On December 10, 2024 Pilatus Biosciences Inc. reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) to its leading molecule, PLT012, for treating liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (HCC/ICCA) (Press release, Pilatus Biosciences, DEC 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234649003]). Achieved in November 2024, this designation marks a crucial advancement in developing innovative therapies for patients facing these challenging cancers. Dr. Raven Lin, CEO, emphasized the company’s commitment to addressing urgent medical needs, while Prof. Ping-Chih Ho highlighted PLT012’s unique therapeutic approach targeting the tumor microenvironment. Pilatus is actively working with regulatory authorities to expedite PLT012’s development and availability.

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Pilatus Biosciences, a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company spun out from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (Lausanne), is leading the development of first-in-class biologics targeting metabolic checkpoints. Supported by the Cancer Research Institute (New York), the company employs a pioneering approach to immunometabolism, reprogramming the immune microenvironment to combat cancer effectively.

"We are honored to receive Orphan Drug Designation for PLT012, a milestone that reflects our dedication to addressing the urgent need for innovative therapies in liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer," said Dr. Raven Lin, CEO and Co-founder of Pilatus Biosciences. Prof. Ping-Chih Ho, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board and Co-founder of Pilatus Biosciences, added, "PLT012 leverages metabolic checkpoint targeting to reprogram the tumor microenvironment (TME), offering a unique therapeutic approach. This designation highlights the promising scientific discoveries and results we have achieved in addressing the underserved area. It further motivates us to accelerate PLT012’s development and collaborate globally to bring this promising treatment to patients with limited options."

Currently, Pilatus Biosciences is advancing the development of PLT012, actively engaging with regulatory authorities and stakeholders to expedite the availability of this promising therapy.

About PLT012

PLT012, is a humanized anti-CD36 antibody with a unique dual mechanism of action (MOA): it simultaneously disarms immunosuppressive cell populations and amplifies effector T cell functions. PLT012 has shown potential against multiple tumors with unmet medical needs. It is set to advance to its first U.S. IND submission and first patient dosing in 2025. As a monotherapy, PLT012 demonstrates remarkable anti-tumor efficacy in both immune ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ tumor models with a significant augmentation in GzmB-expressing CD8+ T cells and reductions in both intratumoral Tregs and pro-tumorigenic macrophage. Additionally, PLT012 treatment alters the exhaustion features of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells by increasing the populations of progenitor- (Texprog) and tumoricidal activities in terminal-exhausted T cells (Texterm), highlighting enhanced anti-tumor immunity when combined with immune checkpoint blockade therapies, such as PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors.

About Orphan Drug Designation

The FDA’s Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) program provides orphan status to drugs defined as those intended for the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. ODD qualifies the sponsor of the drug for certain development incentives, including tax credits for qualified clinical testing, prescription drug user fee exemptions and 7 years marketing exclusivity upon FDA approval.

About Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer (HCC/ICCA)

Primary liver cancer first occurs in either the liver or the intrahepatic bile ducts. The two most common types of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, 80-90% of cases), and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA, 10-15% of cases). In HCC and ICCA, metabolic reprogramming plays a crucial role in promoting tumor progression by modifying the TME to support tumor growth and immune evasion.

For HCC, the most common first-line systemic therapies include either a combination of a PD-L1 inhibitor and a VEGF inhibitor or a combination of a PD-L1 inhibitor and a CTLA-4 inhibitor. Most patients will require multiple lines of treatment, as the recurrence rate of HCC has been reported to be as high as 88%. Second-line treatments for HCC are primarily multiple tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitors, even the incidence of a second HCC recurrence is 50%-70%. Additional lines of treatment may be administered if the patient can tolerate a second-line therapy with a different MOA than those previously administered.

PLT012 emerges as a promising candidate, demonstrating dual MOA that synergizes with existing treatments and provide immune-stimulating effects in the TME, potentially enhancing therapeutic outcomes.

On December 1, 2024 Ensem Therapeutics, Inc. (ENSEM), a pioneering drug discovery and development company that leverages its unique Kinetic Ensemble platform to advance innovative small molecule precision medicines for oncology, reported the first presentation of preclinical data on ETX-636, a potential best-in-class novel allosteric pan-mutant-selective PI3Kα inhibitor and degrader (Press release, ENSEM Therapeutics, DEC 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234649019]). ETX-636 has a differentiated preclinical profile and the potential to deliver clinical benefit to patients with tumors harboring all forms of mutant PI3Kα. The ETX-636 preclinical data is being presented in a poster session during the 47th Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium ("SABCS") in San Antonio, Texas, on Dec. 12.

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PI3Kα is among the most frequently mutated oncogenes, with activating mutations seen in approximately 16 percent of all tumors and up to 40 percent of hormone receptor positive/HER2-negative advanced breast cancer. However, wildtype PI3Kα is also central to glucose homeostasis and ATP-binding-site orthosteric inhibitors target both mutant and wildtype PI3Kα, resulting in hyperglycemia which limits the clinical utility of these therapeutics.

ETX-636 is a novel orally bioavailable allosteric pan-mutant-selective PI3Kα inhibitor and degrader. This dual mechanism of action results in deep and durable pathway inhibition and induces concordant tumor regression in kinase and helical domain PI3Kα-mutant breast cancer xenografts without inducing wildtype PI3Kα inhibition-mediated hyperglycemia or other toxicities. Additionally, in an ER-positive, HER2-negative, PI3Kα-mutant breast cancer xenograft, ETX-636 is efficacious as a single agent and shows synergistic activity with the standard-of-care agent fulvestrant. ENSEM believes this molecule will significantly improve outcomes for patients with PI3Kα mutations, whether in cancer or rare diseases.

"The promising preclinical results with ETX-636 underscore the potential of our Kinetic Ensemble platform to discover small molecules against high value and difficult to drug targets," said Shengfang Jin, CEO and Co-Founder of ENSEM. "Targeting mutant PI3Kα within tumors while sparing wildtype PI3Kα in normal tissues represents a significant clinical challenge. ETX-636 is a potent mutant-specific allosteric PI3Kα inhibitor and degrader which differentiates it from other compounds in its class." She noted that ETX-636 is completing IND-enabling studies with a first-in-human clinical trial anticipated in the first half of 2025. ENSEM will evaluate ETX-636 as a monotherapy and in combinations with standard-of-care agents in cancer patients harboring PI3Kα mutations.

Poster Details

Title: ETX-636, a Potential Best-In-Class, Oral Small Molecule Allosteric Pan-Mutant-Selective PI3Kα Inhibitor and Degrader
Poster ID: P4-12-18
Sessions: Poster Session 4
Date/Time: Thursday, December 12, 2024, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. CT
Location: Halls 2-3

On December 10, 2024 Akoya Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKYA), The Spatial Biology Company, and NeraCare, a leading developer of laboratory tests for the prognosis of melanoma, reported an exclusive global license agreement to develop and commercialize NeraCare’s Immunoprint test on Akoya’s multiplexed immunofluorescent platform (Press release, Akoya Biosciences, DEC 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234648972]). Building on the research collaboration between the companies announced earlier this year, the license agreement grants Akoya the exclusive right to develop, market and commercialize the test for clinical research, diagnostic development or, following regulatory approval, patient clinical testing as both a laboratory test or a distributable diagnostic on Akoya’s PhenoImager HT platform.

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Melanoma, the leading cause of skin cancer, sees over 235,000 new diagnoses every year, 80% of which are in early-stage disease (IA/IB/IIA). While these early-stage patients undergo surgery and subsequent monitoring, they are ineligible to receive effective adjuvant therapies approved for later stage melanoma. NeraCare’s Immunoprint assay addresses this critical unmet need by identifying early-stage melanoma patients at high risk of relapse, comparable to later-stage patients, making them ideally suited to potentially benefit from therapeutic options.

"The agreement builds on the complementary expertise of both companies: Akoya’s market-leading multiplex immunofluorescence technology and NeraCare’s innovative development and rigorous clinical validation of Immunoprint. Together, we aim to expand access to life-saving therapies for early-stage melanoma patients worldwide," said Friedrich Ackermann, Co-Founder of NeraCare.

"Our collaboration is a testament to the versatility of Akoya’s PhenoImager HT platform and the clinical impact spatial biology can deliver. Immunoprint has proven unparalleled in identifying high-risk melanoma patients through multiple clinical studies, and our partnership aims to offer a platform to address the unmet need for earlier therapeutic intervention," added Daniel von Janowski, Co-Founder of NeraCare.

"Our exclusive partnership with NeraCare for Immunoprint is a significant advancement of our clinical strategy providing Akoya and our pharmaceutical partners the opportunity to transform melanoma patient care We are honored to be partnering with NeraCare to help bring this test to market and serve a critical unmet need," said Brian McKelligon, CEO of Akoya Biosciences.

On December 10, 2024 Leapfrog Bio, a clinical-stage precision oncology company identifying novel therapies for undruggable cancer-driving mutations, reported that Tomas Babak, PhD, the Company’s Chief Scientific Officer, will present evidence that Leapfrog Bio’s Precision PGx Platform discovered a clinically significant link between the EP300 gene and bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) protein inhibitors (Press release, Leapfrog Bio, DEC 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234648988]). The presentation titled, "EP300 loss of function is a pan-cancer sensitizer to BET inhibition," will take place at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Special Conference in Cancer Research in Toronto, Canada and will focus on the discovery, characterization and clinical development plan for Leapfrog Bio’s BET inhibitor LFB-190 to treat solid tumors with EP300 loss of function.

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Loss of transcriptional control is a hallmark of cancer and can be an essential driver of cancer initiation and progression. BET proteins regulate the expression of multiple cancer-related genes and pathways; several molecules targeting this family of proteins have been tested in early phase clinical trials, although these molecules had shown limited clinical success as monotherapies. After conducting hundreds of pharmacogenetic screens using its Precision PGx Platform, Leapfrog Bio discovered an interaction between BET protein inhibition and the EP300 gene loss of function (LOF) similar to PARP-BRCA1/HRD in significance. The Company believes it has also discovered the mechanism of action for this synthetically lethal relationship between BET protein inhibition and EP300 LOF.

"It was gratifying to identify this essential interaction, as there has been so much research and activity related to BETs inhibitors," said Tomas Babak, PhD, CSO of Leapfrog Bio. "Discovering a strong interaction between BET proteins and the mutated EP300 gene resulting in LOF—as well as the mechanism that drives it—using the Precision PGx Platform is a meaningful validation of the platform’s ability to identify therapies for previously undruggable cancers caused by LOF mutations. Two-thirds of all cancers are caused by mutations in tumor suppressor genes, such as what we see here with EP300, yet less than one percent of LOF tumor suppressor genes have been drugged to date. With Leapfrog Bio’s platform, we can repeatedly uncover candidates that address the unmet needs of patients with cancers caused by LOF mutations."

Leapfrog’s Lead Candidate, LFB-190, exploits the relationship between BET inhibition and EP300 LOF mutations. The Company’s Phase 2-ready compound was clinically studied prior to Leapfrog’s research and a recommended Phase 2 dose has been established.

Greg Vontz, CEO of Leapfrog Bio added, "This discovery demonstrates the ability of the Precision PGx Platform to uncover potential therapeutic solutions for the 10M patients with cancers driven by LOF mutations. We have filed IP around this discovery and are currently preparing for LFB-190’s entry into Phase 2 in lung, colon and bladder cancers in 2025."

On December 10, 2024 TransThera Sciences (Nanjing), Inc. (the "TransThera"), a clinical demand-oriented, registrational clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on discovering and developing innovative small molecule therapies for oncology, inflammatory and cardiometabolic diseases, reported the poster presentation at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting to discuss the phase I study results of TT-01488, a novel reversible BTK inhibitor for patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies (Press release, TransThera Biosciences, DEC 10, 2024, View Source;in-patients-with-relapsed-or-refractory-b-cell-malignancies-302326854.html [SID1234649004]).

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Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) plays a critical role in the B-cell receptor signaling pathway, functioning as an important regulator of cell proliferation and cell survival in various B-cell malignancies. Currently there are 5 approved irreversible BTK inhibitors (BTKis) in the world. Due to the emergence of acquired mutation in the inhibitor’s covalent binding site (C481S), there is a high unmet medical need to develop next-generation BTKi to overcome the resistance.

TT-01488 is a next-generation, non-covalent, reversible BTKi which can overcome the acquired resistance to irreversible BTKis. In the preclinical study, TT-01488 potently Inhibits both wildtype and C481S-mutant BTK.

The Phase I study of TT-01488 presented at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting was an open, multi-center, dose escalation study. As of the data cut-off date on October 2, 2024, 18 patients with pre-treated B-cell malignancies were enrolled, with the median 3 lines of prior therapies. TT-01488 was well-tolerated in all patients. Neither dose limiting toxicity (DLT) occurred nor any bleeding, atrial flutter or atrial fibrillation was reported. In pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics study, sustained pBTK C481S-mutant inhibition covering IC­90 was observed at steady state following multiple dosing at both 150 mg (QD) and 100 mg (BID) dose levels. Among 14 efficacy evaluable patients, objective response rate (ORR) was 57% (8/14)，including 3 complete remission (CR) and 5 partial remission (PR). 100% (7/7) of ORR was achieved in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), Waldenström macroglobulinemia (WM) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL). Overall, TT-01488 showed encouraging efficacy in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) patients, regardless of C481S status and with/without prior cBTKi therapy.

About TT-01488

TT-01488 is an internally developed, non-covalent, reversible BTK inhibitor to overcome acquired resistance developed from marketed covalent BTK inhibitors in various types of relapsed or refractory hematological malignancies. TT-01488 is highly potent against BTK wild type and mutation with high selectivity over EGFR and Tec, indicating its potential for good efficacy and safety.