On December 28, 2017 Propanc Biopharma Inc. (OTCQB: PPCB) ("Propanc Biopharma" or "the Company"), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on development of new and proprietary treatments for cancer patients suffering from solid tumors such as pancreatic, ovarian and colorectal cancers, reported that the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr James Nathanielsz, reported that it will be presenting at the 10th Annual Biotech Showcase to be held on January 8 – 10, 2018, at the Hilton, Union Square, San Francisco, CA (Press release, Propanc, DEC 28, 2017, View Source [SID1234522786]). The Company’s presentation is scheduled for Wednesday, January 10, 2018, at 10:30 a.m., PST.

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Mr Nathanielsz will provide an overview of the Company and recent advancements of its lead product, PRP, during the live presentation and will be available to participate in one-on-one meetings with attendees who are registered to attend the conference.

Additionally, Mr Nathanielsz will be available to participate in investor and partnering meetings surrounding the 36th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference to be held January 8-11, 2018 in San Francisco, CA. Investors are encouraged to contact [email protected] to request a meeting.

"I am looking forward to presenting at the upcoming conference and providing an update on the recent developments of PRP, as we prepare for filing our first clinical trial application in early 2018," said Mr Nathanielsz.

Currently progressing towards First-In-Human studies, PRP aims to prevent tumor recurrence and metastasis from solid tumors. Eighty percent of all cancers are solid tumors and metastasis is the main cause of patient death from cancer. According to the World Health Organization, 8.2 million people died from cancer in 2012. Consequently, a report by IMS Health states innovative therapies are driving the global oncology market to meet demand, which is expected to reach $150 billion by 2020. The Company’s initial target patient populations are pancreatic, ovarian and colorectal cancers, representing an estimated combined market segment of $14 billion in 2020, according to GBI Research.

To view Propanc Biopharma’s "Mechanism of Action" video on anti-cancer product candidate, PRP, please click on the following link: View Source

To be added to Propanc Biopharma’s email distribution list, please click on the following link: View Source and submit the online request form.

About Biotech Showcase:
Biotech Showcase is an investor and networking conference devoted to providing private and public biotechnology and life sciences companies with an opportunity to present to, and meet with, investors and pharmaceutical executives in one place during the course of one of the industry’s largest annual healthcare investor conferences. Investors and biopharmaceutical executives from around the world gather in San Francisco during this bellwether week which sets the tone for the coming year.

On December 28, 2017 Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ONTX), a Phase 3-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products to treat cancer, with a primary focus on myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), reported that it will present at Biotech Showcase taking place January 8-10 in San Francisco (Press release, Onconova, DEC 28, 2017, View Source [SID1234522785]). The Company’s CEO and President, Dr. Ramesh Kumar, will present and management will be available for one-on-one meetings.

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Presentation Details:

Date: Tuesday, January 9th, 2018

Time: 2:00 pm PDT (5:00 pm EST)

Location: Franciscan Room B at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, 333 O’Farrell Street – Ballroom Level

The presentation will be available on the Investors section of the Company’s website at: View Source

On December 28, 2017 Odonate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ODT), a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of best-in-class therapeutics that improve and extend the lives of patients with cancer, reported that it has initiated CONTESSA, a multinational, multicenter, randomized, Phase 3 study of tesetaxel in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) (Press release, Odonate Therapeutics, DEC 28, 2017, View Source [SID1234522794]).

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Tesetaxel is an investigational, orally administered chemotherapy agent that belongs to a class of drugs known as taxanes, which are widely used in the treatment of cancer. Currently available taxanes must be delivered intravenously, typically at an infusion center. Tesetaxel has several potential therapeutic advantages over currently available taxanes, including oral administration with a low pill burden and a patient-friendly dosing regimen and a formulation that does not contain solubilizing agents that are known to cause hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions. More than 500 patients have been treated with tesetaxel across 22 clinical studies. In patients with MBC, tesetaxel was shown to have robust single-agent antitumor activity in two, multicenter, Phase 2 studies.

CONTESSA will compare tesetaxel dosed orally at 27 mg/m2 on the first day of a 21-day cycle plus a reduced dose of capecitabine (1,650 mg/m2/day dosed orally on days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle) to the approved dose of capecitabine alone (2,500 mg/m2/day dosed orally on days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle) in approximately 600 patients randomized 1:1 with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative, hormone receptor (HR) positive MBC previously treated with a taxane in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting. Capecitabine is an oral chemotherapy agent that is considered a standard-of-care treatment in MBC. Where indicated, patients must have received an anthracycline and/or endocrine therapy with or without a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by an Independent Radiologic Review Committee (IRC). CONTESSA’s secondary efficacy endpoints are overall survival, objective response rate (ORR) assessed by IRC, disease control rate (ORR + prolonged (≥ 24 weeks) stable disease) assessed by IRC and patient-reported outcomes.

"Despite recent advances in the treatment of advanced breast cancer, there remains a significant need for new therapies that allow patients to maintain a better quality of life," said Kevin Tang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Odonate. "CONTESSA is designed to evaluate the potential benefit of an all-oral regimen that combines tesetaxel with a reduced dose of capecitabine as compared to the approved dose of capecitabine alone, with the goal of establishing a new, all-oral treatment option with an improved benefit-risk profile."

About Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide, with an estimated 1.8 million new cases diagnosed per year.1 In Europe, an estimated 494,000 new cases are diagnosed and approximately 143,000 women will die of the disease each year, making it the leading cause of cancer death in women.1 In the U.S., an estimated 255,000 new cases are diagnosed and approximately 41,000 women will die of the disease each year, making it the second-leading cause of cancer death in women.2 The 5-year survival rate for patients with metastatic breast cancer is approximately 22%.2

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease comprised of several molecular subtypes, which are commonly grouped into clinical subtypes based on receptor status. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative, hormone receptor (HR) positive disease, which represents the majority of all MBC cases, remains an area of high unmet medical need. Over the past two decades, only modest survival benefits have been achieved in this patient population; hence, treatment goals emphasize controlling disease-related symptoms, minimizing toxicity and maximizing quality of life.

Patients with HER2 negative, HR positive MBC are typically treated with endocrine therapy (with or without targeted agents such as a cyclin-dependent kinase ("CDK") 4/6 inhibitor), chemotherapy, or both. The recently approved CDK 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib, an orally administered therapy, has significantly improved outcomes for patients with MBC when used in combination with endocrine agents. However, virtually all MBC patients on endocrine therapy will eventually progress and require subsequent treatment with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy agents currently available for the treatment of HER2 negative, HR positive MBC, including the oral agent, capecitabine, and the approved taxanes, generally are limited by their toxicity and impact on quality of life.

About Taxanes

Taxanes are an established class of anticancer agents that are broadly used in various cancers, including breast cancer. While paclitaxel and docetaxel, the first two taxanes approved for the treatment of breast cancer, possess robust antitumor activity, they have low oral bioavailability and low solubility. Therefore, these pharmaceutical agents must be delivered intravenously, typically at an infusion center, and also are formulated with solubilizing agents that are known to cause hypersensitivity reactions. Nab-paclitaxel, a different formulation of paclitaxel that also is approved for the treatment of breast cancer, has a greatly reduced risk of hypersensitivity reactions, but must still be delivered intravenously. Therapies given intravenously at an infusion center often are associated with: fear of needles and complications associated with venous access; anxiety, including institutional-triggered side effects such as nausea and vomiting; heightened awareness of life-threatening disease presence; and disruption of daily activities.3,4

About Tesetaxel

Tesetaxel is an investigational, orally administered chemotherapy agent that belongs to a class of drugs known as taxanes, which are widely used in the treatment of cancer. Tesetaxel has several potential therapeutic advantages over currently available taxanes, including oral administration with a low pill burden and a patient-friendly dosing regimen and a formulation that does not contain solubilizing agents that are known to cause hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions. More than 500 patients have been treated with tesetaxel across 22 clinical studies. In patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC), tesetaxel was shown to have robust single-agent antitumor activity in two, multicenter, Phase 2 studies.

About CONTESSA

Odonate recently initiated CONTESSA, a multinational, multicenter, randomized, Phase 3 study of tesetaxel, an investigational, orally administered taxane, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC). CONTESSA will compare tesetaxel dosed orally at 27 mg/m2 on the first day of a 21-day cycle plus a reduced dose of capecitabine (1,650 mg/m2/day dosed orally on days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle) to the approved dose of capecitabine alone (2,500 mg/m2/day dosed orally on days 1-14 of a 21-day cycle) in approximately 600 patients randomized 1:1 with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative, hormone receptor (HR) positive MBC previously treated with a taxane in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting. Capecitabine is an oral chemotherapy agent that is considered a standard-of-care treatment in MBC. Where indicated, patients must have received an anthracycline and/or endocrine therapy with or without a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) assessed by an Independent Radiologic Review Committee (IRC). CONTESSA’s secondary efficacy endpoints are overall survival, objective response rate (ORR) assessed by IRC, disease control rate (ORR + prolonged (≥ 24 weeks) stable disease) assessed by IRC and patient-reported outcomes. To learn more, please visit www.contessastudy.com.

On December 28, 2017 Atara Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATRA), a leading off-the-shelf T-cell immunotherapy company developing novel treatments for patients with cancer, autoimmune and viral diseases, reported that it will host a live corporate update conference call and webcast on Friday, December 29, 2017, at 8:00 a.m. EST (Press release, Atara Biotherapeutics, DEC 28, 2017, http://investors.atarabio.com/news-releases/news-release-details/atara-biotherapeutics-host-corporate-update-conference-call [SID1234522784]).

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Analysts and investors can participate in the conference call by dialing (888) 540-6216 for domestic callers and (734) 385-2715 for international callers, using the conference ID 2395468. The live webcast can be accessed on the Events and Presentations page in the Investors and Media section of the Atara website, www.atarabio.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website for 90 days following the live conference call.

On December 27, 2017 Diffusion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:DFFN) ("Diffusion" or "the Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on extending the life expectancy of cancer patients, reported that a Phase 3 clinical trial using its lead small molecule trans sodium crocetinate ("TSC") in patients with newly-diagnosed inoperable glioblastoma multiforme ("GBM") brain cancer, is now open for enrollment (Press release, Oncolytics Biotech, DEC 27, 2017, View Source [SID1234522778]). The trial, which has been named INTACT (INvestigating Tsc Against Cancerous Tumors), follows a previous Phase 2 GBM study in which the inoperable patient subgroup showed a nearly four-fold increase in survival compared with historical controls when TSC was added to their treatment regimen (40% alive at two years vs. 10.4%). TSC’s innovative mechanism of action affects the tumor micro-environment, making treatment-resistant cancer cells more susceptible to the tumor-killing power of conventional radiation therapy ("RT") and chemotherapy (temozolomide) by re-oxygenation of the hypoxic portion of the tumor. The Company believes that a largely intact GBM tumor vasculature with limited surgical resection is conducive to TSC’s tumor re-oxygenation properties, and that this contributed to the survival increase in the Phase 2 GBM inoperable patient subgroup.

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The trial will screen 300 patients and enroll 264 in an effort to ensure that results from 236 patients will be available for analysis. Enrolled patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio into treatment and control groups. Patients in the treatment group will receive standard of care ("SOC") temozolomide and RT plus an intravenous bolus of TSC administered shortly before their SOC treatments. Patients in the control group will receive SOC alone. The study will compare overall survival at two years between patients in the two groups. Up to 100 clinical sites in the U.S. and Europe are expected to participate. The Company projects that enrollment will be completed by early 2019, with interim safety and efficacy data possible in 2020 and trial completion in 2021. Further site initiation is on-going, with first patient enrollment targeted for January 2018.

"Given the dire prognosis of inoperable GBM brain cancer, we are especially gratified to have the INTACT clinical trial open for enrollment. We believe that TSC can provide new hope for these patients, whose treatment options are so limited," said David Kalergis, Chief Executive Officer of Diffusion Pharmaceuticals. "The four-fold increase in inoperable GBM patients alive at two years in our Phase 2 trial is a particularly strong efficacy signal, and informs the design of our Phase 3 trial."

About the GBM Phase 3 INTACT Trial

The INTACT clinical trial is an open-label, randomized, controlled, Phase 3 safety and efficacy registration trial. Subjects will be randomized at baseline to SOC for first-line treatment of GBM plus TSC, or to SOC alone. The SOC for GBM is temozolomide plus RT for 6 weeks followed by 28 days of rest, followed by 6 cycles of post-radiation temozolomide treatment.

TSC will be administered during both the RT and post-radiation temozolomide treatment periods to those subjects so randomized.

During the RT treatment period subjects will receive:

Focal RT delivered as 60Gy/30 fractions scheduled at 2Gy/day for 5 days each week (Monday through Friday) for 6 weeks.
Temozolomide 75 mg/m2 orally once daily (usually administered the night preceding each RT session) starting the evening before the first RT session over a period of 42 calendar days with a maximum of 49 days.
TSC 0.25 mg/kg IV for 3 days each week (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or other schedule that supplies a minimum 3 TSC doses per week) administered between 45 to 60 minutes prior to each RT session.
During the 28-day rest period all subjects will receive no treatment.

During the post-radiation 6-cycle temozolomide treatment period:

All subjects will receive 28-day oral temozolomide (150 mg/m2 first cycle and 200 mg/m2 all subsequent cycles as tolerated) administered on Day 1-5 (Monday through Friday) of each 28-day cycle.
Controls will receive oral temozolomide at night at home per the SOC and are not required to attend clinic visits during this period.
Subjects randomized to TSC will receive TSC 1.5 mg/kg (or another dose if recommended by the DSMB) 1.5 to 2 hours before their temozolomide dose during the daytime for 3 days during the first week of each 28-day cycle (Days 1, 3, and 5; e.g., Monday, Wednesday, Friday or other schedule that supplies at minimum 3 TSC doses per week). The Tuesday, Thursday doses will be given at night at home. Long-acting antiemetics may be administered prior to daytime temozolomide dosing on Days 1, 3, 5.
The safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics ("PK") of TSC at higher doses than 0.25 mg/kg with temozolomide will be assessed during adjuvant therapy. TSC at doses between 0.25 mg/kg and up to 1.5 mg/kg in combination with concomitant temozolomide will be assigned (not randomized) in the first 8 subjects enrolled in the INTACT trial. These patients will undergo RT plus temozolomide plus TSC treatment (0.25 mg/kg) for 6 weekly cycles followed by 4 weeks of rest in standard fashion. At the Week 10 clinic visit the same 8 subjects will be assigned to treatment, with 2 subjects each assigned to TSC at doses of 0.25, 0.50, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg. These subjects will be studied in parallel for 2 28-day cycles with inclusion of appropriate blood sampling collection for TSC and temozolomide PK. The Data Safety Monitoring Board ("DSMB") will examine the resultant safety data after 2 cycles (Weeks 11 through 18 of post-radiation temozolomide treatment period; Days 1 to 56). The DSMB may recommend continued use of the 1.5 mg/kg TSC dose for the post-radiation temozolomide treatment period, or may prescribe another dose based on their observations. Subjects then entering into the INTACT trial will be randomized at baseline between TSC plus SOC, or SOC alone.

Further details about the trial protocol will be available shortly at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

The baseline assessment for determining progression-free survival ("PFS"), overall response rate ("ORR") and to rule out pseudo-progression, will be at 10 weeks via MRI using the "modified Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology" ("mRANO") scale. The hazard ratio for the trial will be 0.67, which corresponds to 22% two-year survival in the TSC arm, the lower limit of the 95% confidence interval for the biopsy-only subjects in Diffusion’s Phase 2 trial, and 10% survival in the SOC arm. The estimated median survival is therefore 10 months for the SOC arm vs. 14.9 months for the TSC plus SOC arm. In order to achieve 80% power, the trial requires 118 subjects in each arm.

The study will achieve the designed 80% statistical power at 198 events, where an event is defined as death. The first analysis will occur at the earlier of two years follow-up for all subjects or 198 events. If the first analysis is at 198 events, the analysis will be a standard 2-sided stratified log-rank test at the α=0.05 significance level. If the first analysis is at two years, the Company will perform the analysis using the O’Brien-Fleming Method.

About Treatment-Resistant Cancers and TSC

Oxygen deprivation at the cellular level (hypoxia) is the result of rapid tumor growth, causing the tumor to outgrow its blood supply. Cancerous tumor cells thrive with hypoxia and the resultant changes in the tumor microenvironment cause the tumor to become resistant to RT and chemotherapy. Using a novel, proprietary mechanism of action, Diffusion’s lead drug TSC appears to counteract tumor hypoxia – and therefore treatment resistance – by safely re-oxygenating tumor tissue, thus enhancing tumor kill and potentially prolonging patient life expectancy. Oxygen levels of normal tissue appear to remain unaffected upon administration of TSC.