On September 16, 2024 HighField Biopharmaceuticals, a clinical stage company using lipid-based therapeutics to treat cancer, diabetes and other diseases, reported its CEO and Scientific Founder Yuhong Xu, Ph.D, presented positive safety and efficacy findings from an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of HF1K16 (K16) in refractory metastatic cancer patients at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress in Barcelona, Spain, September 13 – 17, 2024 (Press release, HighField Biopharmaceuticals, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646687]).

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K16 is an ATRA-encapsulated immune modulating liposome combining a lipid bilayer structure and all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). It targets immature immune cells, called myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), inducing them to become mature active immune cells, such as dendritic cells, which summon T cells to attack cancer.

Presentation of the poster titled, "A Phase 1 study of the Myeloid-derived suppressor cells modulator HF1K16 in refractory and metastatic cancer patients: preliminary efficacy and safety," was on Saturday, September 14 in the Investigational Immunotherapy session.

"We are excited about the preliminary safety and efficacy data from our ongoing Phase 1 study," said Dr. Xu. "ATRA is a highly active vitamin A metabolite commonly found in the body. Using Highfield’s liposome technology, we were able to inject a highly concentrated ATRA offering more than 10 times higher than normal exposure in a patient, triggering the therapeutic mechanism. These patients have very advanced, heavily prior treated tumors."

The Phase 1 dose escalation study (NCT05388487) showed significant signals of desirable immune modulation and efficacy. The expansion cohort, currently recruiting, is focused on R/R glioma. As of Sept 1, 2024, 19 patients having Grade II, III and IV tumors have been enrolled. Among the 10 patients with Grade II and III gliomas, median overall survival (mOS) is 629 days. For the 9 patients with Grade IV or glioblastoma, the most aggressive brain tumors, mOS is 315 days.

The next step will be to determine the indication that is most beneficial either as a single agent or in combination with other standard of care regimen in a Phase 2 study.

On September 16, 2024 Exact Sciences Corp. (NASDAQ: EXAS), a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, reported performance data for its blood-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening test (Press release, Exact Sciences, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646634]). Results show sensitivities of 88.3% for CRC and 31.2% for advanced precancerous lesions at specificity of 90.1% for negative samples confirmed by colonoscopy. Results were presented today at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress in an oral presentation titled, "Organ-specific performance of a multi-analyte, multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test in a prospectively-collected cohort."

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"The Exact Sciences team is constantly innovating to help close the screening gap," said Kevin Conroy, chairman and CEO, Exact Sciences. "The insights that led to this innovation reflect our understanding of the biology of cancer and the power of our scientific capabilities. We took a unique scientific approach to developing this test by combining a novel panel of markers. This led to data that improve upon what we previously thought was possible with a blood-based colorectal cancer screening test."

To optimize the final test algorithm, Exact Sciences designed a study to simulate the screening population in the United States and better predict real-world, prospective performance of a novel test. The study consisted of more than 3,000 blood samples, including approximately 2,900 blinded, prospectively collected samples from the pivotal BLUE-C study. This analysis was prespecified with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the samples will be excluded from the final clinical validation. The study also included more than 90 advanced precancerous lesions, the majority of which were prospectively collected, and 60 case-collected colorectal cancer samples. In the pivotal BLUE-C study results, performance degradation is expected for advanced precancerous lesion sensitivity and overall CRC sensitivity.

Results of this study show the potential of a novel, highly discriminate blood-based panel of methylated DNA markers and an impactful, new marker class to detect advanced precancerous lesions and cancers at an attractive cost profile. The company will implement the innovative marker class on a new testing platform and complete additional analytical studies to support an FDA submission.

"A blood-based colorectal cancer screening test that can detect advanced precancerous lesions at a level comparable to the FIT test would be a breakthrough in this field," said Paul Limburg, MD, MPH, AGAF, chief medical officer for Screening, Exact Sciences. "Results from this large, well-designed study show progress toward that goal and move us one step closer toward providing average-risk patients with another non-invasive screening option."

BLUE-C results for Exact Sciences’ blood-based CRC screening test are now expected in the first half of 2025. Exact Sciences plans to use these results to support an FDA submission and approval and to make the blood-based CRC screening test available broadly. If approved, the blood-based CRC screening test could provide another testing option for 60 million unscreened people1 in the United States. It would be supported by Exact Sciences’ commercial infrastructure and ExactNexus technology platform, making electronic ordering and resulting seamless for more than 350 health systems.

The company also presented data from its multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood test, assessing organ-specific performance of methylation and protein biomarkers in a prospectively collected cohort of samples from its ASCEND 2 study. The analysis indicated an overall sensitivity of 54.8% with 98.5% specificity in cancers without standard-of-care screening options (excluding lung) and 63.7% in the six most aggressive cancers with the shortest survival rates (esophagus, liver, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, and stomach). These findings highlight the potential clinical value of using multiple biomarkers to detect various cancer types, including the most aggressive and those without recommended screening options.

On September 16, 2024 Instil Bio, Inc. (Nasdaq: TIL, "Instil") and ImmuneOnco Biopharmaceuticals (Shanghai) Inc. (HKEX:1541, "ImmuneOnco") reported the global registrational strategy for the PD-L1xVEGF bispecific antibody SYN-2510/IMM2510 in combination with chemotherapy in front-line non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and in front-line triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (Press release, Instil Bio, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646655]).

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In China, ImmuneOnco is accelerating the development of IMM2510/SYN-2510 in front-line NSCLC by targeting initiation in late 2024 of a Phase 1b/2 front-line chemo combination study. This study is expected to enroll patients with driver gene mutation-negative non-squamous and squamous NSCLC. ImmuneOnco is also accelerating development of IMM2510/SYN-2510 in front-line TNBC with initial Phase 1b/2 chemotherapy combination studies targeted to begin in early 2025.

In the United States, Instil is prioritizing development of SYN-2510/IMM2510 in NSCLC and TNBC. US IND submission is targeted for late 2024, starting with a Phase 2 trial of SYN-2510/IMM2510 monotherapy in second-line non-squamous and squamous NSCLC.

With potential positive proof-of-concept data, ImmuneOnco and Instil may initiate joint global randomized Phase 3 chemotherapy combination trials in first-line non-squamous and squamous NSCLC and/or first-line TNBC.

"There are significant unmet medical needs in NSCLC and TNBC cancer patients which may be addressed by IMM2510," said Dr. Wenzhi Tian, PhD, CEO and CSO of ImmuneOnco. "This practical and accelerated registrational strategy, which is aligned with Instil, paves a clear pathway to a potential regulatory approval for us in China and for Instil Bio globally."

"SYN-2510 may have the opportunity to meaningfully improve on the current standard of care in NSCLC and TNBC," said Bronson Crouch, CEO of Instil. "Our expectation for the initial US study of SYN-2510 is that it would lay a foundation for the efficient enrollment of potential global Phase 3 studies."

About SYN-2510/IMM2510

SYN-2510/IMM2510 is a PD-L1xVEGF bispecific antibody in development for the treatment of multiple solid tumor cancers. SYN-2510/IMM2510 is differentiated from other PD-(L)1xVEGF bispecific antibodies by its VEGF trap, which binds multiple VEGF receptor ligands beyond VEGF-A, a bispecific structure which leverages PD-L1 as an anchor in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) to direct killing of PD-L1-positive tumor cells.

On September 16, 2024 Aethlon Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEMD), a medical therapeutic company focused on developing products to treat cancer and life-threatening infectious diseases, reported that the Cancer Clinical Trial Unit at Royal Adelaide Hospital was activated on September 10, 2024 to begin screening and enrolling patients in its safety, feasibility and dose-finding clinical trial of the Hemopurifier in patients with solid tumors who have stable or progressive disease during anti-PD-1 monotherapy treatment, such as Keytruda (pembrolizumab) or Opdivo (nivolumab) (AEMD-2022-06 Hemopurifier Study) (Press release, Aethlon Medical, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646672]). The trial will be conducted by Prof. Michael Brown and his staff at the Cancer Clinical Trials Unit, CALHN, Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia.

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The activation follows the previously announced approval by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Central Adelaide Local Health Network on June 13, 2024, and the Research Governance office at Royal Adelaide Hospital, on September, 3 2024, as well as the notification of the Therapeutic Good Administration (TGA) and completion of a Site Initiation Visit on September 9, 2024.

"The activation of the investigative site at the Royal Adelaide Hospital marks a significant milestone for Aethlon, allowing the site to screen and enroll patients in this important clinical trial," stated Steven LaRosa, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Aethlon Medical. "We look forward to working closely with Prof. Brown and his staff, and with our Contract Research Organizations (CROs), NAMSA and ReSQ Clinical Research, to begin enrollment and data collection. Going forward, we plan to activate a second site in Australia and also expect to receive an Ethics Committee approval for a clinical site in India."

Currently, only approximately 30% of patients who receive pembrolizumab or nivolumab will have lasting clinical responses to these agents. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) produced by tumors have been implicated in the spread of cancers as well as the resistance to anti-PD-1 therapies. The Aethlon Hemopurifier has been designed to bind and remove these EVs from the bloodstream, which may improve therapeutic response rates to anti-PD-1 antibodies. In preclinical studies, the Hemopurifier has been shown to reduce the number of exosomes from the plasma of cancer patient samples.

The primary endpoint of the approximately 18-patient, safety, feasibility and dose-finding trial is the incidence of adverse events and clinically significant changes in safety lab tests of Hemopurifier treated patients with solid tumors with stable or progressive disease at different treatment intervals, after a two-month run in period of PD-1 antibody, Keytruda or Opdivo monotherapy. Patients who do not respond to the therapy will be eligible to enter the Hemopurifier period of the study where sequential cohorts will receive 1, 2 or 3 Hemopurifier treatments during a one-week period. In addition to monitoring safety, the study is designed to examine the number of Hemopurifier treatments needed to decrease the concentration of EVs and whether these changes in EV concentrations improve the body’s own natural ability to attack tumor cells. These exploratory central laboratory analyses are expected to inform the design of a subsequent efficacy and safety, Premarket Approval (PMA), study required by regulatory agencies.

On September 16, 2024 Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a global leader in cell-free DNA and genetic testing, reported the simultaneous publication of three peer-reviewed papers, crossing a milestone of more than 85 peer-reviewed publications on Signatera (Press release, Natera, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646688]).
This includes:

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Groundbreaking colorectal cancer (CRC) data from the GALAXY arm of the ongoing CIRCULATE-Japan trial, published today in Nature Medicine, and also available in Poster Presentation #553P at the 2024 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) in Barcelona, Spain.
Additional CRC data from GALAXY, published today in Annals of Oncology, and also available in Poster Presentation #558P at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper).
A new paper from the BELLINI trial, published today in Nature Medicine, investigating the feasibility and potential efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) without concurrent chemotherapy in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
CRC Data from GALAXY (Nature Medicine & ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Poster)

In this study, 2,240 patients with stage II– IV CRC were monitored using Signatera after curative-intent surgery with a median follow-up of 23 months. This data provides the first evidence of Signatera-based molecular residual disease (MRD) detection to predict overall survival (OS) and highlights Signatera’s ability to predict adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) benefit. Full details on the data are available here, as announced on Sept. 14, 2024.

CRC Data from GALAXY (Annals of Oncology & ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Poster)

This study retrospectively analyzed 190 patients enrolled in GALAXY who underwent surgical resection for colorectal liver metastases and underscores Signatera’s ability to risk-stratify CRC patients. Of the patients who were Signatera-positive within 2-10 weeks after surgical resection, 24-month disease free survival (DFS) was superior for those who received ACT compared to patients on observation, whereas no statistically significant benefit of ACT was observed among Signatera-negative patients.

Breast Cancer Data from Bellini Trial (Nature Medicine)

This study reports initial results from the BELLINI trial, a phase 2 study that enrolled 43 patients with stage I-III triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Patients in the study underwent short-term (2-3 cycles) of nivolumab, alone or in combination with ipilimumab, prior to standard-of-care neoadjuvant chemotherapy or surgery. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis with Signatera was performed before treatment and after 4 or 6 weeks of treatment. All clinical responders including patients who achieved pathologic complete response demonstrated at least a 50% decrease in ctDNA levels, or were ctDNA-negative at baseline.

"We are extremely proud to announce the publication of these datasets in top-tier medical journals, underscoring the breadth of clinical evidence we continue to build on the utility of Signatera," said Alexey Aleshin, MD, MBA, general manager of oncology and chief medical officer of Natera. "The first overall survival readout in colorectal cancer from GALAXY marks a landmark moment that may fundamentally change how resectable colorectal cancer is managed for the hundreds of thousands of patients at risk of recurrence each year. We are especially grateful to the patients who participated in these trials, as well as our collaborators and study investigators for their dedication to improving outcomes for patients."

About Signatera

Signatera is a personalized, tumor-informed, molecular residual disease test for patients previously diagnosed with cancer. Custom-built for each individual, Signatera uses circulating tumor DNA to detect and quantify cancer left in the body, identify recurrence earlier than standard of care tools, and help optimize treatment decisions. The test is available for clinical and research use and is covered by Medicare for patients with colorectal cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and muscle invasive bladder cancer, as well as for immunotherapy monitoring of any solid tumor. Signatera has been clinically validated across multiple cancer types and indications, with published evidence in more than 85 peer-reviewed papers.