On July 5, 2024 Biostar Pharma, Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Beijing Biostar Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Biostar), which is a synthetic biology-driven biopharma company focusing on the development and commercialization of innovative oncology drugs, reported that their core pipeline product Utidelone Injection (UTD1) had been granted to conduct a phase 2 study (BG01-2402) for HER2- breast cancer brain metastasis (BCBM) by the US FDA (Press release, Beijing Biostar Technologies, JUL 5, 2024, View Source;breast-cancer-brain-metastasis-302189908.html [SID1234644691]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Depending on the molecular classification of breast cancer, approximately 20~50% of metastatic breast cancer patients develop brain metastases.[1] The current standard of care for BCBM is primarily local treatment with surgery and radiation therapy, supplemented by drug therapy. Due to blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-tumor barrier (BTB), many drugs that are effective for extracranial metastasis of breast cancer have very limited intracranial permeability, leading to poor prognosis for BCBM patients, especially with HER2- BCBM.[2-3] The mPFS for HR+/HER2- BCBM is about 4-6 months,[4-8] while the mFPS for TNBC brain metastasis is only 2.8 months.[9]

In recent years, multiple small-molecule TKIs and ADC drugs have brought survival benefits to HER2+ BCBM patients. However, there is still a lack of drug treatment regimens with proven efficacy for HER2- BCBM, and no drug has been approved for HER2- BCBM worldwide, suggesting a significant unmet medical need.

Utidelone can penetrate BBB due to its unique physicochemical characteristics and insusceptibility to P-glycoprotein-mediated efflux, which has been confirmed by preclinical drug tissue distribution studies and several clinical trials. A phase 2 study of utidelone in combination with bevacizumab for the treatment of HER2- BCBM presented at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2024 demonstrated efficacy outcomes of 42.6% of CNS-ORR, 7.7 months of mPFS, and 74.4% of 12-month OS rate with total 47 eligible patients being enrolled. The efficacy was even better in HR-/HER2- subgroup, showing 55% of CNS-ORR and 8.4 months of mPFS. The safety was manageable with majority of the AEs being Grade 1~2, suggesting a promising efficacy and manageable safety profile of utidelone for HER2- BCBM, and the potential of utidelone to become a new treatment option in the space.

Utidelone has been granted an "orphan drug designation" by the US FDA for the treatment of BCBM in Mar 2024. Biostar then filed an IND application for this phase 2 study for HER2- BCBM. The US FDA clearance of the application marks an important milestone of Biostar’s globalization development strategy.

About BG01-2402 Study

BG01-2402 study refers to "A Pivotal Phase II Clinical Trial of Utidelone Injection (UTD1) Plus Capecitabine (CAP) in HER2-negative Breast Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases". The purpose of the study is to evaluate the intracranial and systemic efficacy of Utidelone Injection in combination with capecitabine in HER2- BCBM patients. This study follows a Simon’s 2-stage design, and is planned to be conducted at 10-15 sites in the US with enrollment target of 120 patients. The primary endpoint is CNS-ORR; the secondary endpoints include PFS, DOR and OS, etc.

On July 5, 2024 Hinova Pharmaceuticals Inc. (688302.SH), a leading biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative cancer therapies, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for HP518, an investigational drug for the treatment of Androgen-receptor positive (AR+) triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) (Press release, Hinova Pharmaceuticals, JUL 5, 2024, View Source [SID1234644692]). This designation is intended to expedite the development and review process for drugs that address serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

About HP518

HP518 is a potent PROTAC AR degrader showing efficacy in AR+ TNBC. In preclinical IND-enabling studies, HP518 has demonstrated promising antitumor activity in AR+ TNBC animal models, showcasing significant tumor reduction and a favorable safety profile. The molecular subforms of TNBC are particularly aggressive forms of breast cancer that lack targeted treatment options, accounting for approximately 15-20% of all breast cancer cases, and are characterized by the absence of estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER2 expression. Notably, a significant proportion of TNBC cases (up to 50%) express the androgen receptor, highlighting the potential impact of AR-targeted therapies like HP518.

HP518 is an oral AR PROTAC protein degrader that degrades both wild-type AR and clinically relevant AR ligand-binding domain (LBD) mutants including L702H. Phase 1 clinical trial in Australia achieved several long term PSA50 and partial responses (PR), demonstrated HP518’s promising efficacy and acceptable safety profile in mCRPC patients. The clinical Phase 1/2 trial of HP518 for patients with mCRPC in China is ongoing.

FDA Fast Track Designation

The FDA’s Fast Track program is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. Fast Track designation enables more frequent communication with the FDA to discuss the drug’s development plan and ensures eligibility for Accelerated Approval and Priority Review if relevant criteria are met.

"We are thrilled to receive Fast Track designation from the FDA for HP518," said Dr. Yuanwei Chen, Chief Executive Officer of Hinova. "This designation underscores the significant need for new treatment options for patients with TNBC and highlights the potential of our investigational therapy to make a meaningful impact on this devastating disease. The discovery of HP518’s novel mechanism of action provides new hope for effective treatment. We look forward to working closely with the FDA to advance HP518 through the clinical development process as efficiently as possible."

Next Steps

Hinova plans to update in near future the existing IND (IND 164902) for TNBC development. The company is committed to accelerating the development of HP518 and bringing this promising therapy to patients in need.

On July 4, 2024 HUTCHMED (China) Limited ("HUTCHMED") (Nasdaq/AIM:​HCM; HKEX:​13) reported that the New Drug Application ("NDA") for tazemetostat for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory ("R/R") follicular lymphoma ("FL") has been accepted for review and granted Priority Review by the China National Medical Products Administration ("NMPA") (Press release, Hutchison China MediTech, JUL 4, 2024, View Source [SID1234644677]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

Tazemetostat is a first-in-class methyltransferase inhibitor of EZH2 developed by Epizyme, Inc. ("Epizyme"), an Ipsen company. Tazemetostat is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") for the treatment of certain patients with R/R FL and certain patients with advanced epithelioid sarcoma ("ES") under the FDA accelerated approval program. It is also approved by the Japan Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for certain patients with R/R FL. HUTCHMED entered into a strategic collaboration to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize tazemetostat in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

This China NDA is supported by results from a multicenter, open-label, Phase II bridging study in China, and clinical studies conducted by Epizyme outside China.

Tazemetostat was approved for use in the Hainan Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone (Hainan Pilot Zone) in May 2022, under the Clinically Urgently Needed Imported Drugs scheme, for the treatment of certain patients with ES and FL consistent with the label as approved by the FDA. Tazemetostat was approved in the Macau Special Administrative Region ("SAR") in March 2023 and in the Hong Kong SAR in May 2024.

About Follicular Lymphoma
FL is a subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma ("NHL"). FL accounts for approximately 17% of NHL. In 2020, there were an estimated 16,000 and 13,000 new cases of FL in China and the U.S., respectively.[1],[2],[3]

About Tazemetostat Clinical Development in China
Tazemetostat is a first-in-class methyltransferase inhibitor of EZH2 developed by Epizyme, an Ipsen company. HUTCHMED entered into a strategic collaboration to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize tazemetostat in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

42 patients were enrolled in the Phase II bridging study in China. The primary objective was to evaluate the objective response rate ("ORR") of tazemetostat for the treatment of patients with R/R FL whose disease harbor EZH2 mutations. The secondary objectives included duration of response ("DoR"), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), safety and pharmacokinetics of tazemetostat for the treatment of R/R FL patients whose disease do or do not harbor EZH2 mutations. Results of the study will be submitted for presentation at an upcoming medical conference (NCT05467943).

HUTCHMED is participating in Ipsen’s SYMPHONY-1 study, leading it in China. This is an international, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, 3-stage, biomarker-enriched, confirmatory Phase Ib/III study, which is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tazemetostat in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide (R²) in patients with R/R FL after at least one prior line of therapy (NCT04224493).

About Tazemetostat approval in the United States
Tazemetostat is a methyltransferase inhibitor indicated in the United States for the treatment of:

Adults and pediatric patients aged 16 years and older with metastatic or locally advanced ES not eligible for complete resection.
Adult patients with R/R FL whose tumors are positive for an EZH2 mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test and who have received at least two prior systemic therapies.
Adult patients with R/R FL who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options.
These indications are approved under accelerated approval by the U.S. FDA based on ORR and DoR. Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.
The most common (≥20%) adverse reactions in patients with ES are pain, fatigue, nausea, decreased appetite, vomiting and constipation. The most common (≥20%) adverse reactions in patients with FL are fatigue, upper respiratory tract infection, musculoskeletal pain, nausea and abdominal pain.

Please see the U.S. Full Prescribing Information for TAZVERIK (tazemetostat).

TAZVERIK is approved in Japan with the indication of relapsed or refractory EZH2 gene mutation-positive FL (only when standard treatment is not applicable).

TAZVERIK is a registered trademark of Epizyme Inc., an Ipsen company.

On July 4, 2024 NH TherAguix (NHT), a phase II clinical-stage biotechnology company specializing in the development of novel nanomedicine solutions for precision radiotherapy in oncology, reported the publication of a pioneering study in American Chemical Society (ACS) Nano, a high impact factor journal (Press release, NH TherAguix, JUL 4, 2024, View Source [SID1234644679]). The study, titled "Theragnostic gadolinium-based nanoparticles safely augment X-ray radiation effects in patients with cervical cancer", provides compelling evidence supporting the use of AGuIX nanoparticles to selectively enhance the effectiveness of radiotherapy in cervical cancer treatment.

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

AGuIX: A nanodrug capable of improving the precision and effectiveness of radiotherapy

The culmination of over a decade of research, AGuIX nanoparticles are designed to meet the critical medical need for more effective cancer treatments, including advanced cervical cancer. These gadolinium-based nanoparticles enhance MRI contrast, allowing for precise tumor visualization, and significantly amplify the radiation dose delivered to tumor tissues, thereby improving the efficacy of radiotherapy.

Study Highlights:
Safety and Tolerance: The Phase I clinical trial involving 12 patients with locally advanced cervical cancer demonstrated that AGuIX nanoparticles have an excellent safety profile, with no dose-limiting toxicities and no severe side effects observed, especially when combined with brachytherapy or cisplatinum-based chemoradiation.

Enhanced Imaging and Treatment: Based on AGuIX quantification through MRI, treating physicians can determine the optimal radiotherapy dose for each patient.

Efficacy: All patients (n=12) achieved complete remission of the primary tumor, with only one instance of distant tumor recurrence, i.e. 8% compared to 30-40% recurrence according to historical studies. The study confirms the relationship between tumor accumulation, quantification, and encouraging tumor response signals: an estimated dose enhancement factor of about 15% at 2 Gy per tumor has been observed, a meaningful increase that generates a biological response sufficient to achieve tumor control and improved outcomes for patients.

Rapid Clearance: The nanoparticles are rapidly cleared from the body, minimizing potential side effects and allowing for efficient imaging and treatment cycles.

Dr. Olivier de Beaumont, CMO of NH TherAguix, emphasized the significance of these findings: "This study marks a significant advancement in the use of AGuIX as a novel option for cancer treatment. The ability to quantify AGuIX concentration in correspondence with tumor response signals with high precision opens new avenues for personalized medicine in oncology using companion MRI-based information."

Vincent Carrère, CEO of NH TherAguix, commented: "We are thrilled to announce this important publication in ACS Nano. I would like to thank the teams at IGR, especially Professors C. Chargari and E. Deutsch, for this remarkable clinical and translational work. It highlights the transformative potential of AGuIX in enhancing radiotherapy for cervical cancer patients. These promising results reinforce our commitment to advancing innovative cancer treatments and improving patient outcomes."

On 4 July, 2024 Philogen and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (Reuters: SUN.BO, Bloomberg: SUNP IN, NSE: SUNPHARMA, BSE: 524715 (together with its subsidiaries and/or associated companies, "Sun Pharma") reported that on June 20th the European Medicines Agency (EMA) validated the submission of the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for Nidlegy , which was finalized on June 3rd (Press release, Philogen, JUL 4, 2024, View Source [SID1234644680]).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

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

                  Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"The validation of the dossier by EMA represents the first important milestone for the MAA review process," commented Dario Neri, chief executive officer and chief scientific officer at Philogen. "Our group is committed to working with EMA throughout the review process with the goal of making Nidlegy available to patients in need."

Nidlegy is partnered with Sun Pharma for the treatment of Skin Cancers in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. Both companies jointly made the following announcements:

– October 23, 2023 – Phase III PIVOTAL trial met the primary endpoint (link)
– May 31, 2024 – Primary results of PIVOTAL presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) (link)
– June 4, 2024 – MAA submission to EMA (link)

The data of the Phase III Nidlegy trial are expected to be published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal in 2024.