On February 18, 2025 CEL-SCI Corporation (NYSE American: CVM) reported financial results for three months ended December 31, 2024, as well as key recent clinical and corporate developments (Press release, Cel-Sci, FEB 18, 2025, View Source [SID1234650353]).

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"CEL-SCI is very uniquely positioned at this moment as an immuno-oncology company with a vast amount of data from the largest Phase 3 head and neck cancer study ever performed, with statistically significant evidence that our drug can successfully fight cancer and extend lives in head and neck cancer," stated CEL-SCI CEO, Geert Kersten. "We hope to deliver a new standard of care to patients while substantially transforming our company’s valuation to reflect what we believe to be the intrinsic value of our cancer drug. The statistical analysis shows that our very soon to be initiated small confirmatory Registration Study has a very high chance of success and we will have indications of efficacy as early as 2026. Should the pre-surgical tumor responses mirror what we saw in the Phase 3 data, we believe we will be on the path for accelerated and/or conditional approval for Multikine next year."

Corporate and Clinical Developments include:

The U.S. FDA concurred with CEL-SCI’s plan to use of PD-L1 as a biomarker to select patients for a Phase 3 confirmatory trial. The study is designed to confirm the observation in our previous head and neck cancer Phase 3 trial that patients with low PD-L1 expression are most likely to have favorable outcomes from Multikine therapy. These patients, when treated with Multikine in the completed Phase 3 study, had a 5-year survival of 73% vs. 45% in the control group with a p-value of 0.0015. PD-L1 is a widely used biomarker for cancer patient selection for checkpoint inhibitors, which appear to work best for patients with high PD-L1 expression. Since Multikine has been shown to be more effective in patients with low PD-L1 expression, Multikine is uniquely positioned to benefit an estimated 70% of head and neck patients who have low PD-L1 expression.
The strong data from our completed Phase 3 study and the biological rationale for the use of Multikine in the treatment of head and neck cancer suggest a high likelihood of success for the confirmatory Registration Study. These data and rationale include:
Multikine shows pre-surgical tumor regression in head and neck cancer in just 3 weeks – confirmed by pathology at surgery:
Multikine led to significant rates of tumor regression prior to surgery.
There was no tumor regression observed in the control group that did not receive Multikine.
Pre-surgical tumor regressions confirmed at surgery forecast survival benefit.
The patient population for the Registration Study is likely to show significant survival prolongation.
Phase 3 Registration Study patient population selection is based on:
Strong statistical significance with respect to overall survival vs controls in 114 patients in the Phase 3 study.
Analysis of the patients in this group was pre-defined in the statistical analysis plan (SAP).
Strong biological rationale for the results seen in these patients based on Multikine’s mechanism of action (MOA) which brings about a strong and sustainable immune response and does not require overcoming PD-L1 blockade.
Ergomed, a clinical research organization (CRO) with a strong track record of fast enrollment and high-quality study delivery, is selected as the CRO for CEL-SCI’s confirmatory Registration Study. Ergomed has been a strategic partner and collaborator with CEL-SCI for over 10 years and was instrumental in successfully completing the prior Phase 3 study.
Financial Results

During the three months ended December 31, 2024, research and development expenses were $4.4 million, approximately the same as the three months ended December 31, 2023. General and administrative expenses for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 were $2.5 million compared to $2.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023. Net loss was $7.1 million for three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to $6.7 million in the prior year period. Cash spent during the quarter was $5.1 million. Net loss per common share narrowed by 21% to $0.11 for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $0.14 for the three months ended December 31, 2023.

On February 17, 2025 Crown Bioscience, a global contract research organization (CRO) headquartered in the United States and a part of JSR Life Sciences and Japan-based JSR Corporation, reported the complete integration of Indivumed Services (Press release, Crown Bioscience, FEB 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234650318]). This strategic move, following the acquisition in 2023, solidifies Crown Bioscience’s standing in oncology drug research and development. As a result of this merger, the Indivumed Services brand will be fully retired in February 2025.

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The merger unifies the strengths of both entities, offering pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical partners a powerful toolkit of integrated platforms and services, including biospecimen solutions, to enhance the oncology drug development process from discovery through to clinical stages. Crown Bioscience will maintain operations across 11 locations in the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region and will continue to be dedicated to consistently delivering expanded services and leading research platforms on a global scale.

On February 17, 2025 Rznomics reported on the 14th that its anticancer drug, RZ-001, has received Fast Track Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) (Press release, Rznomics, FEB 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234650319]).

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This marks the second Fast Track Designation for RZ-001, following its designation in November 2023 for Glioblastoma (GBM), a hard-to-treat brain cancer.

The Fast Track program, established by the FDA, supports the development of drugs for serious or life-threatening diseases by expediting the approval process. Once a drug is designated and if relevant criteria are met, it benefits from accelerated review and approval, as well as more frequent and flexible communication with the FDA. Additionally, during the Biologics License Application review, a rolling review can be conducted for each data section, providing an advantage in the evaluation process.

RZ-001 is an anticancer drug developed using Trans-splicing Ribozyme, Rznomics’ proprietary RNA editing platform technology. It has received Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from both South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) and the U.S. FDA. Currently, it is in Phase 1b/2a clinical trials for Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) and Phase 1/2a trials for Glioblastoma (GBM).

Furthermore, for Glioblastoma (GBM), RZ-001 has been approved under the FDA’s Expanded Access Program (EAP), which allows compassionate use of investigational treatments outside clinical trials. The program is currently being conducted at Harvard University Hospital.

Dr. Seong-Wook Lee, CEO of Rznomics, stated, "We believe this designation recognizes the potential of RZ-001 as an innovative cancer therapy. We are committed to expediting its clinical development to provide effective treatment options for patients suffering from hard-to-treat cancers."

On February 17, 2025 Photocure ASA (OSE: PHO), The Bladder Cancer Company, reported the presentation on February 14 of a new abstract with study results from its U.S. bladder cancer patient registry at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO-GU), in San Francisco (Press release, PhotoCure, FEB 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234650320]). The abstract discusses the role of Blue Light Cystoscopy in identifying tumors undetected by WLC leading to necessary upstaging of patient pathology. Consequently, when using Blue Light Cystoscopy with Cysview, bladder cancer management decisions can be made more appropriately.

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The poster presentation (Abstract No. 686, Poster Session B: Urothelial Carcinoma) ‘Upstaging and risk mitigation with Blue Light Cystoscopy for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: Results from a prospective multicenter registry’ by Alireza Ghoreifi (Duke University Medical Center).

The study looked at 2,854 NMIBC* patients from the US Blue Light Cystoscopy with Cysview Registry. A total of 201 (7%) patients had at least one malignant lesion detected exclusively by BLC while having a negative WLC. These lesions (335 in total) included carcinoma in-situ (CIS) (145; 43%), low-grade Ta in (53; 16%), high-grade Ta in (95; 28%), high-grade T1 (37; 11%), and high-grade T2 (5; 1%). As a result of BLC-enhanced detection, the rate of upgrading or upstaging to a more advanced tumor using BLC was 9.3%. The author concluded that resulting changes in grade/stage could impact patient management, such as the appropriate administration of intravesical therapy, duration of therapy, and when to perform radical cystectomy. The results are expected to form the basis for further studies on how Blue Light Cystoscopy can support precision diagnostics and improve patient management in NMIBC.

The abstract presentation included data from Photocure’s US Blue Light Cystoscopy with Cysview Registry, a large multicenter bladder cancer patient registry of real-world data, established by Photocure in 2014 and projected to enroll 4,400 patients.

See the poster here: View Source

*NMIBC: Non muscle-invasive bladder cancer

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About Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer ranks as the 8th most common cancer worldwide – the 5th most common in men – with 1 949 000 prevalent cases (5-year prevalence rate)1a, 614 000 new cases and more than 220 000 deaths in 2022.1b
Approx. 75% of all bladder cancer cases occur in men.1 It has a high recurrence rate with up to 61% in year one and up to 78% over five years.2 Bladder cancer has the highest lifetime treatment costs per patient of all cancers.3
Bladder cancer is a costly, potentially progressive disease for which patients have to undergo multiple cystoscopies due to the high risk of recurrence. There is an urgent need to improve both the diagnosis and the management of bladder cancer for the benefit of patients and healthcare systems alike.
Bladder cancer is classified into two types, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), depending on the depth of invasion in the bladder wall. NMIBC remains in the inner layer of cells lining the bladder. These cancers are the most common (75%) of all BC cases and include the subtypes Ta, carcinoma in situ (CIS) and T1 lesions. In MIBC the cancer has grown into deeper layers of the bladder wall. These cancers, including subtypes T2, T3 and T4, are more likely to spread and are harder to treat.4

1 Globocan. a) 5-year prevalence / b) incidence/mortality by population. Available at: View Source, accessed [February 2024].
2 Babjuk M, et al. Eur Urol. 2019; 76(5): 639-657
3 Sievert KD et al. World J Urol 2009;27:295–300
4 Bladder Cancer. American Cancer Society. View Source

About Hexvix/Cysview (hexaminolevulinate HCl)

Hexvix/Cysview is a drug that preferentially accumulates in cancer cells in the bladder, making them glow bright pink during Blue Light Cystoscopy (BLC). BLC with Hexvix/Cysview, compared to standard white light cystoscopy alone, improves the detection of tumors and leads to more complete resection, fewer residual tumors, and better management decisions.
Cysview is the tradename in the U.S. and Canada, Hexvix is the tradename in all other markets. Photocure is commercializing Cysview/Hexvix directly in the U.S. and Europe and has strategic partnerships for the commercialization of Hexvix/Cysview in China, Chile, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. Please refer to View Source for further information on our commercial partners.

On February 17, 2025 InnoCare Pharma (HKEX: 09969; SSE: 688428), a leading biopharmaceutical company focusing on the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported that the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved the registrational Phase III clinical trial of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) inhibitor ICP-248 (Mesutoclax) in combination with BTK inhibitor orelabrutinib as a first-line therapy for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) patients in China (Press release, InnoCare Pharma, FEB 17, 2025, View Source [SID1234650321]).

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ICP-248 (Mesutoclax) is a novel, orally bioavailable BCL2 selective inhibitor. BCL2 is an important regulatory protein in the apoptosis pathway, and its abnormal expression is associated with the development of various hematologic malignancies. ICP-248 exerts anti-tumor activity by selectively inhibiting BCL2 and restoring the normal apoptosis process in cancer cells. The fixed-duration treatment of ICP-248 in combination with orelabrutinib will provide deeper remission for treatment-naïve CLL/SLL patients without drug-resistant mutations, bringing hope of clinical cure to treatment-naïve CLL/SLL patients and becoming a treatment option with great potential.

ICP-248, in combination with orelabrutinib, has demonstrated promising efficacy and a favorable safety profile in Phase II trial in treatment-naïve CLL/SLL patients. Market approval of the combination therapy will provide better treatment options for treatment-naïve CLL/SLL patients.

Dr. Jasmine Cui, the co-founder, chairwoman and CEO of InnoCare, said, "ICP-248 is an important global asset in our hemato-oncology portfolio. We are rapidly advancing multiple clinical trials of ICP-248 globally, including the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Our hemato-oncology pipeline is designed for strong synergy, especially with the combination of BTK and BCL2 inhibitors, which has the potential to deliver improved outcomes for patients."

CLL/SLL, one of the most prevalent forms of leukemia, is an indolent malignancy of B lymphocytes. Globally, there are 191,000 newly diagnosed CLL cases each year, with 61,000 related deaths1. The incidence rate of CLL/SLL is on the rise in China2.

Orelabrutinib has been approved for marketing in China and Singapore, and all three approved indications have been included in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) in China, including relapsed/refractory (r/r) CLL/SLL, r/r mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) and r/r marginal zone lymphoma (MZL).