may increase their exposure.

For patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class C), the recommended dose of IBRANCE is 75 mg. The pharmacokinetics of IBRANCE have not been studied in patients requiring hemodialysis.

AIM ImmunoTech Inc. Announces a Second DoD Award, This One of $8.3 Million, to Fund Phase 2 Clinical Trial to Study Ampligen as Part of a New Treatment for Brain-Metastatic Breast Cancer at the Moffitt Cancer Center

On September 24, 2019 AIM ImmunoTech (NYSE American: AIM), an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, reported the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has granted $8.32 million in funding in another "Breakthrough Award (Press release, AIM ImmunoTech, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539736])". This award is to Moffitt Cancer Center for a Phase 2 clinical study of a combination of therapies, including the Company’s drug Ampligen, in patients with brain-metastatic breast cancer (BMBC).

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The funding is through the DoD’s Breast Cancer Research Program, which started the Breakthrough Awards to support research that has the potential for a major impact and to accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer. As recently announced, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Roswell Park) reported receipt of its own DoD-funded Breakthrough Award of $6.42 million to study Ampligen in the treatment of BMBC. Together, these separate but parallel proposed clinical trials are receiving approximately $15 million in DoD funding to study Ampligen as a tumor microenvironment modulating agent component of a dendritic cell vaccine approach in the treatment of brain-metastatic breast cancer, which include both brain parenchyma and leptomeningeal sites of metastasis.

The grant to Moffitt Cancer Center was made possible by the unique complementary preclinical and clinical expertise of the teams of Dr. Brian Czerniecki of Moffitt Cancer Center and Dr. Pawel Kalinski of Roswell Park. The researchers hypothesize that vaccination with HER2/HER3-loaded dendritic cells (alpha-DC1s) combined with tumor-selective chemokine modulation (CKM) will be clinically effective and may enhance antitumor efficacy of PD-1 blockade when treating BMBC. Ampligen is a component of CKM therapy.

"Treatment of brain metastasis to the central nervous system is a large need for women with metastatic breast cancer and this novel immunotherapy offers promise to this group of patients," said Dr. Czerniecki, chair of the Department of Breast Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center.

The researchers’ submitted impact statement highlights this need: "The current treatments, such as surgery or radiotherapy (whole-brain radiation or stereotactic radio-surgery), or intrathecal (I.T.) chemotherapy, constitute a significant burden for patients and do not prevent recurrence and death. The proposed immune therapy will provide new treatment options for these patients who currently face a very grim prognosis."

"These combination therapies are designed to convert ‘cold’ tumors that don’t respond well to existing immune therapies into ‘hot’ tumors that are more susceptible to targeting by immune therapies," said Equels. "We are honored to have Ampligen evaluated as part of a combination therapy in brain-metastatic breast cancer in this DoD-funded comprehensive clinical trial at Central Florida-based Moffitt Cancer Center, one of the world’s premier breast cancer research centers. Brain-metastatic breast cancer is a devastating illness with very poor prognosis, and we are hopeful that Ampligen will play a major role in providing hope to these patients."

Foundation Medicine and Natera Partner to Advance Personalized Cancer Monitoring

On September 24, 2019 Foundation Medicine, Inc. and Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA) reported a partnership to develop and commercialize personalized circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring assays, for use by biopharmaceutical and clinical customers who order FoundationOneCDx (Press release, Foundation Medicine, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539735]). The initial focus of the partnership will be to enable ctDNA monitoring in biopharmaceutical trials in 2020 to establish the clinical utility for these novel assays. Following these studies, a monitoring product will be made available to clinical customers.

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"We are excited to develop monitoring products based on Foundation Medicine’s genomic insights, and we believe that partnering with Natera, a leader in personalized ctDNA monitoring, offers the potential to significantly advance personalized medicine," said Cindy Perettie, Chief Executive Officer of Foundation Medicine. "Cancer monitoring is an important part of patient care and developing innovative and more efficient diagnostics for physicians to identify disease progression and therapy resistance earlier is critical."

The companies will leverage Foundation Medicine’s FoundationOne CDx as the baseline test to define a set of unique variants that will subsequently be monitored utilizing a co-developed assay that includes components of Natera’s Signatera platform. While the initial focus is to develop personalized cancer monitoring assays that are compatible with FoundationOne CDx as the baseline test, Foundation Medicine may also elect to expand the scope of the partnership to develop monitoring assays that utilize genomic data generated from Foundation Medicine’s FoundationOneLiquid test for solid tumors utilizing ctDNA and/or FoundationOneHeme test for hematologic malignancies and sarcomas.

Foundation Medicine has the exclusive right to commercialize the co-developed monitoring assays. Natera will continue to exclusively offer Signatera testing based on whole exome sequencing of tumor and matched normal DNA.

"We are thrilled to partner with Foundation Medicine on this landmark opportunity," said Steve Chapman, Natera’s Chief Executive Officer. "This partnership accelerates Natera’s progress towards making personalized ctDNA monitoring the global standard of care for evaluating patient response to cancer therapy."

Foundation Medicine’s tests are ordered by physicians for more than 100,000 patients per year, and the company has more than 50 active biopharma partnerships.

Salarius Pharmaceuticals Achieves Dose-Escalation Milestones in Ongoing Phase 1/2 Ewing Sarcoma and Phase 1 Advanced Solid Tumor Clinical Trials

On September 24, 2019 Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLRX), a clinical-stage oncology company targeting the epigenetic causes of cancers, reported that the Safety Review Committees overseeing the Phase 1/2 clinical study of Seclidemstat in Ewing sarcoma and the Phase 1 study of Seclidemstat in patients with advanced solid tumors (AST) have approved the advancement of each study to the fourth level dosing cohort (Press release, Flex Pharma, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539734]).

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The Phase 1/2 clinical trial of Seclidemstat in Ewing sarcoma and Phase 1 AST clinical trial are designed as open-label dose-finding studies to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and initial safety profile of Seclidemstat. Seclidemstat is administered daily as an oral tablet, with each cohort receiving an increased dose of study medication. This MTD, as determined by the Safety Review Committee, will then be used to treat a larger group of patients to confirm the safety profile for Seclidemstat and capture additional information regarding pharmacokinetics and potential preliminary efficacy.

David Arthur, President and Chief Executive Officer of Salarius, stated, "Clearance from the Safety Review Committees to proceed to the higher dosing cohort is an important milestone in the ongoing clinical trials. Ultimately, our goal with these studies is to pinpoint the optimal dose of Seclidemstat, which, in addition to determining the safety parameters of the drug, will enable us to obtain key pharmacokinetic information and, potentially, initial efficacy data. Based on current projections we are on track to reach maximum tolerated dose early next year and report early patient data from both studies in 2020."

The Ewing sarcoma study opened patient enrollment in Q3 2018 and is currently enrolling patients of 12 years of age or older at leading cancer centers in the U.S., including Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Moffitt Cancer Center, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Most recently, the Sarcoma Oncology Center in California was added, bringing the total number of active clinical trial sites to six. The Safety Review Committee recently cleared the third dose level (300 mg Seclidemstat twice-daily), and the fourth dose level is currently enrolling (600 mg Seclidemstat twice-daily). Based on the first 3 dose levels, the pharmacokinetic profile (i.e., how the drug is distributed in the body following administration) appears to be dose proportional.

In June 2019, the Advanced Solid Tumor study began enrolling patients with advanced or recurrent solid tumors including, but not limited to, breast, ovarian and prostate cancer. All study patients had received standard of care therapies but continued to experience progression of their disease. Similar to the Ewing sarcoma study, the Safety Review Committee has cleared the 300 mg dose twice-daily and the 600 mg twice-daily dosing group is currently enrolling patients across the two active sites, HonorHealth in Arizona and the Sarcoma Oncology Center in California.

Constellation Pharmaceuticals Advances CPI-0209 into Clinical Trials, Expanding its EZH2 Franchise

On September 24, 2019 Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNST), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company using its expertise in epigenetics to discover and develop novel therapeutics, reported that the Company has dosed the first patient in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of CPI-0209 (Press release, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539733]).

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CPI-0209 is a second-generation EZH2 inhibitor that has been designed to achieve comprehensive target coverage through extended on-target residence time and enhanced potency compared with first-generation EZH2 inhibitors. These features lead to faster onset of action than first-generation EZH2 inhibitors as well as robust anti-tumor activity in models of multiple cancer types.

"We recognized that a best-in-class molecule with enhanced potency and residence time may help to access the full potential of EZH2 inhibition in cancer," said Dr. Patrick Trojer, Chief Scientific Officer. "We believe that CPI-0209 can deliver on this need, and we are eager to learn more about CPI-0209 in the clinic. We have seen impressive pre-clinical activity of CPI-0209 and are excited to take the first steps toward bringing CPI-0209 to patients."

Constellation has utilized its epigenetics platform, including expertise in translational science, to identify novel, targeted patient contexts that may be responsive to inhibition by next-generation EZH2 inhibitors. For instance, in xenografts derived from bladder cell lines harboring ARID1A mutations, once-daily treatment with CPI-0209 achieved regression at well-tolerated doses – activity that was superior to that from the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin, a standard of care in bladder cancer. At the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Bladder Cancer meeting on May 19, 2019, Constellation presented a poster with supporting data from these studies.

The Phase 1 dose escalation phase of the clinical trial will study CPI-0209 monotherapy in advanced, relapsed solid tumor patients. After determining the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) for the monotherapy, we will pursue expansion arms in selected tumor indications as well as combination therapy development, employing a biomarker strategy that includes assessment of ARID1A.