On December 18, 2019 Vaccitech Ltd reported that its strategic collaboration with the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (Ludwig), Vaccitech Oncology Limited (VOLT), has entered into a clinical partnership with Cancer Research UK to develop VOLT’s VTP-600 immunotherapy as a treatment option for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Press release, Vaccitech, DEC 18, 2019, View Source [SID1234553211]).

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VTP-600 is a cancer immunotherapy comprised of Vaccitech’s proprietary heterologous prime-boost T cell induction platform; ChAdOx1 and Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA). The two viral vectors are engineered to express the tumour-associated antigens MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1, previously discovered and clinically validated by Ludwig. MAGE-A3 and NY-ESO-1 are aberrantly expressed by tumour cells and elicit strong immune responses. The VTP-600 therapeutic vaccine is administered intramuscularly and designed to stimulate the immune system to produce sustained cytotoxic CD8+ T cells specific for cancers that highly express the antigens, which include NSCLC. To maximise therapeutic benefit, VTP-600 can be administered selectively to patients whose tumours express MAGE-A3 alone, and those which also express NY-ESO-1. This novel design may help boost an optimal, highly specific, anti-tumour immune response to destroy cancer cells.

Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development (CDD) will sponsor and manage a Phase I/IIa clinical trial of VTP-600 in combination with current standard of care and first-line treatment (chemotherapy and anti-PD-1) in approximately 80 patients with NSCLC. The trial is anticipated to begin in Q4 2020 across multiple clinical sites in the UK. VOLT holds an option to licence the results of the trial in order to undertake further clinical development and commercialisation of VTP-600.

Vaccitech’s CEO, Bill Enright, said: "We are delighted to enter into a clinical development partnership with two of the world’s most prestigious cancer research institutions. We believe that this partnership is an important validation of our prime boost platform’s utility in oncology as well as infectious disease."

Jonathan Skipper, Executive Vice President for Technology Development, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, commented, "Previous clinical trials of experimental cancer vaccines targeting MAGE and NY-ESO antigens have demonstrated that these antigens are highly specific to cancer and capable of eliciting strong immune responses. We believe that Vaccitech’s highly effective T cell induction platform should provide a potent immunotherapeutic that, in combination with checkpoint blockade, is capable of inducing sustained levels of cancer antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and the desired therapeutic effect in patients."

Dr Nigel Blackburn, Cancer Research UK’s director of drug development, said: "This partnership with VOLT is an important step to help accelerate this promising immunotherapy and could help more people survive lung cancer, which remains very hard to treat. This novel approach using a modified adenovirus to prime the immune system and alert it to the presence of cancer cells could offer a completely new way to treat the disease."

On December 18, 2019 Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") and Seattle Genetics, Inc. (Nasdaq:SGEN) reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to PADCEV for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who have previously received a PD-1/L1 inhibitor and a platinum-containing chemotherapy before (neoadjuvant) or after (adjuvant) surgery or in a locally advanced or metastatic setting (Press release, Astellas, DEC 18, 2019, View Source [SID1234552460]). PADCEV is approved under the FDA’s Accelerated Approval Program based on tumor response rate. Continued approval may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. PADCEV is the first FDA approved treatment in the U.S. for these patients. It is a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that is directed against Nectin-4, a protein located on the surface of cells and highly expressed in bladder cancer.1,3

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"Metastatic urothelial cancer is an aggressive and devastating disease with limited treatment options, and the approval of PADCEV is a significant advance for these patients who previously had limited options after initial therapies failed," said Jonathan E. Rosenberg, M.D., Medical Oncologist, Chief, Genitourinary Medical Oncology Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. "The PADCEV clinical trial enrolled a range of patients whose cancer was difficult to treat, including those whose disease had spread to the liver."

"The FDA approval of PADCEV is welcome news for patients with bladder cancer," said Andrea Maddox-Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. "Though new medicines for bladder cancer have been approved in recent years, most people living with advanced stages of this disease face a difficult journey with few treatment options."

"This approval underscores our commitment to develop novel medicines that address unmet patient needs, and we’re grateful to the patients and physicians whose participation led to this outcome," said Andrew Krivoshik, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Oncology Therapeutic Area Head, Astellas.

"PADCEV is the first antibody-drug conjugate approved for patients facing this aggressive disease, and it is the culmination of years of innovative work on this technology," said Roger Dansey, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Seattle Genetics.

PADCEV was evaluated in the pivotal trial EV-201, a single-arm phase 2 multi-center trial that enrolled 125 patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer who received prior treatment with a PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitor and a platinum-based chemotherapy.1 In the study, the primary endpoint of confirmed objective response rate (ORR) was 44 percent per blinded independent central review (55/125; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 35.1, 53.2). Among patients treated with the single agent PADCEV, 12 percent (15/125) experienced a complete response, meaning no cancer could be detected at the time of assessment, and 32 percent (40/125) experienced a partial response, meaning a decrease in tumor size or extent of cancer in the body. The median duration of response (DoR), a secondary endpoint, was 7.6 months (95% CI: 6.3, not estimable [NE]). The most common serious adverse reactions (≥3%) were urinary tract infection (6%), cellulitis (5%), febrile neutropenia (4%), diarrhea (4%), sepsis (3%), acute kidney injury (3%), dyspnea (3%), and rash (3%). The most common adverse reaction leading to discontinuation was peripheral neuropathy (6%). The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) were fatigue (56%), peripheral neuropathy (56%), decreased appetite (52%), rash (52%), alopecia (50%), nausea (45%), dysgeusia (42%), diarrhea (42%), dry eye (40%), pruritus (26%) and dry skin (26%). The most common Grade ≥3 adverse reactions (≥5%) were rash (13%), diarrhea (6%) and fatigue (6%).

The FDA’s Accelerated Approval Program allows approval of a medicine based on a surrogate endpoint if the medicine fills an unmet medical need for a serious condition. A global, randomized phase 3 confirmatory clinical trial (EV-301) is underway and is also intended to support global registrations.

On December 18, 2019 FerGene, a new gene therapy company launched by Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Blackstone Life Sciences in November, reported the appointment of David Meek as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective January 14, 2020 (Press release, FerGene, DEC 18, 2019, View Source [SID1234552477]).

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Mr. Meek has 30 years of industry experience. Most recently, he has served as CEO of Ipsen, a leading global biopharmaceutical company focused on innovation and specialty care and dedicated to improving lives through the discovery of new medicines in oncology, neuroscience and rare diseases.

"I’m honored to lead FerGene in this exciting role and spearhead the effort to develop and commercialize this critical and innovative therapy and advance its clinical development. We will build a committed, patient-centric team and with the support from Ferring and Blackstone Life Sciences, I am confident we can efficiently and effectively bring this life changing therapy to patients in need," said Mr. Meek.

Jean Duvall, Co-Chair of FerGene and Executive Committee member of Ferring Pharmaceuticals, said, "We are extremely confident in David and his ability to lead and build FerGene as it seeks to bring a promising therapy to market for bladder cancer patients and improve the standard of care. With an impressive track record of corporate leadership experience, David is poised to excel in this role."

Paris Panayiotopoulos, Co-Chair of FerGene and Blackstone Life Sciences Managing Director, said, "We are thrilled to welcome David as FerGene’s new CEO. David’s proven track record of growing businesses across both Biotech and Pharma, as well as his deep knowledge of the US Oncology market, make him the ideal fit to lead FerGene. David’s experience will be instrumental as we advance a breakthrough investigational gene therapy that offers the potential to meaningfully improve the standard of care for a patient population which has seen little innovation over the past twenty years."

FerGene was launched in November 2019 with a focus on US commercialization of nadofaragene firadenovec (rAd-IFN/Syn3), an investigational novel gene therapy in late stage development for patients with high-grade, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) unresponsive, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

FerGene also recently announced Phase 3 study results of nadofaragene firadenovec, which FerGene reports met its primary endpoint with more than half of patients with high-grade, BCG unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (cis ± ta/t1) achieving a complete response at three months.

While at Ipsen, Mr. Meek has led a growth strategy of financial results and pipeline advancement. He has also transformed Ipsen into a global biopharma growth leader with initiatives to transform external innovation, Ipsen’s R&D operations and build out the company’s footprint in countries like the U.S. and China. In addition to his time as CEO of Ipsen, Mr. Meek’s prior leadership roles have included serving as Executive Vice President & President of Oncology at Baxalta from 2014 – 2016, following its spin-off from Baxter. He was also Chief Commercial Officer of Endocyte from 2012 – 2014. Prior to that, Mr. Meek served in various executive leadership roles at Novartis Pharma and Novartis Oncology after beginning his career at Johnson & Johnson and Janssen from 1989 – 2004.

About nadofaragene firadenovec

Nadofaragene firadenovec (rAd-IFN/Syn3) is an investigational gene therapy being developed as a treatment for patients with high-grade, BCG unresponsive, NMIBC. It is an adenovirus vector-based gene therapy containing the gene interferon alfa-2b, administered by catheter into the bladder every three months. The vector enters the cells of the bladder wall, where, it breaks down, releasing the active gene to do its work. The internal gene/DNA machinery of the cells ‘picks up’ the gene and translates its DNA sequence, resulting in the cells secreting high quantities of interferon alfa-2b protein, a naturally occurring protein the body uses to fight cancer. This novel gene therapy approach thereby turns the patient’s own bladder wall cells into multiple interferon microfactories, enhancing the body’s natural defenses against the cancer.

About Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC)

NMIBC is an early form of bladder cancer which is present in the superficial layer of the bladder and has not invaded deeper into the bladder or spread to other parts of the body.1 It is estimated that there will be 80,000 new cases of bladder cancer in the U.S. in 2019; more than 70% of these cases present as NMIBC.2,,3 In patients with high-grade NMIBC, intravesical BCG is the recommended treatment; however, between 30% and 50% cases with high-grade disease will recur.4 The outcome for BCG unresponsive patients is poor, with total cystectomy (complete removal of the bladder) often being the next treatment option.5

On December 18, 2019 Pathios Therapeutics Limited ("Pathios"), an innovative biotech company focused on the development of first-in-class therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer, reported a US$8.8M Series A financing round with leading international healthcare investors Canaan and Australia’s Medical Research Commercialisation Fund managed by Brandon Capital ("MRCF") (Press release, Pathios Therapeutics, DEC 18, 2019, View Source [SID1234553270]).

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Pathios also announced the appointment of Stuart Hughes as Chief Executive Officer and Director. Formerly Senior Director and Head of Pharmacology at Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Europe) Limited, Stuart is seasoned in drug discovery and development, with a breadth of experience leading translational drug development programs across a range of therapeutic areas.

Tom McCarthy, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, commented: "We established Pathios to capitalize on emerging scientific evidence that the pH sensing GPCR, GPR65, is a critical regulator of T-cells and tumour associated macrophages. We are proud of the recent progress we’ve made to expand the founding team and the acceleration of our drug discovery efforts following close collaboration with the team at Sygnature Discovery and their investment earlier this year. We are now on the verge of clearly defining the biological processes GPR65 controls, it’s genetic links to disease and how small molecules can modulate its signalling. As we push ahead, we are delighted to have additional support from such well-credentialed investors and to welcome Stuart to Pathios. He is a proven leader and strong communicator who possesses the skills and experience to execute on the Company’s strategy."

Pathios’ drug discovery programme is aimed at modulating the activity of GPR65. The company targets its signalling in cells of the immune system. Many pathological environments are characterized by abnormally acidic pH which signals to local immune cells leading to profound and unfavourable changes in their characteristics. A key mediator of these effects is GPR65 which is highly expressed on cells of both the adaptive and innate immune systems. Pathios is developing novel drugs to suppress the harmful signalling brought about by GPR65.

This drug target is characteristic of certain T helper 17 (Th17) cell populations which have been shown to contribute significantly to the pathology of autoimmune conditions, such as ankylosing spondylitis and psoriatic arthritis. In addition, recently published studies have demonstrated GPR65 drives tumour associated macrophages (TAM) to adopt a phenotype that supports cancer immune evasion.

Stuart Hughes, Chief Executive Officer of Pathios Therapeutics Limited, commented: "I am thrilled at the opportunity to lead Pathios Therapeutics at such an exciting time in the company’s journey. Pathios has an excellent foundation for exploiting the therapeutic potential of GPR65 in the immune system. I look forward to working with the team and building on the excellent science done so far to bring that to fruition. I am also delighted to see the company backed by such high-calibre investors, enabling us to accelerate our drug discovery efforts."

Chris Nave, Partner at Brandon Capital, commented: "Pathios represents a compelling opportunity to deliver first in class medicines that modulate a key pH-sensing GPCR in a pathological low pH environment. We are pleased to be working with Tom again after being one of the early investors in Spinifex. We are also pleased that our investment facilitates the ongoing collaboration between Pathios and Dr Jess Holien at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Institute (SVI) of Medical Research and the Pathios team are exploring other collaborative opportunities with MRCF members given Australia’s internationally recognised track record in immunology and oncology translational research."

Brent Ahrens, General Partner at Canaan, added: "This is Canaan’s third time backing Tom – with his track record at Spinifex and Grey Wolf, it’s easy to see why. The addition of Stuart – with his significant experience as a drug discovery expert and leader – makes this opportunity even more appealing. The team is poised to develop first-in-class therapies in autoimmune disease and immuno-oncology. We are thrilled to be supporting this exceptional team as they execute an ambitious vision."

On December 18, 2019 BeyondSpring Inc. (the "Company" or "BeyondSpring") (NASDAQ: BYSI), a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of innovative cancer therapies, reported an update on the Company’s operations and announced its financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2019 (Press release, BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, DEC 18, 2019, View Source [SID1234552462]).

"We are pleased with the progress we are seeing in our clinical programs surrounding our lead compound, Plinabulin, for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and CIN," said Dr. Lan Huang, BeyondSpring’s Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Our goal from day one has been to develop transforming treatments for cancer patients. Between the enrollment of the first patient in our global Phase 3 Study 106, the publication of Plinabulin’s immune mechanism as a potent Antigen Presenting Cell (APC) inducer in three peer-review journals and continual positive data being presented at medical meetings world-wide, we remain on track to address large unmet medical needs among these cancer patients."

"The combination of our clinical experience – over 900 patients enrolled globally – and the deep insight into Plinabulin’s immune mechanism – a potent APC inducer – lead us to believe Plinabulin has potential to be a ’pipeline in a drug’. Our life cycle plan for Plinabulin begins with the foundational indications in NSCLC and CIN. From here we expect to expand into a broader chemotherapy combination footprint, and eventually we expect to transform Plinabulin’s potential in combination with checkpoint inhibitors and radiation or chemotherapy. This triple therapy combination could be a powerful treatment in multiple cancer types with significant market opportunities," added Dr. Huang. "We anticipate filing NDAs for Plinabulin in the U.S. and China for both NSCLC and CIN over the next 18 months. The success of our recent round of financing ensures that we will have the necessary resources to achieve the clinical milestones moving forward."

Recent Operational Highlights

Novel Study Design of Plinabulin in NSCLC Phase 3

In October 2019, BeyondSpring announced that its abstract, titled, "DUBLIN-3, a Stage IIIb / IV NSCLC Phase 3 Trial Comparing the Plinabulin / Docetaxel Combination with Docetaxel Alone," was presented at this year’s European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress. The abstract highlighted the study’s unique design, which positively addressed the challenges associated with trial failure risk in NSCLC studies.

In November 2019, BeyondSpring presented a poster at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, titled, "Validation of a Single-Blinded (Patients Only) Study Design for the Prevention of Premature Patient Consent Withdrawal in the Immuno-Oncology Trial DUBLIN-3." This abstract explained that cancer patients generally prefer immunotherapy over chemotherapy, which can lead to premature withdrawal of their consent to participate in a clinical trial if they are allocated to the chemotherapy comparator arm, and can negatively impact the study’s outcome. Specifically, the DUBLIN-3 trial was a single-blinded study, while the Javelin trial was an open-label study, which led investigators to their conclusion.

1
Plinabulin’s Superior Profile in CIN Prevention

In September 2019, BeyondSpring announced that an abstract, titled, "The Effect of Increasing Doses of Pegfilgrastim on Thrombocytopenia in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Taxotere, Doxorubicin, Cyclophsophamide and Plinabulin," was accepted for presentation at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper). The abstract evaluated the effects of pegfilgrastim combined with Plinabulin on absolute neutrophil and platelet counts compared to pegfilgrastim alone. The data showed that the combination appears to have a superior product profile over pegfilgrastim in CIN control, platelet counts and bone pain.

In October 2019, BeyondSpring announced the enrollment of the first patient in its Study 106, a global Phase 3 trial with Plinabulin in combination with G-CSF to prevent CIN. The study is the key platform to confirm this finding and bring improved care to patients.

Most recently at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper)’s (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) annual meeting, BeyondSpring presented two e-publications on Study 105 and a poster on Study 106, highlighting Plinabulin’s mechanism of action in preventing CIN.

The Study 105 e-publications titled, "Clinical Evidence of Granulocyte-Monocyte Progenitor (GMP) Stem Cell Involvement in Plinabulin’s Mechanism of Action (MoA) for the Prevention of Docetaxel (Doc) Chemotherapy (Chemo)-Induced Neutropenia (CIN)," and "Clinical Evidence Against the Continuum of Low-Primed Uncommitted Hematopoietic and Progenitor Cells (CLOUD-HSPC) Concept for Hematopoiesis," highlight Plinabulin’s ability to protect hematopoietic stem cells, which differentiates into neutrophils and other white blood cells.

The Study 106 poster titled, "A Randomized Phase 3 Clinical Trial of the Combination of Plinabulin (Plin) + Pegfilgrastim (Peg) versus (vs) Peg Alone for TAC (docetaxel, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide) Induced Neutropenia (CIN)," provides rationale for the addition of Plinabulin to pegfilgrastim (Neulasta) due to their differing mechanisms of action (MoA) for the prevention against CIN.

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Plinabulin’s Anti-cancer Immune Mechanism and CIN Prevention Mechanism Published in Peer-Reviewed Journals

In October 2019, prestigious Cell publications, Chem and Cell Reports, published novel findings focusing on the mechanism of Plinabulin to mature dendritic cells, which leads to T-cell activation.

The Chem article, titled, "Structure, Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Plinabulin Binding to Two Tubulin Isotypes," outlined research utilizing X-ray crystallography and thermodynamic calculations to demonstrate Plinabulin as a new chemical entity with differentiated binding and kinetics compared to other tubulin binding agents, which gives rise to its differentiated superior efficacy and safety profile in the clinic.

In Cell Reports, titled, "GEF-H1 Signaling Upon Microtubule Destabilization Is Required for Dendritic Cell Activation and Specific Anti-tumor Responses," authors cited Plinabulin’s ability to destabilize microtubule and release the immune defense protein GEF-H1, which is a critical signaling protein for dendritic cell maturation. This leads to the priming of CD8 T-cells. GEF-H1 high immune signature showed better survival in cancer patients, which validated GEF-H1 as a first in class target.

In early December, Cancer Chemotherapy & Pharmacology published an article that examines the mechanism-of-action of Plinabulin and its anti-CIN benefits. The article, titled, "Plinabulin Ameliorates Neutropenia Induced by Multiple Chemotherapies Through a Mechanism Distinct from G‑CSF Therapies," reports the results of an animal study that support the clinical testing of Plinabulin as a non-G-CSF-based treatment for CIN associated with chemotherapies of different mechanisms. Results also support hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells as a focal point for future mechanism-of-action work aimed at understanding the ability of Plinabulin to reduce the serious side effect of cytotoxic therapy in cancer patients.

Strong Intellectual Property Protection through 2036 Globally

In October 2019, BeyondSpring announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the Company a new patent for methods of treating brain tumors by administering Plinabulin. This underscores the Company’s belief that Plinabulin is a first-in-class clinical pipeline asset. Currently, surgery and radiation are the only approved treatments for brain tumors. Chemotherapy has never been approved to treat metastatic brain tumors.

We now have 75 granted Plinabulin patents in 36 jurisdictions and 17 patents granted in the U.S., including the composition of matter patent, with protection to 2036.

Equity Financing

On October 25, 2019, BeyondSpring priced an underwritten public offering of its ordinary shares. The offering was led by Decheng Capital, with gross proceeds of $25.8 million including the overallotment options, before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other offering expenses. The Company expects to use the net proceeds to continue clinical and pre-clinical development in addition to general corporate purposes.

Financial Results for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2019

Research and development ("R&D") expenses were $7.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, compared to $14.1 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. The $6.9 million decrease was largely attributable to a $3.9 million decrease in expenses incurred by clinical research organizations and other service fees related to clinical trials, a $0.5 million decrease in preclinical trial expenses and a $0.5 million decrease in non-cash share-based compensation.

General and administrative ("G&A") expenses were $2.5 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, compared to $1.5 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2018. The $1.0 million increase was mainly due to the $0.7 million of market research expenses incurred during the quarter ended September 30, 2019.

Net loss attributable to the Company was $9.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, compared to $14.9 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2018.

As of September 30, 2019, the Company had a cash balance of $24.7 million. With the additional $25.8 million gross proceeds from the recent public offering described above, the Company believes it has sufficient cash to support its clinical trials and submit NDAs in the U.S. and China for Plinabulin for the treatment of NSCLC and CIN, as well as to advance its immuno-oncology pipeline and its ubiquitination protein degradation research platform.

Anticipated Milestones

The following outlines the Company’s anticipated upcoming milestones and projected timelines:

NDA submission to China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for Plinabulin for CIN – Q1 2020

Final data readout for Study 105 Phase 3 for CIN – H1 2020

Final data readout for Study 106 Phase 3 for CIN – H1 2020

Final data readout for Study 103 Phase 3 for NSCLC – H2 2020

NDA submission to China’s NMPA for Plinabulin for NSCLC – H2 2020

NDA submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Plinabulin for CIN – H2 2020

NDA submission to the U.S. FDA for Plinabulin for NSCLC – H1 2021

Conference Call and Webcast Information

BeyondSpring’s management will host a conference call and webcast today at 8 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the financial results and provide a corporate update. The dial-in numbers for the conference call are 1-877-451-6152 (U.S.) or 1-201-389-0879 (international). Please reference conference ID 13697474. A live webcast will be available on BeyondSpring’s website at www.beyondspringpharma.com under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors section. An archived replay of the webcast will be available for 30 days.