OBI Pharma Announces Presentations at ESMO Asia 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting for OBI-833, a Novel Anti-Globo H Targeted Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine

On November 19, 2020 OBI Pharma, Inc. (TPEx: 4174), a leader in Glycosphingolipid Immuno-Oncology therapeutics targeting the Globo Series antigens (Globo H and SSEA-4), reported that data from the OBI-833 Phase 1 clinical study targeting the Globo H antigen in lung cancer will be presented at the European Society of Clinical Oncology Asia (ESMO Asia) 2020 Virtual Scientific Program from November 20-22, 2020 (Press release, OBI Pharma, NOV 19, 2020, View Source [SID1234571406]).

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These results will be presented by the lead investigators of OBI Pharma’s novel anti-Globo H therapeutic cancer vaccine, OBI-833.

"Based upon our anti-Globo H targeted approaches in cancers of high unmet needs, OBI Pharma is proud to have presentations on the progress of our trial presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper)-Asia 2020 for our novel therapeutic cancer vaccine, OBI-833." Ming-Tain Lai, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at OBI Pharma stated, "In the trial, OBI-833 demonstrated a favorable safety profile and generated detectable anti-Globo H IgM/IgG responses. In addition, OBI-833 can elicit a beneficial immune response in NSCLC patients and had rendered some TKI-treated patients a durable stable disease status. We look forward to providing updates of our study, which we believe could offer potential therapeutic benefits to patients suffering from lung cancer."

1. Presentation number: 397P / Poster: ID 680

Title: A phase I cohort expansion trial of OBI-833 in non-small cell lung cancer patients

Presenter: Ching-Liang Ho MD, et.al. Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Session Title: E-poster Display session – Thoracic tumours, metastatic

Session Date and Time: Friday, November 20, 2020. 9:00 – 20:00 Eastern Time

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2. Presentation number: 71MO / Oral: ID 798

Title: OBI-833 was safe and immunogenic, without treatment-related SAEs, in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial

Presenter: Her-Shyong Shiah, MD*., et.al. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

*current affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan

Session Title: Mini-oral session – Developmental and Precision Medicine

Session Date and Time: Friday, November 20, 2020. 19:52 – 19:57 Eastern Time

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The above poster presentations will be available online at www.obipharma.com on November 23, 2020

Zymeworks Receives Orphan Drug Designation from the European Commission for HER2-Targeted Bispecific Antibody Zanidatamab in Patients with Gastric Cancer

On November 19, 2020 Zymeworks Inc. (NYSE: ZYME), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing multifunctional biotherapeutics, reported that the European Commission (EC) has granted Orphan Drug designation for zanidatamab, the company’s investigational HER2-targeted bispecific antibody, in patients with gastric cancer (Press release, Zymeworks, NOV 19, 2020, View Source [SID1234571428]).

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"We are encouraged by the European Commission’s and European Medicines Agency’s recognition of the benefit that zanidatamab can provide in the treatment of HER2-expressing gastric cancers as we continue to expand our clinical development globally," said Diana Hausman, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Zymeworks.

The EC grants Orphan Drug designation to therapies that represent a significant benefit over existing treatments, are intended for the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of a life-threatening or chronically debilitating disease, and where prevalence of the condition in the European Union (EU) is less than 5 in 10,000 persons. Orphan drug designation gives companies certain benefits, including 10 years of market exclusivity following regulatory approval, reduced regulatory fees, clinical protocol assistance, and access to research grants.

"While gastric cancer is a rare disease, European countries experience the highest incidence rates among all Western countries" said James Priour, Senior Vice President, Commercial, at Zymeworks. "The European Commission’s granting of Orphan Drug designation for zanidatamab represents an important step towards bringing this promising investigational medicine to patients in Europe and around the world."

Zymeworks previously received Orphan Drug designations for zanidatamab in gastric, biliary tract and ovarian cancers from the US FDA, as well as two Fast Track designations from the FDA for zanidatamab.

About Zanidatamab

Zanidatamab is a bispecific antibody, based on Zymeworks’ Azymetric platform, that can simultaneously bind two non-overlapping epitopes of HER2, known as biparatopic binding. This unique design results in multiple mechanisms of action including dual HER2 signal blockade, increased binding, and removal of HER2 protein from the cell surface, and potent effector function leading to encouraging antitumor activity in patients. Zymeworks is developing zanidatamab in multiple Phase 1, Phase 2, and registration-enabling clinical trials globally as a targeted treatment option for patients with solid tumors that express HER2. The US FDA has granted two Fast Track designations to zanidatamab, one as a single agent for refractory BTC and one in combination with standard of care chemotherapy, for first-line Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma (GEA). Zanidatamab has also received Orphan Drug designations for the treatment of biliary tract, gastric and ovarian cancers from the US FDA, in addition to Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of gastric cancer from the European Medicines Agency.

Day One Announces Preliminary Phase 1 Results for DAY101 in Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma, Receipt of Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) and New Phase 2 Study

On November 19, 2020 Day One Biopharmaceuticals reported that In PNOC014, an ongoing Phase 1 Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC) network study sponsored by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, nine patients under 18 years of age with relapsed low-grade glioma have been treated with DAY101 (Press release, Day One, NOV 19, 2020, View Source [SID1234571444]).

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Of the eight patients with RAF fusions, two patients achieved a complete response by Response Assessment for Neuro-Oncology (RANO), three had a partial response, and three achieved prolonged stable disease. The median time to response for these patients was only 10.5 weeks, and the most common side effects were skin rash and hair color changes.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted DAY101 BTD for the treatment of pediatric patients with advanced low-grade glioma harboring RAF alteration. The FDA has also granted DAY101 Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of malignant glioma.
Day One is starting a global, single-arm, monotherapy, registration-enabling Phase 2 study of DAY101 for children and young adults with recurrent or progressive BRAF-altered low-grade gliomas.
South San Francisco, November 19, 2020: Day One Biopharmaceuticals, a company driven to develop promising new oncology therapies for both children and adults living with cancer, announced interim results from PNOC014, an ongoing Phase 1 investigator-sponsored study conducted by Dana-Farber and the Pacific Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Consortium (PNOC) of DAY101 in children with radiographically recurrent/progressive low-grade gliomas and other MAP kinase pathway activated tumors.

DAY101 is an investigational agent designed as an oral, once-weekly, brain-penetrant pan-RAF kinase inhibitor and is being developed by Day One for children and adults living with cancer. Over 250 patients have received DAY101 in clinical trials thus far. Early studies have demonstrated evidence of anti-tumor activity in adult and pediatric populations with specific genetic alterations in the RAS/MAP kinase pathway.

Preliminary results from PNOC014 were presented at the 25th Annual Scientific Meeting and Education Day of the Society for Neuro-Oncology, held virtually November 19-22, 2020 (CTNI-19) and can be viewed in this link by any registered attendee. The objective of the PNOC014 study is to assess the pharmacokinetics, safety and preliminary efficacy of DAY101 in children with recurrent or progressive pediatric low-grade gliomas and other RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway activated tumors. Preliminary data from the nine patients in the first three dose escalation cohorts receiving once-weekly oral DAY101 were reviewed. Linear PK and predominantly grade 1-2 dermatological side effects were observed, including one grade 3 elevation in a muscle enzyme called creatinine phosphokinase or CPK. No grade 4 adverse events have been reported based on these preliminary data. A maximum tolerated dose has not been reached. Tumor response was assessed by an independent radiologic reviewer.

"We found in an independent analysis of the nine patients treated in the ongoing Phase 1 study that the majority had responses or stable disease based upon Response Assessment for Neuro-Oncology (RANO) criteria," says Dr. Karen D. Wright, Senior Physician at Dana-Farber and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and principal investigator and author of the Phase 1 study.

DAY101 has been granted BTD by the FDA for the treatment of pediatric patients with an advanced low-grade glioma harboring an activating RAF alteration who require systemic therapy and who have either progressed following prior treatment or who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options. The BTD is designed to speed the development and regulatory review of new medicines that are intended to treat a serious condition and that have shown encouraging early clinical results, which demonstrate substantial, meaningful improvement over available medicines and where there is significant unmet medical need. The FDA granted this designation based on all of the available clinical data from the DAY101 development program, including data from the PNOC014 study. As noted above, DAY101 has also received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for the treatment of malignant glioma.

"These preliminary Phase 1 data suggest that DAY101, a CNS penetrant inhibitor of BRAF and CRAF fusions and mutations, appears to be well-tolerated and may have meaningful anti-tumor activity in pediatric patients with low-grade glioma," says Dr. Samuel Blackman, founder and Chief Medical Officer of Day One Biopharmaceuticals. "Of the eight patients with a confirmed RAF-fusion, we observed that two patients achieved a complete response, three had a partial response, and three achieved stable disease with a median time to response of 10.5 weeks. The observed complete responses, rapid onset of responses, and durability of responses observed thus far make us excited about the potential that DAY101 may have for providing meaningful clinical improvements for pediatric patients with RAF-altered low-grade gliomas in the coming years."

Pediatric low-grade glioma is the most common form of childhood brain cancer, with over a thousand new diagnoses each year in the U.S. RAF alterations, including BRAF mutations and RAF fusions, are the most common cancer-causing genetic mutations in pediatric low-grade gliomas. These genetic alterations are also found in multiple adult solid tumors. Low-grade glioma can impact a child’s health in many ways depending on tumor size and location, including vision loss and motor dysfunction. While most children with low-grade gliomas survive their cancer, children who do not achieve a cure following surgery face years of increasingly aggressive chemotherapy that can have lasting effects on learning, cognition, and quality of life. There are no FDA approved therapies for pediatric low-grade glioma, and current treatments are associated with significant acute and life-long adverse effects. As a result, the unmet medical need for these patients remains high.

The PNOC014 trial is supported by the PLGA Fund at the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, the Team Jack Foundation, Team Nathan, Day One, the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), and the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health under award number P50 CA 165962 as part of the prestigious SPORE grant for Targeted Therapies in Gliomas awarded to Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital under Dr.’s Tracey Batchelor and Mario Suva and for which Dr. Wright is co-Principal Investigator on project 1 with co-collaborators Dr. Michael Eck and Dr. Daphne Haas-Kogan.

"Day One is launching a global Phase 2 monotherapy trial concurrent with the ongoing Phase 1 trial, evaluating the efficacy and safety of DAY101 administered orally, once-a-week in pediatric patients with relapsed or progressive low-grade glioma harboring a BRAF-alteration. The study will be conducted in collaboration with PNOC, is called FIREFLY-1 and PNOC026, and is intended to support DAY101 registration," noted Dr. Jeremy Bender, CEO of Day One. "Day One’s rapid clinical, manufacturing, and regulatory execution of the DAY101 program demonstrates the commitment of this capable team. Children with cancer and their families are waiting for more options."

Alphamab and 3D Medicines File China NDA for PD-L1 Therapy

On November 19, 2020 Alphamab Oncology and 3D Medicines reported that it filed a China NDA for their partnered anti-PD-L1 therapy as a treatment for MSI-H/dMMR cancer (Press release, Alphamab, NOV 19, 2020, View Source [SID1234571462]). In a Phase II registration trial, patients with MSI-H/dMMR colorectal cancer experienced an objective response rate of 32%. The patients had previously failed a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan regimen. The results were roughly equivalent to those produced by BMS’s Opdivo and Merck’s Keytruda. In the US, Tracon Pharma partners the candidate with the two China pharmas

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CASI PHARMACEUTICALS ANNOUNCES PARTNER JUVENTAS COMPLETES $65 MILLION FINANCING AND INITIATES REGISTRATION STUDY FOR CNCT19 (CD19 CAR-T)

On November 19, 2020 CASI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASI), a U.S. biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing innovative therapeutics and pharmaceutical products, reported partner Juventas has completed the equivalent of $65 million financing and has initiated and enrolled the first patient in a Phase II registration study for CNCT19 (CD19 CAR-T) in China in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) (Press release, CASI Pharmaceuticals, NOV 19, 2020, View Source [SID1234571426]).

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Dr. Wei-Wu He, CASI’s Chairman, and CEO, commented, "Initiating the Phase II B-NHL registration study and enrolling the first patient is an exciting milestone for the development of CNCT19. Our partner Juventas is also making good progress in the Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and is expecting to start the Phase II study by the end of 2020. Its financing provides Juventas with resources to continue moving CNCT19 through registration and we remain excited about its potential as a first-line treatment for B-NHL. In addition, as a large (16%) shareholder of Juventas, we are pleased to see Juventas’ progress in their pipeline and expect its financing to help accelerate its pipeline development. Juventas is an example of CASI’s entrepreneurial partnership model that is built on two components, co-development and equity investment. We believe investments in our partners deepen our collaboration and provides additional potential return to our shareholders. With this approach, we will continue to build CASI’s pipeline, one asset at a time."

About CNCT19

CNCT19 targets CD19, a B-cell surface protein widely expressed during all phases of B-cell development and a validated target for B-cell driven hematological malignancies. CD19- targeted CAR constructs from several different institutions have demonstrated consistently high antitumor efficacy in children and adults with relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL). CD19 antigen is the most frequently used target in the CAR-T cell therapy clinical trials for hematological malignancies such as leukemia and lymphoma. Juventas is responsible for the development of CNCT19. CASI and Juventas with co-commercialize together under the direction of the program’s joint steering committee.

About Juventas

Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd. is a China-based domestic company located in Tianjin City, China focused on cell therapy. The company’s lead product, CNCT19, devolved from the CD19 CAR-T, was originally created at the Institute of Hematology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, one of the top hematology centers in China. CD19 CAR-T is used to treat patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and relapsed non-Hodgkin lymphoma.