New Data to be Presented from EFTISARC-NEO Phase II Evaluating Novel Triple Combination including Immutep’s Efti in Soft Tissue Sarcoma

On September 17, 2024 Immutep reported new data from EFTISARC-NEO, a Phase II investigator-initiated trial of eftilagimod alpha (efti) in combination with radiotherapy plus KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) for patients with soft tissue sarcoma (STS), will be presented at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society (CTOS) 2024 Annual Meeting taking place 13-16 November 2024, in San Diego, California (Press release, Immutep, SEP 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234646707]).

Results from triple combination of efti, radiotherapy and KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) to be presented at the Connective Tissue Oncology Society 2024 Annual Meeting
EFTISARC-NEO is the first trial to evaluate efti in a neoadjuvant (prior to surgery) setting
Soft tissue sarcoma is a hard-to-treat orphan disease with poor prognosis & high unmet medical need

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Presentation Details
Title: Preliminary Results from a Phase 2 EFTISARC-NEO Trial of Neoadjuvant Soluble LAG-3 Protein Eftilagimod Alpha, Pembrolizumab, and Concurrent Radiotherapy in Patients with Resectable Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Presenter: Pawel Sobczuk, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Soft Tissue/Bone Sarcoma and Melanoma, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
Date: Thursday, 14 November 2024
Format: Poster Presentation

EFTISARC-NEO is the first to evaluate efti in a neoadjuvant setting, which importantly provides access to tumour tissue before and after treatment to assess efti’s impact on the tumour microenvironment. Initial efficacy data from this novel triple combination reported in May 2024 showed very encouraging results in the first six patients with the majority having deep responses rarely seen in STS patients with standard therapeutic approaches.

STS is an orphan disease with high unmet medical need and a poor prognosis for patients. The incidence of STS varies in different regions across Europe, with ~23,400 cases annually according to the RARECARE project. In the United States, the number of new STS cases in 2024 is estimated to be ~13,590 with ~5,200 deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.

The open-label EFTISARC-NEO Phase II study will treat up to 40 patients and is being conducted by the Maria Skłodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology in Warsaw. The trial is primarily funded with an approved grant from the Polish government awarded by the Polish Medical Research Agency program. For more information, visit clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06128863).

Immutep will announce the data to the ASX and make the poster presentation available on the Posters & Publications section of Immutep’s website, after the presentation at CTOS 2024.

Senhwa Biosciences Announces IND Submission to US FDA for Pilot Study of Pidnarulex Pharmacodynamics in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors sponsored by NCI

On September 17, 2024 Senhwa Biosciences, Inc. (TPEx: 6492), , a drug development company focusing on first-in-class therapeutics for oncology, rare diseases, and infectious diseases, reported that an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for Pidnarulex has been submitted to the U.S. FDA by the NCI. Senhwa’ investigational drug, Pidnarulex (CX-5461), has been selected as an experimental drug in the NExT (NCI Experimental Therapeutics) cancer program, sponsored by the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD), National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), for a five-year period (Press release, Senhwa Biosciences, SEP 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234646709]). This drug will be used in a pharmacodynamic (PD) pilot study involving patients with advanced solid tumors.

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In addition to this monotherapy trial, NCI is considering to plan future clinical trials for Pidnarulex (CX-5461) in combination with other therapies, including immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), and PARP inhibitors (Poly ADP-ribose Polymerase inhibitors, PARPi). Should these trials be realized, they will be led by the NCI, leveraging its medical team, scientific talent network, and regulatory resources—capabilities that most biotech companies would struggle to accomplish independently. This support from the NCI is hoped to significantly accelerate the development and expansion of indications for Pidnarulex (CX-5461), ultimately benefiting patients with an earlier market launch.

This clinical trial, for which the IND application has been submitted by NCI’s Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis (DCTD), aims to explore the response of various biomarkers to Pidnarulex (CX-5461) in patients with or without homologous recombination deficiency (HRD).

Pidnarulex (CX-5461), developed by Senhwa, is a first-in-class small-molecule designed to stabilize G-quadruplex (G4) structures, which are frequently observed in promoters of oncogenes. By stalling replication fork progression, Pidnarulex induces DNA damage and promotes cancer cell death. Through this mechanism, Pidnarulex holds great potential as a therapeutic agent for various cancers.

In recent years, immunotherapy has become the fastest-growing category in the cancer drug market, while the development of antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) is undoubtedly an important trend in biopharmaceuticals. Major pharmaceutical companies, including Pfizer, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Merck, have invested billions of dollars in acquiring or licensing related technologies. According to a recent report from market research firm Evaluate, the ADC market is expected to reach $30 billion by 2028, while the global cancer immunotherapy market will surpass a staggering $224 billion by 2030. Given that only about 20% to 25% of patients are effectively treated with immunotherapy, combining immunotherapy with targeted drugs is becoming increasingly important in cancer treatment. Combination therapies can address multiple treatment pathways within the complex tumor microenvironment and may enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy, making it a hot research area for major pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, Senhwa is confident and optimistic about the NCI’s plans to advance clinical trials of Pidnarulex (CX-5461) in combination with immunotherapy and ADCs.

Innovent Delivers Oral Presentations on Clinical Data of IBI354 (HER2 Monoclonal Antibody-Camptothecin Derivative Conjugate) in Advanced Ovarian Cancer, Breast Cancer and Other Solid Tumors at the 2024 ESMO Congress

On September 17, 2024 Innovent Biologics, Inc. ("Innovent") (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes high-quality medicines for the treatment of oncologic, autoimmune, cardiovascular and metabolic, ophthalmologic and other major diseases, reported that clinical data of IBI354 (HER2 monoclonal antibody-camptothecin derivative conjugate) in advanced solid tumors was presented at the 2024 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05636215) (Press release, Innovent Biologics, SEP 17, 2024, View Source [SID1234646710]).

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The data presented is from a Phase 1/2 study aimed at evaluating the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of IBI354 in participants with advanced solid tumors. A total of 368 participants with advanced solid tumors were enrolled and received different doses of IBI354 monotherapy, including 178 with breast cancer, 92 with ovarian cancer, 38 with colorectal cancer, and 60 with other tumors. Among them, 42.7% of the participants had previously undergone five or more systemic treatment regimens.

IBI354 monotherapy demonstrated excellent safety profile.

The dosage was escalated to 18mg, with no DLT events observed.
The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were nausea, decreased white blood cell count and anemia. The incidence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) was only 1.6%, all of which were grade 1.
Overall, 21.5% of patients experienced TRAEs ≥ grade 3, 2.4% experienced TRAEs leading to dose reduction and 1.6% experienced TRAEs leading to discontinuation, with no TRAEs leading to death.
IBI354 monotherapy showed promising efficacy signals in multiple tumor types.

In platinum-resistant ovarian cancer cohort (n=87, treated at 6~12mg/kg IBI354), the overall objective response rate (ORR) was 40.2% and the disease control rate (DCR) was 81.6%. In the 12mg/kg subgroup (n=40), the ORR reached 52.5% and the DCR was 90.0%. In participants with HER2 1+ (n=27), the ORR reached 55.6% and the DCR was 88.9%. As of the data cutoff date, the median follow-up time was 6.5 months, and both progression-free survival (PFS) and duration of response (DoR) had not yet matured.
In HER2-positive breast cancer cohort (n= 59, treated at 6~15mg/kg IBI354), the ORR and DCR were 67.8% and 88.1%, respectively.
In HER2-low breast cancer cohort (n=67, treated at 6~15mg/kg IBI354), the ORR and DCR were 41.8% and 82.1%, respectively. In the 12mg/kg subgroup (n=26), the ORR and DCR were 61.5% and 88.5%, respectively.
In HER2-positive gastrointestinal malignancies cohort (n=35, treated at 6~15mg/kg IBI354), the ORR and the DCR were 57.1% and 91.4%, respectively. 26 participants were diagnosed with colorectal cancer, of which 14 achieved an objective response (1 subject with HER2 IHC2+ FISH+ achieved a confirmed objective response), resulting in an ORR and DCR of 53.8% and 92.3%, respectively. As of press date, another participant with HER2 low expression (IHC2+ FISH-) colorectal cancer achieved a confirmed objective response.
Professor Qi Zhou, Chief Physician at the Gynecologic Oncology Center of Chongqing University Affiliated Cancer Hospital and the Principal Investigator of the gynecologic oncology cohort study, stated, "Approximately 70% of ovarian cancer patients experience relapse within 3 years following surgery and platinum-based adjuvant therapy, eventually developing platinum resistance after multiple recurrences[1]. These patients have limited effective treatment options. Current evidence indicates that non-platinum single-agent chemotherapy or the addition of anti-angiogenic therapy results in an ORR of just 4-13.2% and a median OS of merely 10.9-14 months[2]-[3][4][5][6]. As a fully-validated target, HER2-targeted therapy has proven effective in breast and gastric cancers. IBI354, an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody-camptothecin derivative conjugate, has shown good anti-tumor activity in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer with HER2 expression of 1+. In our Phase 1 study, the ORR was 67.5%, DCR was 88.9%, and median rate is 39.0% at the 12mg/kg Q3W dose level, while maintaining a favorable safety profile. Extending the PFS and OS remains a critical clinical challenge in platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. The development of antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of resistant recurrent cancers has become a hot spot, and promising results have been observed. The clinical efficacy of antibody-drug conjugates targeting HER2 low expression warrants further clinical research and exploration, which could benefit more patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer."

Doctor Daphne Day from the Medical Oncology Department at Monash Health in Melbourne, Australia, stated: "Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer globally, the most common cancer in women, and a cause of cancer-related deaths. HER2 amplification or overexpression has been proven to play a significant role in the occurrence and progression of breast cancer, underscoring the importance of HER2-directed therapy. IBI354, as an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody-camptothecin derivative conjugate, has shown promising preliminary results, with meaningful objective response and disease control rates in HER2-positive and -low breast cancer. Additionally, IBI354 has demonstrated excellent clinical safety and tolerability. Existing clinical data suggest that IBI354 has substantial development potential in the breast cancer population."

Professor Lin Shen from Peking University Cancer Hospital, stated, "Colorectal cancer (CRC) has become the second most common malignant tumor in China, and its incidence and mortality rates are still rising annually[7]. The HER2-targeted therapy plays an important role in the later-line treatment of CRC. Preliminary results suggest that IBI354, an anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody-camptothecin derivative conjugate, has shown positive efficacy in HER2-positive gastrointestinal malignancies. Notably, IBI354 has also demonstrated antitumor effects in HER2-low CRC populations, where HER2-targeted therapies are relatively less effective. IBI354 has exhibited good clinical safety and tolerability in later-line CRC patients, supporting further exploration and development in this population."

Dr. Hui Zhou, Senior Vice President of Innovent, stated: "With the rapid advancements in ADC drugs for oncology treatment, Innovent is strategically positioning itself in the ADC field. At this year’s ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) conference, we are showcasing, for the first time, the safety and efficacy data of IBI354 across various advanced solid tumors, fully demonstrating Innovent’s platform capabilities in ADC drug development. We will continue to invest in research and development of ADC innovative molecules, with the aim of providing patients more and better treatment options."

About IBI354 (Anti-HER2 Antibody-Camptothecin Derivative Conjugate)

IBI354 is an innovative HER2-targeted antibody–drug conjugate developed using Innovent’s proprietary novel topoisomerase inhibitor NT3 platform. With a drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) of 8, IBI354 delivers a high payload of effective drugs to tumors. The highly hydrophilic linker design contributes to its excellent biophysical and pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, while the hydrophobic payload enhances its bystander effect, targeting adjacent antigen-low or negative tumor cells. IBI354 exhibits extremely low exposure of free toxin in circulation and has an ideal safety profile based on pre-clinical and clinical studies. IBI354 has demonstrated remarkable anti-tumor activity in various tumor-bearing mice models, particularly in those resistant to HER2-targeted therapies and in metastatic tumors. Innovent Biologics is conducting clinical research in China, the United States, and Australia to assess the efficacy and safety of IBI354 for treating various advanced malignancies. Additionally, multiple new ADC molecules from Innovent’s NT3 platform are under clinical development and have shown promising safety and efficacy signals.

Can-Fite: Pancreatic Carcinoma Phase IIa Clinical Study with Namodenoson Received Regulatory Authorization from the Israeli Ministry of Health

On September 16, 2024 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address oncological and inflammatory diseases, reported that it received approval from the Israeli Ministry of Health (MoH) to conduct Phase IIa clinical trial with orally-administered Namodenoson in the treatment of pancreatic carcinoma (Press release, Can-Fite BioPharma, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646645]).

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"We are very much encouraged by the excellent data in the pre-clinical studies demonstrating the impressive anti-cancer effect of namodenoson and definitive molecular mechanism of action against pancreatic carcinoma," stated Dr. Fishman, Can-Fite’s Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Chairman. "We are very keen to initiate the study in this devastating disease and are pleased with the regulatory approval of the Israeli MOH. We do hope that as we have shown efficacy in patients with advanced liver cancer studies, we will be able to demonstrate safety and efficacy in the pancreatic cancer patient population."

The Phase IIa is a multicenter open-label trial in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma whose disease has progressed on at least 1st-line therapy. The trial will evaluate the safety, clinical activity, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of Namodenoson in this patient population. All patients will receive oral Namodenoson 25 mg, administered twice daily for consecutive 28-day cycles. Patients will be evaluated regularly for safety. Approximately 20 evaluable patients will be enrolled. The primary objective of this trial is to characterize the safety profile of Namodenoson and the secondary objective is to evaluate the clinical activity as determined by the Objective Response Rate (ORR) using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1), Progression-Free Survival (PFS), Disease Control Rate (DCR), Duration of Response (DoR), and Overall Survival (OS).

The study will be conducted by Dr. Stemmer, a leading key opinion leader, at the Institute of Oncology, Rabin Medical Center, Israel and by Dr. Al Mutar from the UT Southwestern Medical Center in the US.

About Namodenoson

Namodenoson is a small orally bioavailable drug that binds with high affinity and selectivity to the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR). Namodenoson was evaluated in Phase II trials for two indications, as a second line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, and as a treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). A3AR is highly expressed in diseased cells whereas low expression is found in normal cells. This differential effect accounts for the excellent safety profile of the drug.

Ribometrix Present Data Supporting Potential of eIF4E Program in KRAS Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer at ESMO 2024 

On September 16, 2024 Ribometrix, a biotechnology company developing small molecule therapeutics that modulate RNA biology, reported the latest data from its eIF4E program at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress, taking place in Barcelona, Spain, September 13-17 (Press release, Ribometrix, SEP 16, 2024, View Source [SID1234646662]). The poster presentation reviews in vitro and in vivo studies of a small molecule eIF4E inhibitor, RBX-6610, as a potential treatment for KRASG12C mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Acquired resistance is observed in most patients treated with the two approved therapies for KRASG12C mutant NSCLC, creating a significant opportunity for a therapy that re-sensitizes tumors to KRAS inhibition. Ribometrix’s data supports RBX-6610’s ability to deliver this mechanism in combination with the approved therapies.

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"In less than three years, Ribometrix has advanced its eIF4E program from concept to a lead molecule that has just completed non-GLP toxicology studies," stated Michael Solomon, CEO of Ribometrix, Inc. "The program is a testament to Ribometrix drug discovery capabilities, and the commitment and professionalism of the Ribometrix team. We look forward to moving this program forward into the clinic in collaboration with a partner who shares our vision of its potential to benefit patients, via its novel mechanism of action."

"These data further evidence the broad potential of eIF4E inhibition in multiple tumor types, particularly in combination as a re-sensitizing agent. We have further validated the mechanism of action and characterized the synergistic benefit of RBX-6610, our most advanced eIF4E inhibitor," said Jessica Sorrentino, Ph.D., SVP of Translational Medicine. "RBX-6610 is progressing towards the clinic and we see significant promise for its inclusion with the standard-of-care for both naïve and treatment resistant NSCLC patients, especially whose tumors have KRAS mutations."

Key highlights:

RBX-6610 demonstrated consistent anti-proliferative effects in KRASG12C mutant tumor cell lines, in both treatment-naïve lines and those with acquired resistance.
Additionally, the combined in vitro effects of co-treatment of RBX-6610 with KRAS inhibitors were synergistic, such that the proliferative inhibitory effects were greater than the sum of either treatment alone. Mechanistically, this was due to an induction of apoptosis, specific to co-treatment in treatment-naïve tumor cells as well as cells resistant to KRAS inhibitors. This synergistic phenotype was observed with both approved KRAS inhibitors, as well as investigational RAS inhibitors.
Daily oral RBX-6610 monotherapy led to substantial tumor growth inhibition in both treatment naïve and resistant KRASG12C NSCLC xenograft model (75% vs 71% TGI, respectively), corroborating the anti-proliferative effects seen in vitro.
In combination with sotorasib, an approved KRAS inhibitor, daily oral treatment with RBX-6610 led to significant tumor regression and improved survival in both the treatment-naïve and sotorasib resistant setting (34% and 49% mean tumor regression respectively). No toxicity was observed in up to 35 days of daily oral treatment across all cohorts.
In vitro data demonstrated improved selectivity of cap dependent translation inhibition by RBX-6610 relative to other translation inhibitors including zotatifin, an eIF4A inhibitor.
Ribometrix continues to generate data demonstrating the multi-tumor therapeutic potential of eIF4E inhibition. Studies in melanoma and breast cancer were presented at the Society for Melanoma Research and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in 2023, and data across melanoma, colorectal, breast, and non-small cell lung cancer were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in 2024. Data have repeatedly included support for both monotherapy and combination regimens as well as the potential to re-sensitize to standard-of-care treatments.

The ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) poster is now available to view on the "Publications" page of Ribometrix’s website.

About eIF4E

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is a crucial regulatory component of mRNA translation and well-documented driver of oncogenesis. Clinically, eIF4E activity is elevated in many tumor indications and it is typically associated with poor prognosis. Targeting eIF4E has the potential to enhance anti-cancer activity when given in combination with standard-of-care. Additionally, eIF4E inhibition has the potential to overcome drug resistance and re-sensitize tumors to anti-cancer therapies. Based on substantial external and in-house data, Ribometrix is developing eIF4E inhibitors as a promising combination therapy approach and treatment for treatment-resistant tumors.