On May 17, 2018 BioLineRx Ltd. (NASDAQ: BLRX) (TASE: BLRX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on oncology and immunology, reported that it will present data at the 23rd Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper), to be held June 14-17, 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden, showing that BL-8040, combined with high dose cytarabine (HiDAC), significantly enhanced overall survival of difficult-to-treat relapsed or refractory AML (r/r AML) patients in a Phase 2a clinical trial (Press release, BioLineRx, MAY 17, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2349648 [SID1234526758]).
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The Phase 2a study consisted of 42 patients in two cohorts: dose-escalation (range 0.5-2.0 mg/kg) and dose-expansion at the selected dose of 1.5 mg/kg. Patients with r/r AML were treated daily with BL-8040 monotherapy for two days followed by combined administration of BL-8040 and HiDAC for 5 days for 1-2 cycles. Efficacy endpoints included response rate (CR/CRi), overall survival, duration of response and event free survival. BL-8040 in combination with HiDAC was safe and well tolerated at all BL-8040 dose levels (range 0.5-2.0 mg/kg). The response rate for all dosing levels was 29% and median overall survival was 9.1 months, compared with historical data on overall survival of 6.1 months for HiDAC alone. In patients receiving the dose selected for expansion (n=23), the response rate was 39% and median overall survival was 9.2 months with 1-year and 2-year survival rates of 31.6% and 21.1%, respectively. Furthermore, median overall survival for responding patients (CR/CRi) at the 1.5 mg/kg dose was 16.7 months, with 1- and 2-year survival rates of 50% and 37.5%, respectively.
"We are extremely encouraged with the overall survival data continuing to flow from this proof-of-concept study. The study included a very difficult-to-treat patient population, in which 81% were either refractory to one or two inductions, or experienced progression-free survival of less than 12 months after first-line therapy. These data continue to give us confidence in the AML space, where we have two important studies ongoing – a large, randomized controlled Phase 2b study in consolidation AML, and a Phase 1b/2 study in maintenance AML under our collaboration with Genentech," said Philip A. Serlin, Chief Executive Officer of BioLineRx.
About BL-8040
BL-8040 is a short peptide for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, solid tumors, and stem cell mobilization. It functions as a high-affinity antagonist for CXCR4, a chemokine receptor that is directly involved in tumor progression, angiogenesis, metastasis and cell survival. CXCR4 is over-expressed in more than 70% of human cancers and its expression often correlates with disease severity. In a number of clinical and pre-clinical studies, BL-8040 has shown robust mobilization of cancer cells and immune-cells from the bone marrow, thereby sensitizing cancer cells to chemo- and bio-based anti-cancer therapy, as well as a direct anti-cancer effect by inducing cell death (apoptosis) and mobilizing immune-cells. In addition, BL-8040 has also demonstrated robust stem-cell mobilization, including the mobilization of colony-forming cells, T, B and NK cells. BL-8040 was licensed by BioLineRx from Biokine Therapeutics and was previously developed under the name BKT-140.