On August 7, 2017 SignalRx Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel small-molecules therapeutics to inhibit key orthogonal and synergistic oncotargets for the treatment of cancer, reported that it has received $2-million non-dilutive funding to advance the preclinical development of their proprietary and first-in-class small-molecule epigenetic-kinase inhibitors as anticancer therapeutics (Press release, SignalRx, AUG 7, 2017, http://www.ireachcontent.com/news-releases/signalrx-awarded-2m-phase-ii-sttr-grant-from-the-national-cancer-institute-for-the-development-of-epigenetic-kinase-inhibitors-as-anticancer-agents-638966263.html [SID1234527321]).

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SignalRx was awarded a Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to support further preclinical development of SignalRx’s novel epigenetic-kinase inhibitors targeting PI3 kinase (PI3K) and the bromodomain protein BRD4. The principal investigator on the STTR grant is SignalRx’s scientific advisor Dr. Donald Durden, MD, PhD who also serves as the academic collaborator for the grant while in his capacity as the Associate Director for Pediatric Oncology at the Moores UCSD Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego.

Highlights of the dual BRD4-PI3K inhibition approach include:

Demonstrated efficacy in several mouse tumor models.
Demonstrated to be much safer in vivo over combinations of individual BRD4 & PI3K inhibitors.
Overcomes barrier of additive toxicity to combining drugs.
Overcomes cancer resistance mechanisms.
Increases potential patient population.
Provides maximal pharmacodynamic inhibition in individual cancer cells (8X greater).
Molecular chemotypes distinct from existing competitor single agents.
Opportunity to develop more complex anticancer drug combinations.
"This large STTR grant award by the NCI follows on the heels of our proof-of-concept publication recently in PNAS and supports a change in cancer-development dogma from one-molecule one-target approaches to develop a single molecule that inhibits carefully-selected multi-targets resulting in augmented anti-cancer efficacy with less toxicity" said Donald L. Durden, MD, PhD. "This new approach paves the way for more sophisticated and cost-effective combinations in cancer patients resulting in longer duration of benefits in more patients."

"There is an unmet need in oncology for more effective and especially more durable treatments. Despite new drugs aimed at new exciting cancer targets, these drugs only benefit the patient for a short time" said Dr. Joe Garlich, Chief Scientific Officer at SignalRx. "More durable treatments are now recognized to require combinations of drugs, but optimal combinations of drugs are not achievable due to additive toxicities of the individual drugs in the combination. Our technology, creating single drugs with multiple mechanisms of action mimicking drug combinations, allows for effective combinations of drug mechanisms to be used with less toxicity and potentially more durability (long lasting)."

SignalRx is interested in partnering discussions to take these novel small molecules through clinical trials together with companion diagnostics for streamlined development and approval.

Dynavax Technologies has filed a 10-Q – Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)] with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission .

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On August 7, 2017 Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) reported a collaboration with Kyukyu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (hereafter, Kyukyu Pharmaceutical) to commercialize generic transdermal fentanyl citrate patches for long-acting cancer pain relief (Press release, Daiichi Sankyo, AUG 7, 2017, View Source [SID1234520062]).

The fentanyl citrate patches are a once-daily transdermal opioid analgesic for treatment of moderate to severe cancer pain, and are a generic formulation of Fentos Tape.

Kyukyu Pharmaceutical is currently applying for marketing authorization from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Following the successful obtainment of that authorization, Kyukyu Pharmaceutical will handle manufacturing, and Daiichi Sankyo will handle marketing and promotion activities, for this product.

Daiichi Sankyo expects that the commercialization of generic transdermal fentanyl citrate patches will help to expand our product lineup of opioid analgesics and will offer a novel treatment option to cancer patients and healthcare providers in Japan.

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On August 4, 2017 ArQule, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQL) reported its financial results for the second quarter of 2017 (Filing, Q2, ArQule, 2017, AUG 4, 2017, View Source [SID1234520137]).

For the quarter ended June 30, 2017, the Company reported a net loss of $7,201,000 or $0.10 per share, compared with a net loss of $5,100,000 or $0.07 per share, for the second quarter of 2016. For the six-month period ended June 30, 2017, the Company reported a net loss of $14,777,000 or $0.21 per share, compared with a net loss of $10,081,000 or $0.15 per share, for the six-month period ended June 30, 2016.

At June 30, 2017, the Company had a total of approximately $31,007,000 in cash, equivalents and marketable securities.

Key Highlights

· Derazantinib (ARQ 087), a pan-FGFR inhibitor, has begun recruiting in a registrational phase 3 trial for FGFR2 fusion positive second-line intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). Enrollment is planned to commence in the current quarter. In May, compelling data from the phase 1/2 trial in second-line iCCA was presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) meeting highlighting a disease control rate of 83% and an objective response rate of 21%.

· ARQ 531, an orally bioavailable, potent and reversible BTK inhibitor, has been dosed in a phase 1a/b trial. The trial is enrolling patients with B-cell malignancies, including B-cell lymphomas, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia, who are refractory to other therapeutic options, including ibrutinib. Up to 120 patients can be enrolled in the trial. The company also presented preclinical data for ARQ 531 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma at the Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) which further strengthens the preclinical package for this molecule.

· ARQ 092, lead AKT inhibitor, has been dosed in a phase 1/2 company-sponsored trial in Overgrowth Diseases with genetic alterations of the PI3K/AKT1 pathway, including PROS (PIK3CA-related Overgrowth Spectrum) and Proteus syndrome. The trial is designed to enroll six patients in a dose escalation cohort as part of the phase 1 portion of the trial. An additional 10 patients will be enrolled in an expansion cohort as part of the phase 2 portion of the trial. The objective of this study is to determine a clinically meaningful endpoint to pursue in a registrational trial.

"We have made significant progress over the past few months by initiating phase 1 trials for ARQ 092 and ARQ 531 with the aim of achieving clinical proof of principle, and we are now poised to initiate a registrational trial with derazantinib," said Paolo Pucci, Chief Executive Officer of ArQule. "We achieved all of our targeted pipeline milestones for the first half of 2017, most notably moving ARQ 531, our BTK inhibitor, into the clinic. We believe ARQ 531 was the first reversible BTK inhibitor to be dosed in patients with B-cell malignancies. With four programs in the clinic, including derazantinib, ARQ 092, ARQ 751, and ARQ 531, we are poised to continue to achieve our goals for 2017."

"Our pipeline achieved two important milestones with the dosing of the first patient in two biomarker driven clinical trials targeting patients in areas of high unmet need," said Dr. Brian Schwartz, M.D., Head of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer at ArQule. "In the first of these clinical trials, ARQ 531 aims to demonstrate its potential to address a large patient population with B-cell malignancies who become refractory to current therapies. This is a significant emerging clinical need, particularly in C481S-mutant patients. In the second trial, ARQ 092 is now being dosed in Overgrowth Diseases driven by the PI3K/AKT1 mutation targeting a completely unmet clinical need in a patient population comprised of multiple orphan diseases. Both programs have the potential to be transformational and represent well ArQule’s mission to bring life-changing therapies to address unmet medical needs."

Revenues and Expenses

Revenues for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, were zero compared with revenues of $1,072,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2016. Revenues in the six-months ended June 30, 2017 were zero compared with revenues of $2,299,000 in the six-months ended June 30, 2016. Revenue in the three and six-month periods of 2016 is comprised of revenue from the Daiichi Sankyo tivantinib development agreement and the Kyowa Hakko Kirin exclusive license agreement. No further revenue is anticipated from these agreements.

Research and development expense in the second quarter of 2017 was $4,983,000, compared with $4,337,000 for the second quarter of 2016. Research and development expense increased $0.6 million in the second quarter of 2017 primarily due to higher outsourced preclinical, clinical and product development costs.

Research and development expense in the six-months ended June 30, 2017 was $10,177,000 compared with $8,535,000 in the six-months ended June 30, 2016. The $1.6 million increase in research and development expense in the six-months ended June 30, 2017 was primarily due to higher outsourced preclinical, clinical and product development costs.

General and administrative expense was $1,866,000 in the second quarter of 2017 compared with $1,887,000 in the second quarter 2016.

General and administrative expense was $3,940,000 in the six-months ended June 30, 2017 compared with $3,931,000 in the six-months ended June 30, 2016.

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Lixte Biotechnology has filed a 10-Q – Quarterly report [Sections 13 or 15(d)]: v with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Filing, 10-Q, Lixte Biotechnology, AUG 4, 2017, View Source [SID1234520042]).

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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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