Novartis data highlight efficacy of Piqray® in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer with a PIK3CA driver mutation immediately post-CDK4/6i

On December 10, 2021 Novartis reported new Piqray (alpelisib) data indicating benefit across a broad range of patient and disease characteristics as seen in analyses from all three cohorts of BYLieve (Press release, Novartis, DEC 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234596768]). BYLieve is an ongoing Phase II, open-label, 3-cohort non-comparative study evaluating Piqray with endocrine therapy including men and pre- and postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 negative (HR+/HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer (mBC) who have progressed on or after prior therapies, including CDK4/6 inhibitor plus endocrine therapy1-5. These data will be presented at the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) from December 7-10.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"The data from all three cohorts of the BYLieve study have value for the medical community and for the patients we care for with mBC, because these cohorts show a benefit from alpelisib in the post-CDK4/6i setting for patients with HR+/HER2- PIK3CA-mutated cancer," said Dr. Hope S. Rugo, Director, Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Beyond illustrating the efficacy and safety of alpelisib, regardless of the duration of prior CDK4/6i treatment, the data provide meaningful insights into how alpelisib may benefit different subgroups of patients."

Highlights from the BYLieve data presented at SABCS

BYLieve Cohort A (P1-18-03): Updated safety and efficacy data after 18 months of follow-up showed median overall survival improvement of 26.4 months (95% CI: 21.0-30.5) for patients treated with Piqray plus fulvestrant immediately following CDK4/6i plus an AI1. The most common all-grade adverse events (AEs) (n=127) were diarrhea (63.8%), hyperglycemia (59.8%), nausea (46.5%) and rash (31.5%)1.

BYLieve Cohort C (PD13-05): The third and final BYLieve cohort included patients who received chemotherapy or endocrine therapy as immediate prior treatment, who could have received prior CDK4/6i as well2.
The primary endpoint was met with 48.7% (95% CI: 39.3%-58.2%) of patients alive and without disease progression at six months2.
Data confirm clinically relevant activity of Piqray as a targeted therapy for PIK3CA as a driver oncogene2.
No new safety signals were observed, with the most common all-grade AEs (n=126) being hyperglycemia (65.1%), diarrhea (52.4%), nausea (40.5%) and rash (38.9%)2.
BYLieve Cohorts A & B (P1-18-08; P5-13-03; PD15-01): Exploratory biomarker and post-hoc analyses demonstrated efficacy with Piqray plus fulvestrant/letrozole in CDK4/6i-resistant mBC, as seen in patients with early discontinuation of the prior CDK4/6i (Cohort A: ≤6 months median PFS of 12.0 months and >6 months median PFS of 6.2 months; HR=0.51; 95% CI: 0.29-0.89; Cohort B: ≤6 months median PFS of 5.9 months and >6 months median PFS of 5.6 months; HR=0.72; 95% CI: 0.45-1.18), supporting the use of Piqray plus endocrine therapy as an immediate next-line option in these patients3. Grade ≥3 AEs were experienced by 84.6% (n=22) and 66.0% (n=66) of patients in the ≤6 months and >6 months subgroups, respectively, in Cohort A and by 62.5% (n=20) and 72.5% (n=66) of patients in the ≤6 months and >6 months subgroups, respectively, in Cohort B3.
Additionally, the exploratory ctDNA analysis from Cohorts A and B (median PFS of 7.3 months and 5.7 months in Cohorts A and Cohort B, respectively) found that Piqray was effective in the post-CDK4/6i setting regardless of endocrine therapy partner and tumor genomic profile and other mutations associated with CDK4/6i resistance4. Across the three cohorts no new safety signals were observed, even with longer exposure, as seen in Cohort A, confirming no cumulative toxicities with Piqray1-3.

An estimated 361,826 people are diagnosed with mBC worldwide each year, and approximately 40% of those with HR+/HER2- subtype have a PIK3CA mutation, which is associated with a poor prognosis8-9.

Visit View Source for the latest information from Novartis, including our commitment to the Oncology community, and access to our SABCS Virtual Scientific Program data presentations (for registered participants).

About Piqray (alpelisib)
Piqray is a kinase inhibitor developed for use in combination with fulvestrant for the treatment of postmenopausal women, and men, with HR+/HER2-, PIK3CA-mutated, advanced or metastatic breast cancer following progression on or after endocrine-based regimen7. Piqray is approved in 64 countries, including the US and European member states12.

Novartis is continuing to reimagine cancer with additional trials of Piqray. EPIK-B5 will be a large Phase III clinical trial of Piqray in combination with fulvestrant to complement the SOLAR-1 study13. Novartis is also studying the potential of Piqray in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in the EPIK-B3 Phase III clinical trial, in advanced HER2+ breast cancer in the EPIK-B2 Phase III clinical trial and in ovarian cancer in the EPIK-O Phase III clinical trial14-16.

About Novartis in Advanced Breast Cancer
Novartis tackles breast cancer with superior science, collaboration and a passion for transforming patient care. We’ve taken a bold approach to our research by including patient populations often neglected in clinical trials, identifying new pathways or mutations that may play a role in disease progression and developing therapies that not only maintain, but also improve, quality of life for patients. Our priority over the past 30 years and today is to deliver treatments proven to improve and extend lives for those diagnosed with advanced breast cancer.

Important Safety Information from the PIQRAY EU SmPC
The most common ADRs and the most common grade 3 / 4 ADRs (reported at a frequency >20% and ≥2%, respectively) were plasma glucose increased, creatinine increased, gamma-glutamyltransferase increased, rash, lymphocyte count decreased, nausea, alanine aminotransferase increased, anaemia, fatigue, lipase increased, decreased appetite*, stomatitis, vomiting*, weight decreased, hypocalcaemia, plasma glucose decreased*, activated partial thromboplastin time prolonged*, alopecia**, diarrhoea, hypokalaemia, hypertension, nausea, creatinine increased, and mucosal inflammation (*<2% grade 3/4 ADRs reported, ** no grade 3/4 ADRs reported).

Piqray can cause serious side effects such as severe hypersensitivity, severe cutaneous reactions, hyperglycaemia, pneumonitis, diarrhoea and osteonecrosis of the jaw.

The following should be taken into consideration prior to or during treatment with Piqray:

Piqray should be permanently discontinued in patients with serious hypersensitivity reactions.

Piqray should not be initiated in patients with a history of severe cutaneous reactions, should be interrupted if signs or symptoms of severe cutaneous reactions are present, and permanently discontinued if a severe cutaneous reaction is confirmed.

Fasting glucose and HbA1c levels should be monitored frequently in the first 4 weeks of treatment, and patients should be advised of the signs and symptoms of hyperglycaemia.

In case of new or worsening respiratory symptoms, the patient should be evaluated for pneumonitis.

Patients should be advised to notify their physician if diarrhoea occurs.

Caution should be exercised when Piqray and bisphosphonates or denosumab are used together or sequentially. Piqray should not be initiated in patients with ongoing osteonecrosis of the jaw.

The efficacy and safety of Piqray has not been studied in patients with symptomatic visceral disease.

Animal studies suggest that Piqray may cause fetal harm in pregnant women. Therefore, as a precaution, women of childbearing potential should use effective contraception while receiving Piqray during treatment and at least 1 week after stopping treatment. Women should not breast feed for at least 1 week after the last dose of Piqray. Piqray may affect fertility in males and females.

102,428 Orion Corporation A shares converted into B shares

On December 10, 2021 Orion Corporation, 102,428 A shares have been converted into 102,428 B shares (Press release, Orion Biotechnology, DEC 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234596767]). The conversion has been entered into the Trade Register on 10 December 2021.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The total number of shares in Orion Corporation is 141,134,278 which, after the conversion, consists of 34,813,206 A shares and 106,321,072 B shares. The number of votes of the company’s shares is after the conversion 802,585,192.

iTeos Announces New Data for its Anti-TIGIT Antibody, EOS-448, at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and TIGIT Therapies Digital Summit 2021

On December 10, 2021 iTeos Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ITOS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery and development of a new generation of highly differentiated immuno-oncology therapeutics for patients, reported the presentation of new preclinical data for its anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, EOS-448, at the 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting & Exposition and the TIGIT Therapies Digital Summit 2021 (Press release, iTeos Therapeutics, DEC 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234596766]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"The data we presented this week at the TIGIT Therapies Digital Summit provide further evidence of the multifaceted mechanism of our high affinity, potent anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, EOS-448. We presented preclinical data showing activation of immune stimulatory cells is dependent on activating via FcγR, and also show clinically that this activation is translating to depletion of immunosuppressive cells. Furthermore, the upcoming data presentations at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) demonstrate the synergistic effect of combining an FcγR active anti-TIGIT antibody with an IMiD in a preclinical model of multiple myeloma and provide strong rationale for our ongoing Phase 1/2 trial in this difficult to treat cancer," said Michel Detheux, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of iTeos. "These results underscore our enthusiasm for EOS-448 as a potential therapy capable of harnessing the immune system to help improve outcomes for patients with advanced, aggressive cancers. We look forward to progressing our clinical development plan in 2022 in both multiple myeloma and solid tumors with several combinations."

ASH 2021:

The Combination of Anti-Tigit and Lenalidomide Promotes Synergistic Myeloma-Specific Immunity after ASCT
Presented by: Simone A. Minnie, Ph.D., Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
Abstract #: 154087

Preclinical data demonstrating the efficacy of a mouse surrogate EOS-448 as a single agent and in combination with an immunomodulatory imide drug (IMiD) in a preclinical model of multiple myeloma was presented by our collaborator at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The Fc-enabled anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody elicited effective control of multiple myeloma disease progression, while an Fc-disabled version was inactive, indicating the importance of engaging the FcγR. Furthermore, the Fc-enabled anti-TIGIT antibody demonstrated synergistic activity when combined with an IMiD, a class of drugs that has previously shown clinical activity in multiple myeloma.

TIG-007: Study of EOS884448/GSK4428859A Alone, and in Combination with Iberdomide with or without Dexamethasone, in Participants with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Presented by: Philippe Moreau, M.D., Hematology Department, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
Abstract #: 152395

The presentation highlighted TIG-007, an ongoing open-label, multicenter, dose-escalation/expansion Phase 1/2 trial evaluating the safety, tolerability, and preliminary activity of EOS-448 as monotherapy and in combination with Bristol Myers Squibb’s IMiD, iberdomide, with or without dexamethasone, in adults with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The preclinical data presented from the preclinical model of multiple myeloma provide a strong rationale for combining TIGIT inhibition with immunomodulatory drugs to prevent the progression of myeloma, and previous studies have shown notable clinical activity and acceptable tolerability with iberdomide in combination with dexamethasone or other antimyeloma agents in heavily pre-treated patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The study aims to assess the therapeutic opportunity of EOS-448 alone or in combination with iberdomide, with or without dexamethasone to amplify myeloma-specific T cell anti-tumor responses in patients with difficult-to-treat relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

TIGIT Therapies Digital Summit 2021:

Targeting TIGIT: Which cell populations are modulated by FcγR engagement?
Presented by: Gregory Driessens, Ph.D., Senior Director, Project Head, iTeos Therapeutics

The presentation featured both preclinical and clinical evidence for the multifaceted mechanism of action of EOS-448, including activation of T cells, modulation of antigen-presenting cells and depletion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and terminally exhausted T cells. Preclinical data demonstrated that FcγR engagement activated professional antigen-presenting cells either alone or synergistically with anti-PD1, both in the tumor and within the tumor draining lymph node. This effect was only evident when using a fully functional anti-TIGIT antibody, providing support for the design of EOS-448 as an IgG1 antibody. An update on the pharmacodynamic effect of EOS-448 in the blood of treated patients from the Phase 1 trial showed strong depletion of Tregs, an increase in the CD8/Treg ratio and a transient increase in proliferation (as assessed by the Ki67 marker), in line with previous observations with pembrolizumab.

TG Therapeutics Recaps Schedule of Data Presentations at the Upcoming 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting

On December 10, 2021 TG Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: TGTX), reported the schedule of data presentations at the upcoming 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) annual meeting and exposition, to be held December 11 – 14, 2021, virtually and also live at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia (Press release, TG Therapeutics, DEC 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234596765]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

ASH Presentation Details:

Oral Presentations:
Oral Presentation Title: The Combination of Umbralisib Plus Ublituximab Is Active in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Marginal Zone Lymphoma (MZL): Results from the Phase 2 Global Unity-NHL Trial

Session Date/Time: Saturday, December 11, 2021 / 10:00 AM ET
Session Name: 623. Mantle Cell, Follicular, and Other B-Cell Lymphomas: Clinical and Epidemiological: Targeted Therapy in Low Grade Lymphoma
Room: Georgia World Congress Center, A411-A412
Lead Author: Julio Chavez, MD, MS, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL
Oral Presentation Title: Efficacy and Safety of Umbralisib, Ublituximab (U2), and U2 Plus Bendamustine in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)

Session Date/Time: Sunday, December 12, 2021 / 5:30 PM ET
Session Name: 626. Aggressive Lymphomas Prospective Therapeutic Trials: Novel Agents and Combinations
Room: Georgia World Congress Center, Thomas Murphy Ballroom 1-2
Lead Author: John Burke, MD, Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers / US Oncology Research, Aurora, CO
Oral Presentation Title: A Phase 2 Study Evaluating the Addition of Ublituximab and Umbralisib (U2) to Ibrutinib in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL): A Minimal Residual Disease (MRD)-Driven, Time-Limited Approach

Session Date/Time: Sunday, December 12, 2021 / 10:30 AM ET
Session Name: 642. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Clinical and Epidemiological I
Room: Georgia World Congress Center, B401-B402
Lead Author: Lindsey E. Roeker, MD, CLL Program, Leukemia Service, Division of Hematologic Oncology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
Poster Presentations:
Poster Presentation Title: The Selective Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) Inhibitor TG-1701 As Monotherapy and in Combination with Ublituximab and Umbralisib (U2) in Patients with B-Cell Malignancies

Date/Time: Saturday, December 11, 2021 / 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM ET
Session Name: 642. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Clinical and Epidemiological: Poster I
Location: Georgia World Congress Center, Hall B5
Lead Author: Chan Y. Cheah, MBBS, DMSc, Linear Clinical Research, Nedlands, Australia; Medical School, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia; and Department of Haematology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Australia
Poster Presentation Title: Favorable Outcomes for Patients Treated with U2 with Co-Morbidities or Concomitant Medications: A Retrospective Analysis of Unity-CLL Phase 3 Trial

Date: Monday, December 13, 2021 / 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Session Name: 642. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Clinical and Epidemiological: Poster III
Location: Georgia World Congress Center, Hall B5
Lead Author: Javier Pinilla-Ibarz, MD, Lymphoma Section Head, Director of Immunotherapy, Malignant Hematology Division at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida
Poster Presentation Title: Efficacy and Safety of Ublituximab in Combination with Umbralisib (U2) in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) By Treatment Status: A Sub-Analysis of the Phase 3 Unity-CLL Study

Date/Time: Monday, December 13, 2021 / 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Session Name: 642. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Clinical and Epidemiological: Poster III
Location: Georgia World Congress Center, Hall B5
Lead Author: Ryan Jacobs, MD, Department of Hematology, Lymphoma Division, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Levine Cancer Institute/Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC
Abstracts are now publicly available via the ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) meeting website at www.hematology.org. Final presentations will be accessible at the above dates/times via the publications page of TG corporate website at View Source

SpringWorks Therapeutics Announces Clinical Collaboration with AbbVie to Evaluate Nirogacestat in Combination with ABBV-383 in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

On December 10, 2021 SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: SWTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing life-changing medicines for patients with severe rare diseases and cancer, reported that the company has entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement with AbbVie, Inc. to evaluate nirogacestat, SpringWorks’ investigational gamma secretase inhibitor, in combination with ABBV-383, AbbVie’s investigational CD3 bispecific antibody directed against B-cell maturation agent (BCMA), in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (Press release, SpringWorks Therapeutics, DEC 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234596764]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Gamma secretase inhibition helps prevent the cleavage and shedding of BCMA from the surface of myeloma cells. In preclinical models, nirogacestat has been shown to increase levels of membrane-bound BCMA and reduce levels of soluble BCMA, thereby helping to enhance the activity of BCMA-targeted therapies, including CD3 bispecific antibodies.1,2

"We continue to progress our strategy to evaluate nirogacestat in combination with BCMA therapies for patients with multiple myeloma and are delighted to enter into our seventh BCMA clinical collaboration. We look forward to working with AbbVie to study nirogacestat in combination with ABBV-383," said Saqib Islam, Chief Executive Officer of SpringWorks. "Together with our industry-leading collaborators, our goal remains to meaningfully improve clinical outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma."

Under the terms of the agreement, AbbVie will sponsor and conduct the Phase 1b study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of the combination in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, and will assume all costs associated with the study, other than expenses related to the manufacturing of nirogacestat and certain expenses related to intellectual property rights. AbbVie and SpringWorks will also form a joint steering committee to manage the clinical study, which is expected to commence in the first half of 2022.

About Nirogacestat

Nirogacestat is an investigational, oral, selective, small molecule gamma secretase inhibitor in Phase 3 clinical development for desmoid tumors, which are rare and often debilitating and disfiguring soft-tissue tumors. Gamma secretase cleaves multiple transmembrane protein complexes, including Notch, which is believed to play a role in activating pathways that contribute to desmoid tumor growth.

In addition, gamma secretase has been shown to directly cleave membrane-bound BCMA, resulting in the release of the BCMA extracellular domain, or ECD, from the cell surface. By inhibiting gamma secretase, membrane-bound BCMA can be preserved, increasing target density while reducing levels of soluble BCMA ECD, which may serve as decoy receptors for BCMA-directed therapies. Nirogacestat’s ability to enhance the activity of BCMA-directed therapies has been observed in preclinical models of multiple myeloma.1,2 SpringWorks is evaluating nirogacestat as a BCMA potentiator and has seven collaborations with industry-leading BCMA developers to evaluate nirogacestat in combinations across modalities, including with an antibody-drug conjugate, two CAR T cell therapies, three bispecific antibodies and a monoclonal antibody. SpringWorks has also formed research collaborations with Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to further characterize the ability of nirogacestat to modulate BCMA and potentiate BCMA-directed therapies using a variety of preclinical multiple myeloma models.

Nirogacestat has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of desmoid tumors and from the European Commission for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma. The FDA also granted Fast Track and Breakthrough Therapy Designations for the treatment of adult patients with progressive, unresectable, recurrent or refractory desmoid tumors or deep fibromatosis.