On April 20, 2022 Viracta Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIRX), a precision oncology company targeting virus-associated malignancies, reported that it will host a key opinion leader (KOL) webinar on Nana-val (nanatinostat and valganciclovir) for the treatment of advanced Epstein-Barr virus-positive (EBV+) solid tumors on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at 11:00 AM EDT (Press release, Viracta Therapeutics, APR 20, 2022, View Source [SID1234612588]).
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The webinar will feature a presentation from KOL Ezra Cohen, MD, FRCPSC, FASCO (Chief of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine and Co-director of the Gleiberman Head and Neck Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego), who will discuss the current treatment landscape in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and the unmet medical need for the treatment of patients with NPC.
Additionally, members of Viracta’s management team will provide an overview of the ongoing Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating Nana-val in patients with recurrent or metastatic NPC and other advanced EBV+ solid tumors. Preclinical data supporting the use of Nana-val in solid tumors and the program’s future outlook will also be discussed.
A live question and answer session will follow the formal presentation.
To register for the webinar, please click here. Following the event, materials from the presentation and a replay of the webcast will be available in the "Events and Webcasts" section of the Viracta website at View Source
KOL Biography
Ezra Cohen, MD, FRCPSC, FASCO, is the Chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology, and Co- Director of the San Diego Center for Precision Immunotherapy. A physician-scientist, Dr. Cohen led an independently funded laboratory interested in investigating the mechanisms of action of novel therapeutics and made major contributions to the development of targeted- and immuno- therapies. His research in areas such as epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, cell therapy, and immunotherapy in head and neck cancer has received peer-reviewed funding. He has made major contributions to the understanding of critical signaling pathways, the integration of novel agents into standard of care, and to the defining of mechanisms to overcome resistance to drug therapy. He also recently co-developed a personalized neoantigen vaccine using unique cancer mutations to boost an anti-tumor immune response.
Dr. Cohen also serves as Associate Director for Clinical Science, Co-Leader of the Solid Tumor Therapeutics Research Program and Co-Director of the Hanna and Mark Gleiberman Head and Neck Cancer Center at Moores Cancer Center. Additionally, he is a member of the Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC), the Cancer Council, and the Cancer Center’s Executive Committee.
About Nana-val (Nanatinostat and Valganciclovir)
Nanatinostat is an orally available histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor being developed by Viracta. Nanatinostat is selective for specific isoforms of Class I HDACs, which is key to inducing viral genes that are epigenetically silenced in EBV-associated malignancies. Nanatinostat is currently being investigated in combination with the antiviral agent valganciclovir as an all-oral combination therapy, Nana-Val, in various subtypes of EBV-associated malignancies. Ongoing trials include a pivotal, global, multicenter, open-label Phase 2 basket trial in multiple subtypes of relapsed/refractory EBV+ lymphoma (NAVAL-1) as well as a multinational Phase1b/2 trial in patients with EBV+ recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma and other EBV+ solid tumors.
About EBV-Associated Cancers
Approximately 90% of the world’s adult population is infected with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Infections are commonly asymptomatic or associated with mononucleosis. Following infection, the virus remains latent in a small subset of lymphatic cells for the duration of the patient’s life. Cells containing latent virus are increasingly susceptible to malignant transformation. Patients who are immunocompromised are at an increased risk of developing EBV+ lymphomas. EBV is estimated to be associated with approximately 2% of the global cancer burden and is also associated with a variety of solid tumors, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma and gastric cancer.