Rgenix to Present Early Clinical Data on RGX-104 at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics

On October 26, 2017 Rgenix, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class small molecule and antibody cancer therapeutics, reported that Dr. Monica Mita of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Principal Investigator of the RGX-104-001 study, will present at the 2017 AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC AACR-NCI-EORTC (Free AACR-NCI-EORTC Whitepaper) International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (EORTC-NCI-AACR) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) (Free EORTC-NCI-AACR Whitepaper) (Press release, Rgenix, OCT 26, 2017, View Source [SID1234523090]). The conference is scheduled to take place from Thursday, October 26 to Monday, October 30 in Philadelphia.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The details of Rgenix’s presentation are as follows:

Event: AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC AACR-NCI-EORTC (Free AACR-NCI-EORTC Whitepaper) International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics (EORTC-NCI-AACR) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) (Free EORTC-NCI-AACR Whitepaper): Discovery, Biology, and Clinical Applications

Date: October 29, 2017

Time: 12:30 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. EST

Description: Poster B001, "A phase 1 trial of RGX-104, a first-in-class immunotherapy targeting the liver-X nuclear hormone receptor (LXR), in patients with refractory malignancies"

Location: Hall E, Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Dr. Mita will present data from the Phase 1 trial of RGX-104, a first-in-class investigational immunotherapy.

About RGX-104

RGX-104 is a potent small molecule agonist of the Liver X Receptor (LXR). Activation of the LXR-ApoE pathway by RGX-104 stimulates the innate immune response in cancer via depletion of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and activation of dendritic cells, leading to stimulation of T cells and anti-tumor immunity in tumor models. LXR activation also blocks the ability of tumors to recruit blood vessels. These combined effects result in suppression of tumor growth and metastasis in a broad array of pre-clinical models. The LXR-ApoE pathway was originally identified as a cancer target using a novel microRNA-based discovery platform developed by Rgenix’s scientific co-founders at The Rockefeller University.

Rgenix is conducting a Phase 1a/b clinical trial of RGX-104 in patients with advanced solid malignancies and lymphoma—for more information about the clinical trial, please visit: View Source

Evotec and Tesaro enter strategic partnership to discover novel immuno-oncology agents

On October 26, 2017 Evotec AG (Frankfurt Stock Exchange: EVT, TecDAX, ISIN: DE0005664809) and TESARO, Inc. (“TESARO”) reported a three-year integrated drug discovery collaboration to discover and develop novel small molecule product candidates against an undisclosed immuno-oncology (IO) target (Press release, Evotec, OCT 25, 2017, View Source [SID1234521186]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Under the terms of the collaboration, Evotec will apply its integrated drug discovery platform, from lead discovery through nomination of a pre-clinical development candidate, to TESARO’s translational research pipeline to advance best-in-class oncology therapies. In particular, Evotec will leverage its industry leading structural biology platform to identify novel start points to progress into a full-blown drug discovery programme.

“TESARO is excited to work with Evotec to expand our discovery capabilities against immuno-oncology targets”, said Jeffrey Hanke, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Research and Development, and Chief Scientific Officer of TESARO. “Evotec has a proven track record of enhancing its partners’ drug discovery efforts in oncology. We look forward to working with Evotec to accelerate the identification of new therapies to help patients facing cancer.”

Dr Mario Polywka, Chief Operating Officer of Evotec, commented: “Oncology is one of Evotec’s core therapeutic areas of focus and we are pleased to enter into this exciting and innovative partnership with TESARO, a globally recognised oncology leader and one of the fastest growing biotech companies in the USA. This collaboration further demonstrates the value of our integrated research site in Toulouse and our world-leading structural biology group in Oxford. Using our integrated drug discovery platform, we are committed to helping TESARO drive innovation in this very important field of high-unmet medical need.”
No financial details of the collaboration were disclosed.

Actinium Pharmaceuticals Announces Activation of Fifteenth Clinical Trial Site in the Phase 3 SIERRA Trial for Iomab-B

On October 25, 2017 Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT:ATNM) ("Actinium" or "the Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing targeted therapies for safer myeloablation and conditioning of the bone marrow prior to a bone marrow transplant (BMT) and for the targeting and killing of cancer cells reported that the Company has successfully activated fifteen clinical trial sites in the pivotal Phase 3 SIERRA (Study of Iomab-B in Elderly Relapsed or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia) trial (Press release, Actinium Pharmaceuticals, OCT 25, 2017, View Source [SID1234521146]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

The SIERRA trial is planned to enroll 150 patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are age 55 and above and will compare Iomab-B and a BMT to physician’s choice of salvage chemotherapy. The primary end point is durable complete remission (dCR) of at least 6 months. Iomab-B is intended to provide safer myeloablation of the bone marrow prior to a bone marrow transplant, thus providing a potentially curative treatment option for this patient population and for patients with other leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas and other blood disorders. The following medical institutions are clinical trial sites in the Iomab-B Phase 3 clinical trials:

Center Location
MD Anderson Cancer Center Houston, Texas
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, New York
Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Florida
Washington University School of Medicine Saint Louis, Missouri
Yale Cancer Center New Haven, Connecticut
Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center Dallas, Texas
The University of Kansas Cancer Center Westwood, Kansas
Roswell Park Cancer Institute Buffalo, New York
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Cleveland, Ohio
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center Columbus, Ohio
Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute Hershey, Pennsylvania
Loyola University Medical Center Maywood, Illinois
Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center Gilbert, Arizona
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Seattle, Washington
Dr. Mark Berger, Actinium’s Chief Medical Officer said, "I am delighted to be working with these world-renowned investigators and institutions in this important SIERRA trial for Iomab-B. Their interest and enthusiasm for Iomab-B further motivates my team as we work on this trial to bring Iomab-B to patients who could benefit from safer myeloablation prior to a bone marrow transplant. In many blood cancers and disorders a bone marrow transplant is the only potentially curative treatment option for patients and it is our goal to improve outcomes for these patients with Iomab-B by getting them to their transplant faster and with less complications than currently available myeloablative regimens allow. We are looking forward to adding additional clinical trial sites located in the U.S. and Canada to make this trial available to a greater range of patients and to expedite completion of the trial."

Actinium also announced that it will provide an update on the Iomab-B SIERRA trial by year end. The SIERRA trial will have three safety analyses by an independent Data Monitoring Committee when 25%, 50% and 75% patient enrollment has been reached. Also, two ad-hoc efficacy analyses may be requested by Actinium after 70 and/or 110 patients have engrafted and given enough time to achieve the primary endpoint of durable complete remission at six months post treatment.

Sandesh Seth, Actinium’s Chairman & CEO said, "Until this trial, Iomab-B had only been studied in a single center and Actinium is proud to have facilitated use of this important therapeutic option in most of the leading transplant centers in the U.S. via the SIERRA trial. These fifteen centers perform approximately a third of all AML related bone marrow transplants. Our ability to introduce Iomab-B in these centers bodes well for enrollment in the trial and also the commercial opportunity for Iomab-B as the top fifty centers account for approximately eighty percent of bone marrow transplants. There is no visible competition for Iomab-B from any drug or drug candidate that can provide safer myeloablation and enable improved outcomes of bone marrow transplant. Actinium intends to build on the clinical experience, infrastructure and supply chain capabilities that we have established thus far to complete the trial in accordance with prior guidance and, assuming a successful outcome, establish Iomab-B as the standard of care in providing safer myeloablation first in in AML and then in the other hematologic indications in which it has shown positive results."

About Iomab-B

Iomab-B is Actinium’s lead product candidate that is currently being studied in a 150-patient, multicenter pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia who are age 55 and above. Upon approval, Iomab-B is intended to prepare and condition patients for a bone marrow transplant, also referred to as a hematopoietic stem cell transplant, which is often considered the only potential cure for patients with certain blood-borne cancers and blood disorders. Iomab-B targets cells that express CD45, a pan-leukocytic antigen widely expressed on white blood cells with the monoclonal antibody, BC8, labeled with the radioisotope, iodine-131. By carrying iodine-131 directly to the bone marrow in a targeted manner, Actinium believes Iomab-B will avoid the side effects of radiation on most healthy tissues while effectively killing the patient’s cancer and marrow cells. In a Phase 2 clinical study in 68 patients with advanced AML or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) age 50 and older, Iomab-B produced complete remissions in 100% of patients and patients experienced transplant engraftment at day 28. Iomab-B was developed at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center where it has been studied in almost 300 patients in a number of blood cancer indications, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), Hodgkin’s disease (HD), Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM). Iomab-B has been granted Orphan Drug Designation for relapsed or refractory AML in patients 55 and above by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

Updated Clinical Data from Combination of X4P-001-IO and Inlyta® (axitinib) in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Will Be Presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics

On October 25, 2017 X4 Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel CXCR4 inhibitor drugs to improve immune cell trafficking to treat cancer and rare diseases, reported that the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) has published Phase 1 data from an ongoing Phase 1/2 study of X4P-001-IO in combination with Inlyta (axitinib), Pfizer’s VEGFR kinase inhibitor (Press release, X4 Pharmaceuticals, OCT 25, 2017, View Source [SID1234521155]). Updated preliminary efficacy data along with safety and tolerability of the combination will be highlighted in a poster presentation at the 2017 AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper)-NCI-EORTC Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics Conference on October 26-30 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Details of the Poster Presentations on X4P-001-IO:
Poster Title: A Phase 1 dose finding study of X4P-001 (an oral CXCR4 inhibitor) and axitinib in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)
Author: Atkins, Michael
Session Category: Tumor Microenvironment
Session Date and Time: Sunday Oct 29, 2017 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Hall E, Pennsylvania Convention Center
Permanent Abstract Number: B201

About X4P-001-IO in Cancer

X4P-001-IO is an investigational selective, oral, small molecule inhibitor of CXCR4 (C-X-C receptor type 4) that regulates the tumor microenvironment thereby enhancing endogenous anti-tumor responses. CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor that modulates immune function and angiogenesis through the trafficking of key immune cells such as T- cells, dendritic cells, and myeloid derived suppressor cells. CXCR4 signaling is disrupted in a broad range of cancers, facilitating tumor growth by allowing cancer cells to evade immune detection and creating a pro-tumor microenvironment.

About Renal Cell Carcinoma

Kidney cancer is among the ten most common cancers in both men and women with more than 60,000 new diagnoses each year in the United States.1 Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common form of kidney cancer, and advanced ccRCC accounts for approximately 20% of the patient population. Therapies for advanced ccRCC include immunotherapies, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase inhibitors, and angiogenesis inhibitors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors.2 There continue to be unmet medical needs with advanced ccRCC because durable responses remain a serious clinical challenge for patients with advanced disease.

FDA accepts Roche’s supplemental Biologics License Application for Avastin as a front-line treatment for women with advanced ovarian cancer

On October 26, 2017 Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted the company’s supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Avastin (bevacizumab) in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel), followed by Avastin alone, for the front-line treatment of women with advanced ovarian cancer (Press release, Hoffmann-La Roche, OCT 25, 2017, View Source [SID1234521187]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

“About 80 percent of women with ovarian cancer are diagnosed in the advanced stages when the disease is difficult to treat and options are limited,” said Sandra Horning, M.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “We are committed to working closely with the FDA to bring this potential new treatment option to women with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer as soon as possible.”

This sBLA for Avastin, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel, followed by Avastin as a single agent, for the front-line treatment of people with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, is based on data from the pivotal Phase III GOG-0218 trial. In newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer, the first treatment a woman receives after surgery is known as front-line treatment. The FDA is expected to make a decision on approval by June 25, 2018.

This is part of our broader development program for Avastin in ovarian cancer. Avastin is currently approved for treating two different forms of advanced disease that recurred after platinum-based chemotherapy. In addition, Genentech is evaluating Avastin in combination with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and chemotherapy for the treatment of newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer in the Phase III IMagyn050 trial (NCT03038100).

About the GOG-0218 Study
GOG-0218 (NCT00262847) is a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III study in 1,873 women with previously untreated advanced epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube carcinoma who already had surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Participants were randomized into one of three treatment arms: chemotherapy alone (carboplatin and paclitaxel), Avastin (15 mg/kg) plus chemotherapy followed by placebo alone, or Avastin plus chemotherapy followed by Avastin alone. Women who received Avastin in combination with chemotherapy, and continued use of Avastin alone for a total duration of 22 cycles, had a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 18.2 months compared to 12.0 months in women who received chemotherapy alone (HR=0.64; 95% CI 0.54 – 0.77, p<0.0001). Secondary endpoints of the study included overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR). Adverse events were consistent with those seen in previous trials of Avastin across tumor types for approved indications. The study was conducted by the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) and their initial results were previously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

About Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer causes more deaths among women than any other gynecologic cancer in the United States. In 2017, nearly 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the U.S. and more than 14,000 will die from the disease. About 80% of ovarian cancer cases are found at an advanced stage, when the cancer has spread beyond the ovaries. Early ovarian cancer often does not have any symptoms and when symptoms, such as abdominal swelling, bloating, abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and/or frequent urination, are present, they can be associated by other less serious conditions. Five-year survival rates worsen dramatically based on stage of diagnosis.

About Avastin
With the initial approval in the United States for advanced colorectal cancer in 2004, Avastin became the first anti-angiogenic therapy made widely available for the treatment of patients with an advanced cancer.
Today, Avastin is continuing to transform cancer care through its proven survival benefit (overall survival and/or progression free survival) across several types of cancer. Avastin is approved in Europe for the treatment of advanced stages of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, kidney cancer, ovarian cancer and cervical cancer, and is available in the United States for the treatment of colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, kidney cancer, cervical cancer and recurrent, platinum-resistant and platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. In addition, Avastin is approved over 70 other countries worldwide for the treatment of patients with progressive glioblastoma following prior therapy. Avastin is approved in Japan for the treatment of the advanced stages of colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and malignant glioma, including newly diagnosed glioblastoma.
Avastin has made anti-angiogenic therapy a fundamental pillar of cancer treatment today. Over two million patients have been treated with Avastin so far. A comprehensive clinical programme with more than 300 ongoing clinical trials is investigating the use of Avastin in over 50 tumour types.