On June 6, 2018 Cellectar Biosciences (Nasdaq: CLRB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of cancer, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) to CLR 131, the company’s lead Phospholipid Drug Conjugate (PDC) product candidate, for the treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare pediatric cancer (Press release, Cellectar Biosciences, JUN 6, 2018, View Source [SID1234527201]).

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"There is a critical need for new therapies in the fight against deadly diseases such as rhabdomyosarcoma and we continue to increase our focus on delivering innovative solutions to patients suffering from such rare cancers," said John Friend, M.D., chief medical officer of Cellectar. "The grant of a second RPDD represents an additional regulatory milestone for CLR 131 and we look forward to working with the FDA to advance development of CLR 131 as rapidly as possible, to fully evaluate its potential as a therapeutic option for rhabdomyosarcoma."

Last month, Cellectar announced that the FDA also granted RPDD for CLR 131 for the treatment of neuroblastoma. If CLR 131 is approved by the FDA for either neuroblastoma or rhabdomyosarcoma, the rare pediatric disease designation may enable Cellectar to receive a priority review voucher. Priority review vouchers can be used by the sponsor to receive priority review for a future NDA or BLA submission, which would reduce the FDA review time from 12 months to six months. Currently, these vouchers can also be transferred or sold to another entity. Over the last 16 months, five priority review vouchers were sold for between $110 million to $150 million each.

The FDA grants RPDD for diseases that primarily affect children from birth to 18 years old, and affect fewer than 200,000 persons in the U.S. This program is intended to encourage development of new drugs and biologics for the prevention and treatment of rare pediatric diseases.

About Rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a malignant tumor of mesenchymal origin, is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children, accounting for approximately 40% of childhood soft tissue sarcomas in the U.S. The annual incidence is about 4.5 cases per 1 million in children younger than 15 years and more than 50% are younger than 10 years at diagnosis. RMS has a 64% five-year survival in a pediatric population, with at least one-third of all patients experiencing disease progression or relapse [Ward 2014]. The median progression-free survival following the first recurrence or progression is approximately nine months.

About CLR 131

CLR 131 is Cellectar’s investigational radioiodinated PDC therapy that exploits the tumor-targeting properties of the company’s proprietary phospholipid ether (PLE) and PLE analogs to selectively deliver radiation to malignant tumor cells, thus minimizing radiation exposure to normal tissues. CLR 131, is in a Phase 2 clinical study in relapsed or refractory (R/R) MM and a range of B-cell malignancies and a Phase 1 clinical study in patients with (R/R) MM exploring fractionated dosing. In 2018 the company plans to initiate a Phase 1 study with CLR 131 in pediatric solid tumors and lymphoma, and a second Phase 1 study in combination with external

On June 5, 2018 Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:PTLA) reported that the company will present at the following conferences in June (Press release, Portola Pharmaceuticals, JUN 5, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2353383 [SID1234527184]):

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Goldman Sachs 39th Annual Global Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at 9:20 a.m. Pacific Time in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.

William Blair 38th Annual Growth Stock Conference on Wednesday, June 13, 2018, at 12:40 p.m. Central Time in Chicago, IL.
Both presentations will be webcast live and available for replay from Portola’s website at www.portola.com in the Investor Relations section.

On June 5, 2018 Verastem, Inc. (President and CEO: Robert Forrester)(NASDAQ:VSTM) and Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. (President: Takashige Negishi)(Tokyo:2267), reported their entry into an exclusive licensing agreement for Yakult to develop and commercialize Verastem’s duvelisib, a first-in-class oral dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma, for the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of all oncology indications in Japan (Press release, Verastem, JUN 5, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2353165 [SID1234527168]). Verastem’s New Drug Application (NDA) for duvelisib is currently under review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is seeking full approval for the treatment of relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) and accelerated approval for the treatment of relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL). On April 9, 2018, Verastem announced that the FDA had accepted the NDA for filing with Priority Review.

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Under the terms of the agreement, Verastem will receive a one-time upfront payment of $10 million from Yakult. Verastem is eligible to receive up to an additional $90 million if certain future pre-specified development and commercialization milestones are successfully achieved by Yakult, plus double-digit royalties based on future net sales of duvelisib in Japan. In exchange, Yakult will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize duvelisib in Japan, at its own cost and expense. Yakult will also fund certain global development costs on a pro-rata basis. Verastem will retain all rights to duvelisib outside of Japan.

"In Japan, current therapies to treat CLL/SLL and FL are extremely limited and duvelisib has robust clinical data supporting its efficacy and safety in both indications, which we can build upon," said Masanori Ito, Head of Pharmaceutical Business Division/Managing Executive Officer, Member of the Board of Yakult. "We are eager to collaborate with Verastem to develop duvelisib in these initial hematologic malignancies, and then plan to later expand development to include the additional indications of PTCL and DLBCL. We believe this collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation, growing our oncology franchise, and commercializing medicines that positively impact the lives of patients in Japan."

"This agreement is an important, validating achievement for both duvelisib and Verastem Oncology and speaks to the significant global potential of this novel therapeutic for a broad range of hematologic malignancies," said Robert Forrester, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verastem. "Yakult is an established oncology leader in Japan that successfully markets several branded anti-cancer therapies, including Elplat and Campto. We look forward to working with the world-class development, regulatory and commercial teams at Yakult as they advance oral duvelisib toward commercialization in Japan."

About Duvelisib

Duvelisib is a first-in-class investigational oral, dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma, two enzymes known to help support the growth and survival of malignant B-cells and T-cells. PI3K signaling may lead to the proliferation of malignant B- and T-cells and is thought to play a role in the formation and maintenance of the supportive tumor microenvironment.1,2,3 Duvelisib was evaluated in late- and mid-stage extension trials, including DUO, a randomized, Phase 3 monotherapy study in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL),4 and DYNAMO, a single-arm, Phase 2 monotherapy study in patients with refractory indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL).5 Both DUO and DYNAMO achieved their primary endpoints. Verastem Oncology’s New Drug Application (NDA) requesting the full approval of duvelisib for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL, and accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) was accepted for filing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), granted Priority Review and assigned a target action date of October 5, 2018. Duvelisib is also being developed by Verastem Oncology for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), and is being investigated in combination with other agents through investigator-sponsored studies.6 Information about duvelisib clinical trials can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov.

On June 5, 2018 Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:STML), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel oncology therapeutics, reported that positive data from the SL-701 and SL-801 clinical trials were presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting in Chicago, IL (Press release, Stemline Therapeutics, JUN 5, 2018, View Source [SID1234527186]). The presentations are available on Stemline’s website (www.stemline.com) under the Scientific Presentations tab.

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SL-701 – Clinical Highlights

The Phase 2 trial of SL-701 in previously treated GBM patients met its primary endpoint of 12-month overall survival (OS-12)

Long-term survivors: 50% OS-12 with SL-701 + bevacizumab

Major responses, including complete responses (CRs), in second-line GBM

Well-tolerated, with very manageable side effect profile

Long-term survivors were comprised largely of patients with target-specific CD8+ T-cell responses

Median OS of target-specific CD8+ T cell responders not reached

Given the major unmet medical need in GBM and promising safety and efficacy data generated to date with SL-701 + bevacizumab, Stemline is considering next steps including leveraging potential immune-related biomarker in registration-directed trial designs
SL-801 – Clinical Highlights

Manageable safety and tolerability profile, largely grade 1-2 adverse events (AEs), to date
Multiple cases of stable disease (SD) in a heavily pretreated solid tumor patient population
Pharmacokinetic (PK) analyses suggest dose-dependent increases in exposure
Ideal therapeutic dose not yet determined as dose escalation continues
Ivan Bergstein, M.D., Stemline’s CEO, commented, "Our BPDCN disease awareness campaign is kicking into high gear as we approach the end of ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper), and we believe that our key messages around BPDCN and CD123 are resonating. Our SL-401 regulatory and pre-launch activities continue to progress, and our timelines remain on track." Dr. Bergstein continued, "Additionally, our SL-701 and SL-801 clinical presentations were very well-received at the conference, and our investigators are excited and engaged. The SL-701 + bevacizumab combination has been well-tolerated and has shown activity, including the emergence of long-term survivors comprised largely of target-specific CD8+ T cell responders. Given the major unmet medical need in GBM and SL-701’s promising safety and efficacy data, we are considering next steps, including applying these immune data in registration-directed trial designs. Additionally, we are encouraged by SL-801’s tolerability profile as we continue to dose escalate in a heavily pretreated solid tumor patient population of unmet medical need. Enrollment is ongoing, and we look forward to further updates later this year."

On June 5, 2018 Verastem, Inc. (President and CEO: Robert Forrester)(NASDAQ:VSTM) and Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd. (President: Takashige Negishi)(Tokyo:2267), reported their entry into an exclusive licensing agreement for Yakult to develop and commercialize Verastem’s duvelisib, a first-in-class oral dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma, for the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of all oncology indications in Japan (Press release, Verastem, JUN 5, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2353165 [SID1234527169]). Verastem’s New Drug Application (NDA) for duvelisib is currently under review with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is seeking full approval for the treatment of relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) and accelerated approval for the treatment of relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL). On April 9, 2018, Verastem announced that the FDA had accepted the NDA for filing with Priority Review.

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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

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Under the terms of the agreement, Verastem will receive a one-time upfront payment of $10 million from Yakult. Verastem is eligible to receive up to an additional $90 million if certain future pre-specified development and commercialization milestones are successfully achieved by Yakult, plus double-digit royalties based on future net sales of duvelisib in Japan. In exchange, Yakult will receive exclusive rights to develop and commercialize duvelisib in Japan, at its own cost and expense. Yakult will also fund certain global development costs on a pro-rata basis. Verastem will retain all rights to duvelisib outside of Japan.

"In Japan, current therapies to treat CLL/SLL and FL are extremely limited and duvelisib has robust clinical data supporting its efficacy and safety in both indications, which we can build upon," said Masanori Ito, Head of Pharmaceutical Business Division/Managing Executive Officer, Member of the Board of Yakult. "We are eager to collaborate with Verastem to develop duvelisib in these initial hematologic malignancies, and then plan to later expand development to include the additional indications of PTCL and DLBCL. We believe this collaboration underscores our commitment to innovation, growing our oncology franchise, and commercializing medicines that positively impact the lives of patients in Japan."

"This agreement is an important, validating achievement for both duvelisib and Verastem Oncology and speaks to the significant global potential of this novel therapeutic for a broad range of hematologic malignancies," said Robert Forrester, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verastem. "Yakult is an established oncology leader in Japan that successfully markets several branded anti-cancer therapies, including Elplat and Campto. We look forward to working with the world-class development, regulatory and commercial teams at Yakult as they advance oral duvelisib toward commercialization in Japan."

About Duvelisib

Duvelisib is a first-in-class investigational oral, dual inhibitor of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K-gamma, two enzymes known to help support the growth and survival of malignant B-cells and T-cells. PI3K signaling may lead to the proliferation of malignant B- and T-cells and is thought to play a role in the formation and maintenance of the supportive tumor microenvironment.1,2,3 Duvelisib was evaluated in late- and mid-stage extension trials, including DUO, a randomized, Phase 3 monotherapy study in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL),4 and DYNAMO, a single-arm, Phase 2 monotherapy study in patients with refractory indolent non-Hodgkin lymphoma (iNHL).5 Both DUO and DYNAMO achieved their primary endpoints. Verastem Oncology’s New Drug Application (NDA) requesting the full approval of duvelisib for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL, and accelerated approval for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma (FL) was accepted for filing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), granted Priority Review and assigned a target action date of October 5, 2018. Duvelisib is also being developed by Verastem Oncology for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL), and is being investigated in combination with other agents through investigator-sponsored studies.6 Information about duvelisib clinical trials can be found on www.clinicaltrials.gov.