On June 24, 2024 Biond Biologics Ltd. ("Biond" or the "Company"), a private clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel immunotherapies for cancer and a platform for the intracellular delivery of biologics, reported that the first patient has been dosed in a first-in-human clinical trial testing BND-35, a humanized ILT3/LILRB4 antagonist antibody (Press release, Biond Biologics, JUN 24, 2024, View Source [SID1234644517]).

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 first patient was administered BND-35 as a monotherapy at the Institute of Oncology, Davidoff Center, Rabin Medical Center, Israel, one of the six Israel and US trial study sites. The phase 1, open-label, dose escalation study aims to explore the safety, tolerability, anti-tumor activity, pharmacokinetics and exploratory biomarkers for BND-35 as a monotherapy and in combination with two approved drugs, a PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor or the anti-EGFR drug, cetuximab. The decision to test the combination of BND-35 with cetuximab was driven by supportive pre-clinical data and a deep understanding of the BND-35 mechanism of action. BND-35 augments antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, which are mediated by binding of Fc receptors (FcR) on immune cells to antibodies as cetuximab and additional tumor targeting antibodies. Each arm of the trial includes the patient populations most likely to benefit from ILT3/LILRB4 blockade based on translational research findings.

"The BND-35 trial design introduces a novel combination therapy that targets the immunosuppressive cell milieu within the tumor microenvironment (TME)," commented Professor Salomon Stemmer, M.D., Head of Research, Development and Innovation and Deputy Director of Davidoff Center at the Rabin Medical Center, and a clinical investigator in the trial. "There’s a pressing need for innovative treatments for cancers that are resistant to existing therapies. Given its promising preclinical efficacy, we’re eager to assess BND-35’s potential in overcoming ILT3/LILRB4-mediated immunosuppression."

"ILT3 is a unique receptor expressed on various suppressive myeloid cells within the TME and the binding of various ligands to ILT3 maintains the TME in an immunosuppressive state. BND-35 has been demonstrated to effectively block the interaction between ILT3 and its various ligands, thereby enhancing the immune system’s ability to fight tumors, resulting in increased physiological anti-tumor responses and enhanced tumor cell destruction by immune cells," stated Tsuri Peretz, project manager for the BND-35 program.

About ILT3/LILRB4/LILRB4

BND-35 is a novel anti-ILT3/LILRB4 antagonist antibody developed for the treatment of solid tumors. BND-35 binds ILT3/LILRB4 with high affinity and blocks its interaction with ligands present in the TME In vitro and ex vivo studies have demonstrated that BND-35 as monotherapy or in combination with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 pathway inhibitors as well as with anti-EGFR agents, enhances the pro-inflammatory activity of various myeloid cells and inhibits the immunosuppressive activity of suppressive myeloid cells, thereby restoring T cell and NK cell activity.

BND-35-induced immune activity enhancement was demonstrated in a unique system of patient-derived tumoroids. In vivo, blocking ILT3/LILRB4 activity with BND-35, as monotherapy or in combination therapy, resulted in decreased tumor growth and induced a pro-inflammatory phenotype in tumor-resident T cells and myeloid cell populations. Further information about the trial is available in View Source;rank=1 (Trial Identifier: NCT06274437).

On June 21, 2024 Nerviano Medical Sciences S.r.l. ("NMS" or the "Company"), a part of NMS Group S.p.A. (NMS Group) and Nerviano Medical Sciences, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NMS Group, focused on the discovery and development of oncology drugs and the largest oncological R&D company in Italy, reported the strategic discontinuation of three development programs to further prioritize and reinforce efforts on core programs (Press release, Nerviano Medical Sciences, JUN 21, 2024, View Source [SID1234644481]).

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!

NMS-088, a next-generation, clinical-stage FLT3 inhibitor. The decision is the result of internal analysis of the benefit profile of the drug in the third line (3L) setting in patients who are refractory or relapsed after standard of care including prior FLT3 inhibitors and considering the further development in rapidly changing AML treatments. NMS will report the data in in the first half of 2025;
NMS-173, a potent covalent orally available, second-generation dual IDH1/ IDH2 inhibitor, inducing abrogation of 2-HG production and anti-tumor efficacy in IDH mutant mouse models superior to competitors, thus suggesting potential for better efficacy in patients compared to available drugs. NMS-173 has received authorization to start phase I studies in US and Europe for the treatment of patients with IDH1 and IDH2 mutated solid tumors, including cholangiocarcinoma;
NMS-341, a late preclinical-stage next-generation inhibitor of CDC7, with potential for Best-in- Class, due to its unique combination of potency on target, cross-reactivity to CDK9 and oral bioavailability. Based on its broad efficacy as single agent and in combination, and in view of CDC7 role in DNA-damage response, NMS-341 can be used to treat patients with a wide range of solid and hematological tumors, also in combination with chemotherapy and as radio-ligand sensitizer.
NMS is open for potential collaborations or partnerships around these assets, with the right partners to maximize the value of these trusted programs.

NMS remains committed to discover and develop innovative therapies able to address unmet medical needs in oncological patients and will continue to invest to strengthen a focused, high-impact portfolio.

On June 21, 2024 Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: APRE) ("Aprea", or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on precision oncology through synthetic lethality, reported that it will host a virtual KOL event to discuss APR-1051, a highly selective and potentially best-in-class oral WEE1 inhibitor, on Monday, June 24, 2024 at 9:00 AM ET (Press release, Aprea, JUN 21, 2024, View Source [SID1234644482]). To register, click here.

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 webinar will feature Joseph Vacca, PhD, Medicinal Chemistry Expert and Consultant to Aprea, who will discuss the medicinal chemistry history, highly selective drug design, and preclinical findings of APR-1051. It will also feature Eric J. Brown, PhD (University of Pennsylvania) who will discuss preclinical findings across the WEE1 inhibitor class. WEE1 is an enzyme involved in the DNA damage response pathway and is a validated oncology target.

APR-1051 is a potent and selective small molecule that has been designed to limit off-target toxicity. Aprea recently initiated the Phase 1 ACESOT-1051 trial evaluating APR-1051 as monotherapy treatment in patients with significant unmet medical need, including patients with Cyclin E over expression.

A live question and answer session will follow the formal presentations.

Joseph Vacca, PhD is a medicinal chemist who spent 30 years at Merck Research Laboratories (1981 to 2011). He and his teams made major contributions to several approved drugs including the HIV protease inhibitor CRIXIVAN (indinavir sulfate), the HIV integrase inhibitor Isentress (raltegravir); the HCV protease Inhibitor (Vanihep, vaniprevir), the combination product Zepatier which is a combination of the second generation HCV protease Inhibitor grazoprevir and the NS5A protein Inhibitor elbasvir and the recently approved second generation HIV NNRTI inhibitor doravirine. Upon his retirement from Merck in 2011, Dr. Vacca took a role as Senior Vice President of Early Success Sharing Partnerships at WuXi AppTec Limited. He left WuXi in September 2015 to be a consultant and now acts as an interim head of chemistry for several small startup companies. Dr. Vacca has over 100 publications and patents and is the holder of many awards including a Merck Directors Award (1998); PhRMA Discoverers Award (1999); Intellectual Property Owners "National Inventor of the year Award" (1997); European Inventor of the Year (non-EU nation) (2007); ACS "Award for Creative Invention" (1999); and was a named a Merck Research Laboratories Presidential Fellow in 2008. He was named to the American Chemical Society Medicinal Chemistry Hall of Fame (Aug. 2012) and was also named a "Hero of Chemistry" (along with the research team) for his role in the discovery and development of the HIV integrase inhibitorIsentress. Dr. Vacca earned a BS in chemistry in 1977 from St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York, and obtained a PhD degree in Organic Chemistry under Professor Peter T. Lansbury Sr. at the State University of New York at Buffalo (New York).

Eric J. Brown, PhD is Associate Professor of Cancer Biology at the University of Pennsylvania and a Scientific Consultant to Aprea Therapeutics. Dr. Brown’s laboratory at Penn focuses on the role of the replication stress response on genome stability. His research seeks to identify the cancer-associated genetic changes that increase the efficacy of therapeutics that abrogate replication stress responses, such as ATR and WEE1 inhibitors. The genetic changes that impact sensitivity to these therapies are identified through various orthogonal approaches, including proteomics, genome-wide breakpoint mapping, and computational methods. Overall, the goal of this research is both to better understand the mechanism by which these cancer therapeutics operate and to improve responses to these treatments in patients.

On June 21, 2024 Arvinas, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARVN), a clinical-stage biotechnology company creating a new class of drugs based on targeted protein degradation, reported new preclinical data from its investigational BCL6 PROTAC degrader ARV-393 at the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) 2024 Annual Congress that took place June 13-16, 2024 in Madrid, Spain, and presented new preclinical data from its PROTAC LRRK2 degrader program at the Biennial International LRRK2 Meeting that took place June 18-21, 2024 in Crete, Greece (Press release, Arvinas, JUN 21, 2024, View Source [SID1234644487]).

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!

Data presented at EHA (Free EHA Whitepaper) showed anti-tumor activity for the company’s investigational PROTAC BCL6 degrader, ARV-393, in preclinical models of B-cell lymphoma. In these preclinical models, ARV-393 potently and rapidly degraded the BCL6 protein and inhibited cell growth in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and Burkitt cell lines. ARV-393 showed tumor growth inhibition, including tumor regression, in various DLBCL cell line-derived xenograft (CDX) models and in multiple patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), including germinal center B-cell-like (GCB), activated B-cell (ABC), GCB/ABC, BCL not otherwise specified (BCL/NOS) subtypes of DLBCL, and Burkitt lymphoma.

"These new preclinical data for ARV-393 demonstrate that in these models it can effectively target and induce the degradation of the BCL6 protein that is commonly deregulated in DLBCL," said John Houston, Ph.D., Chairperson, President, and Chief Executive Officer at Arvinas. "These encouraging results suggest that ARV-393 could be developed into a potential new treatment for patients with certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, particularly those who have not responded to other treatments."

Preclinical data presented at the Biennial LRRK2 Meeting highlighted the potential of the company’s oral PROTAC LRRK2 degraders to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Preclinical studies in mice demonstrated full target engagement of LRRK2 kinase inhibitor and near-complete LRRK2 degradation with PROTAC LRRK2 degraders, but substantially less Type II pneumocyte enlargement compared to an experimental LRRK2 kinase inhibitor. In addition, the more noticeable Type II pneumocyte enlargement phenotype observed with the experimental LRRK2 kinase inhibitor was substantiated by the accumulation of surfactant protein C in lung, which was not observed after treatment with a PROTAC LRRK2 degrader.

"Nonclinical findings presented this week suggest the potential for a wide therapeutic index and manageable safety profile for PROTAC degraders versus experimental LRRK2 kinase inhibitors," said Angela Cacace, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Arvinas. "In earlier preclinical studies, Arvinas’ PROTAC LRRK2 degraders have been shown to cross the blood-brain barrier and degrade LRRK2, a large multidomain scaffolding kinase, in deep brain regions."

Arvinas’ oral PROTAC BCL6 degrader ARV-393 is currently in a phase 1 clinical trial in patients with NHL, and Arvinas also has an oral PROTAC LRRK2 degrader, ARV-102, currently being investigated in a phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers.

About ARV-393

ARV-393 is an investigational PROTAC designed to degrade B-cell lymphoma 6 protein (BCL6), a transcriptional repressor and major driver of B-cell lymphomas. The BCL6 protein facilitates B cell tolerance of rapid proliferation and somatic gene recombination via repressing cell cycle checkpoints, terminal differentiation, apoptosis, and the DNA damage response. PROTAC-mediated degradation has the potential to address the traditional undruggable nature of BCL6. ARV-393 is currently in a phase 1 clinical trial in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

About ARV-102

ARV-102 is an investigational PROTAC designed to degrade Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) which is a large multidomain scaffolding kinase. Human genetics, increased activity and expressions of LRRK2 is genetically involved in the pathogenesis of neurological diseases including Parkinson’s Disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. Arvinas is developing oral, blood-brain-barrier penetrant PROTAC degraders of LRRK2.

On June 21, 2024 BCI Pharma reported that the company has been acquired by Gedeon Richter (Press release, BCI Pharma, JUN 21, 2024, View Source [SID1234644488]).

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!

Dominique Surleraux, former BCI Pharma CEO, said : "This acquisition will ensure the continuity and development of the BCI and also further clinical development of our assets/research projects. I would like to take the opportunity to thank BCI scientists for their input, BCI investors and the Belgium Walloon region Ministry of economic (SPW wallonie) for their financial support. I’m pretty confident that our assets will improve the quality of life of patients suffering from cancer and endometriosis."