On September 28, 2016 The National Cancer Institute (NCI) reported a collaboration with the Multiple Myeloma Research FoundationExit Disclaimer (MMRF) to incorporate MMRF’s wealth of genomic and clinical data about the disease into the NCI Genomic Data Commons (GDC), a publicly available database that promotes the sharing of genomic and clinical data among researchers and facilitates precision medicine in oncology (Press release, US NCI, SEP 28, 2016, View Source [SID:SID1234515490]). The MMRF, located in Norwalk, Connecticut, is the first nonprofit organization to donate information to the GDC, which will include data on more than 30,000 patients who have many other types of cancers by the end of the year. NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health.

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Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood cancer, but large amounts of genomic data about this disease and other cancers have not been readily accessible to the research community. At a meeting in Boston today, the Health Care Forum: War on CancerExit Disclaimer hosted by The Economist, leaders in the healthcare field discussed the benefits of this new partnership.

"Data sharing is essential to advancing cancer research, and I cannot overstate the value of the data that MMRF is providing — not only genomic data but also full clinical data as well," said Doug Lowy, M.D., NCI acting director. "Combining genomic and clinical information will create an invaluable resource for all researchers worldwide studying this disease who are working toward new, more effective treatments."

"The MMRF is a research and advocacy organization conducting clinical studies that incorporate whole-genome, whole-exome, and RNA sequencing into their study analyses," said Louis Staudt, M.D., Ph.D., director of NCI’s Center for Cancer Genomics. "The GDC gains power with each new submission, and the contribution of MMRF data will enable the discovery of potentially actionable and life-changing insights into multiple myeloma and its response to therapy that could be used by cancer researchers, doctors, and patients."

Launched earlier this year, the GDC allows researchers to submit genetic and clinical data, such as cancer imaging and histological data, and integrate these data with information on the molecular profiles of tumors as well as treatment responses. Importantly, all patient information in the GDC has been de-identified, meaning that personal information, such as addresses, Social Security numbers, and other possible identifiers, are not present — only crucial genetic data and key demographic information are available.

An important contribution to the GDC will be information from MMRF’s newest genomic study, Relating Clinical Outcomes in MM to Personal Assessment of Genetic Profile (CoMMpass, NCT01454297). The trial has enrolled more than 1,150 patients to date and is currently the largest genomic and clinical study of this disease. African Americans represent about 18 percent of the patients enrolled CoMMpass, based on an interim analysis. The participation of African Americans in this study is significant given that multiple myeloma occurs about twice as often in African Americans than in whites.

Over the next eight years or longer, patients in CoMMpass will get a repeat biopsy and a new genomic analysis at each six-month checkup and/or at disease progression. Tumor samples are being collected and analyzed when possible at the time of any relapse. The genomic data from these analyses will be immediately deposited in the GDC, with an anticipated sample size of near 1,000 cases by the spring of 2017. New data will be deposited every six months at a minimum.

The MMRF will also share data from the 204-patient Towards a Genomic Understanding of Myeloma study, also known as the MMRF Multiple Myeloma Genomics Initiative. Through this initiative, whole genome sequencing of the myeloma genome was completed for the first time.

"GDC’s visualization tools and browsing capabilities will make the MMRF myeloma data more accessible and could help jumpstart research into this cancer," noted Staudt.

The GDC is a core component of the Cancer Moonshot and the President’s Precision Medicine Initiative, and it benefits from $70 million allocated to NCI to lead efforts in cancer genomics as part of the initiative.

On September 28, 2016 Mirna Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company") reported that it received verbal notice from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the "FDA") that the Company’s Investigational New Drug ("IND") for MRX34, its investigational microRNA therapy for multiple cancers, has been placed on full clinical hold ((Press release, Mirna Therapeutics, SEP 28, 2016, View Source [SID1234515521]). The Company anticipates that it will receive a formal clinical hold letter from the FDA within 30 days. This follows the Company’s announcement on September 20, 2016 that it was voluntarily stopping its Phase 1 trial for MRX34

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On September 27, 2016 Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY), a global specialty-driven pharmaceutical group, reported that Cabometyx (cabozantinib), Somatuline Autogel (lanreotide) and telotristat ethyl (*previously known as telotristat etiprate) will be the subject of 16 presentations at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2016 congress:

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Cabozantinib to be featured in eight presentations

CABOSUN results accepted as late-breaker presentation in oral session at the Presidential Symposium
[LBA30] "CABOzantinib versus SUNitinib (CABOSUN) as initial targeted therapy for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) of poor and intermediate risk groups: Results from ALLIANCE A031203 Trial (Press release, Ipsen, SEP 27, 2016, View Source [SID:SID1234515444])."
Dr. Toni Choueiri, Director, Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Session: Presidential session 3
Oral presentation Monday, October 10, 4:30 – 6:10 p.m. CEST, Copenhagen
Note: This is a National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (NCI-CTEP) study.

Poster Discussion
[774PD] "A phase I study of cabozantinib plus nivolumab (CaboNivo) in patients (pts) with refractory metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) and other genitourinary (GU) tumors."
Dr. Andrea Borghese Apolo, Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
Session: Genitourinary Tumours, Non-Prostate
Poster presented Sunday, October 9, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. CEST, Athens
Note: This is an NCI-CTEP study.

Poster Presentations
[787P] "A phase II study of cabozantinib in patients (pts) with relapsed/refractory metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC)."
Dr. Rosa Nadal, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Session: Genitourinary Tumours, Non-Prostate
Poster presented Sunday, October 9, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E
Note: This is an NCI-CTEP study.

[814P] "Efficacy of cabozantinib (cabo) vs everolimus (eve) by metastatic site and tumor burden in patients (pts) with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the phase 3 METEOR trial."
Dr. Thomas Powles, Barts Cancer Institute, Cancer Research UK Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre, Queen Mary University of London, Royal Free NHS Trust, London, GB
Session: Genitourinary Tumours, Non-Prostate
Poster presented Sunday, October 9, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

[815P] "Evaluation of the novel "trial within a trial" design of METEOR, a randomized phase 3 trial of cabozantinib versus everolimus in patients (pts) with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)."
Colin Hessel, Exelixis, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
Session: Genitourinary Tumours, Non-Prostate
Poster presented Sunday, October 9, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

[816P] "Quality of life (QoL) in the phase 3 METEOR trial of cabozantinib vs everolimus for advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)."
Dr. David Cella, Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Session: Genitourinary Tumours, Non-Prostate
Poster presented Sunday, October 9, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

[818P] "Analysis of regional differences in the phase 3 METEOR study of cabozantinib (cabo) versus everolimus (eve) in advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC)."
Dr. Nizar Tannir, University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
Session: Genitourinary Tumours, Non-Prostate
Poster presented Sunday, October 9, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

[1421TiP] "A randomized double-blind phase II study evaluating the role of maintenance therapy with cabozantinib in high grade undifferentiated uterine sarcoma (HGUS) after stabilization or response to doxorubicin +/- ifosfamide following surgery or in metastatic first line treatment."
Dr. Isabelle Ray-Coquard, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, Lyon, France
Session: Basic science
Poster presented Monday, October 10, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E
Note: This is an investigator-sponsored trial.

Lanreotide (Somatuline Autogel) will be featured in 6 presentations:

[438P] "Efficacy of lanreotide autogel/depot (LAN) vs placebo (PBO) for symptomatic control of carcinoid syndrome (CS) in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients from the ELECT study"
Dr Edward Wolin, Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care, Bronx, NY, USA
Session: Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours
Poster presented Saturday, October 8, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

[440P] "Longer term efficacy of lanreotide autogel/depot (LAN) for symptomatic treatment of carcinoid syndrome (CS) in neuroendocrine tumor (NET) patients from the ELECT open label study"

Dr George Fisher. Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
Session: Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours
Poster presented Saturday, October 8, 1-2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

[439P] "Long-term safety/tolerability of lanreotide autogel/depot (LAN) treatment for metastatic intestinal and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NETs): final results of the CLARINET open-label extension (OLE)"

Dr Martyn Caplin, Royal Free Hospital, London, UK
Session: Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours
Poster presented Saturday, October 8, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

[449TiP] "Safety and Efficacy of Lanreotide Autogel/Depot Every 14 Days for Patients with Pancreatic or Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumours Progressing on Lanreotide Every 28 Days: The Prospective, International CLARINET FORTE Study"

Dr Marianne Pavel. Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
Session: Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours
Poster presented Saturday, October 8, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

[450TiP] "Safety of lanreotide 120 mg ATG in combination with metformin in patients with advanced well-differentiated gastro-intestinal (GI) or lung carcinoids. A pilot, one-arm, open-label, prospective study: The MetNET-2 trial"

F. De Braud et al.

Session: Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours
Poster presented Saturday, October 8, 1-2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

Note: This is a National Cancer Institute Milan sponsored study

[451TiP] "Combined Lanreotide Autogel and Temozolomide Therapy in Progressive Neuroendocrine Tumours: The SONNET Study"

Dr Dieter Hörsch, Zentralklinik Bad Berka, Bad Berka, Germany
Session: Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours
Poster presented Saturday, October 8, 1 – 2 p.m. CEST, Hall E

Telotristat ethyl will be featured in one presentation:

[422PD] "Integrated placebo-controlled safety analysis from clinical studies of telotristat ethyl for the treatment of carcinoid syndrome"

Dr Matthew Kulke, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
Session: Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours
Poster discussion, Monday, October 10, 11-12 a.m. CEST, Room Berlin

In addition, Ipsen supported a collaborative study to understand the epidemiology of NET in European countries:

[424PD] "Prevalence of gastroenteropancreatic and lung neuroendocrine tumours in the European Union"

A. Bergamasco et al.
Session: Endocrine and neuroendocrine tumours
Poster discussion, Monday, October 10, 11-12 a.m. CEST, Room Berlin

Ipsen and Exelixis will host a joint investor / media event on October 10, 2016 at 6:30 p.m. (room 21, 1st floor, press area, Bella Center). Further information will follow with webcast and conference call details.

On September 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:PPHM) (NASDAQ:PPHMP), a biopharmaceutical company committed to improving patient lives by manufacturing high quality products for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and advancing its proprietary R&D pipeline, reported the presentation of preclinical study data demonstrating that phosphatidylserine (PS)-targeting antibodies similar to bavituximab are able to enhance the anti-tumor activity of multiple checkpoint targeting agents including anti-PD-1 and anti-LAG3 therapies in a model of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) (Press release, Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, SEP 27, 2016, View Source [SID:SID1234515466]). Data showed that eight of the ten (80%) animals receiving the preclinical bavituximab equivalent (ch1N11) combined with anti-PD-1 and anti-LAG3 therapies ("Triple Combination") experienced complete tumor regressions, whereas there were no animals (0/10) in the anti-PD-1 and anti-LAG3 combination treatment arm that had a complete regression.

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Additional data demonstrated that the Triple Combination featuring ch1N11 led to a 99% reduction in total tumor volume at the interim analysis point (Day 25) across all animals as compared to the control arm. In addition, the Triple Combination showed a statistically significant increase in tumor growth inhibition (TGI) as compared to the anti-PD-1 and anti-LAG3 combination treatment (99% vs. 62%; p < 0.05). Peregrine’s Michael J. Gray, Ph.D., the study’s lead scientist, presented the study findings at the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference (CIMT) (Free CIMT Whitepaper) September 25-28, 2016, in New York City.

The presented study evaluated various combinations of ch1N11, anti-PD-1 and anti-LAG3 therapy in the well-characterized E0771 murine model of TNBC. Other key study findings included:
Treatment with Triple Combination therapy (ch1N11/anti-PD-1/anti-LAG3) led to a significant increase in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), particularly CD8+ T cells, as compared with anti-PD-1 and anti-LAG3 combination treatments.

Treatment with Triple Combination therapy (ch1N11/anti-PD-1/anti-LAG3) resulted in a reduction in immunosuppressive cell types, including CD4+ cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs) and myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). These results show that the Triple Combination therapy is capable of significantly altering the tumor microenvironment from highly immunosuppressive to highly immuno-stimulatory. Other treatment combinations evaluated in the study lacked a statistically significant reduction in immunosuppressive cells.

"These data offer compelling evidence for the therapeutic potential of including PS-targeted therapies in combination with multiple checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of TNBC. This is highlighted by the dramatic distinction in complete tumor regression rates seen between the Triple Combination and anti-PD-1/anti-LAG3 treatment arms, combined with the significant difference in tumor growth inhibition percentages witnessed for these groups," stated Jeff T. Hutchins, Ph.D., Peregrine’s vice president, preclinical research. "In addition to its impact on tumor growth, we saw very important changes in the tumor microenvironment with the Triple Combination treatment with a significant reduction in cell types that contribute to immune suppression such as CD4+ cells, Tregs and MDSCs coupled with the expansion of tumor fighting cells such as CD8+ T cells. These data offer mechanistic evidence that highlight the manner by which the combination of ch1N11/anti-PD-1/anti-LAG3 may be eliciting such anti-tumor responses."
Bavituximab is an investigational monoclonal antibody that targets PS. Signals from PS inhibit the ability of immune cells to recognize and fight tumors. Bavituximab is believed to override PS mediated immunosuppressive signaling by blocking the engagement of PS with its receptors as well as by sending an alternate immune activating signal. Previous studies demonstrated PS-targeting antibodies shift the functions of immune cells in tumors, resulting in multiple signs of immune activation and anti-tumor responses. Peregrine evaluates the preclinical equivalent of bavituximab, ch1N11, in animal model studies to guide clinical development.
Peregrine’s clinical development strategy for bavituximab currently focuses on small, early-stage, proof-of-concept trials evaluating the drug in combination with other cancer treatments. This approach includes the recently announced grants by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to support three different clinical trials of bavituximab treatment combinations. Those trials will evaluate novel bavituximab combinations in glioblastoma, head and neck cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma including an immunotherapy combination. Additionally, Peregrine continues to advance its pre-clinical collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with the goal of evaluating combinations of bavituximab with other checkpoint inhibitors and immune stimulatory agents. The intent behind this strategy is to focus our research and development spending to further validate bavituximab’s combination potential as we seek to advance the program though a pharmaceutical or biotechnology partner.

On September 27, 2016 Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: PVCT, www.provectusbio.com), a clinical-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company ("Provectus" or the "Company"), reported that the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) has accepted an abstract for a poster presentation related to the use of PV-10, an investigational ablative immunotherapy under development by Provectus for solid tumor cancers, in the treatment of pancreatic cancer (Press release, Provectus Pharmaceuticals, SEP 27, 2016, View Source [SID:SID1234515422]).

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The abstract, "Intralesional injection with Rose Bengal and systemic chemotherapy induces anti-tumor immunity in a murine model of pancreatic cancer," describes research undertaken at Moffitt Cancer Center by a team of scientists led by Shari Pilon-Thomas. The exact time and place of the poster presentation has yet to be determined. The full abstract will be available on line at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper)ancer.org on November 8 according to conference organizers.

The 31st SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Associated Programs will be held November 9-13 at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.