Black Diamond Therapeutics Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Provides Corporate Update

On May 12, 2025 Black Diamond Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BDTX), a clinical-stage oncology company developing MasterKey therapies that target families of oncogenic mutations in patients with cancer, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025, and provided a corporate update (Press release, Black Diamond Therapeutics, MAY 12, 2025, View Source [SID1234652869]).

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"We continue to execute on enrollment in our BDTX-1535 Phase 2 trial for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with EGFRm NSCLC and look forward to providing a clinical update in the fourth quarter of 2025," said Mark Velleca, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Black Diamond Therapeutics. "Our recently announced global licensing agreement with Servier for BDTX-4933 provides us with a strong cash position and runway into the fourth quarter of 2027. Pending FDA feedback in the fourth quarter of 2025, we believe we are well-positioned to begin pivotal development of BDTX-1535 in the first half of 2026."

Recent Developments & Upcoming Milestones:

BDTX-1535:

In the fourth quarter of 2025, Black Diamond expects to disclose initial Phase 2 clinical data for BDTX-1535 in newly diagnosed patients with non-classical epidermal growth factor receptor mutant (EGFRm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (NCT05256290) and plans to solicit U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) feedback on a potential pivotal registrational path.
In April 2025, investigators at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center presented a poster at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting titled: A Phase 0/1 ‘trigger’ trial of BDTX-1535 in recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) patients with EGFR alterations or fusions. The data showed encouraging pharmacokinetic and safety data for BDTX-1535 in recurrent EGFR-positive GBM patients, providing a strong rationale for the program’s continued expansion into newly diagnosed EGFR-positive GBM patients.
In March 2025, the investigator sponsored Phase 0/1 trial was expanded into newly diagnosed GBM patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) alterations. The trial is sponsored by the Ivy Brain Tumor Center in Phoenix, Arizona (NCT06072586).
Corporate

In March 2025, Black Diamond announced a global licensing agreement with Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC (Servier) for BDTX-4933, a small molecule designed by Black Diamond to address unmet medical needs in RAF/RAS-mutant solid tumors. Pursuant to the terms of the agreement, Servier will lead the development activities and the worldwide commercialization of BDTX-4933 across multiple indications, including NSCLC, with potential applications in other solid tumors. Under the agreement, Black Diamond received an upfront payment of $70.0 million in March 2025 and will be eligible to receive up to $710.0 million in development and commercial sales milestone payments, along with tiered royalties based on global net sales.
Financial Highlights

Cash Position: Black Diamond ended the first quarter of 2025 with approximately $152.4 million in cash, cash equivalents, and investments compared to $98.6 million as of December 31, 2024. Net cash provided by operations was $53.4 million for the first quarter of 2025 compared to net cash used in operations of $21.2 million for the first quarter of 2024.
Research and Development Expenses: Research and development (R&D) expenses were $10.5 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $13.5 million for the same period in 2024. The decrease in R&D expenses was primarily due to workforce efficiencies and increased focus on advancing and optimizing development plans for BDTX-1535.
General and Administrative Expenses: General and administrative (G&A) expenses were $5.0 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $6.7 million for the same period in 2024. The decrease in G&A expenses was primarily due to the restructuring announced in October 2024.
Net Income/Loss: Net income for the first quarter of 2025 was $56.5 million, as compared to a net loss of $18.2 million for the same period in 2024.
Financial Guidance

Black Diamond ended the first quarter of 2025 with approximately $152.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments, which the Company believes is sufficient to fund its anticipated operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements into the fourth quarter of 2027.

Karyopharm Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Announces New Data in Myelofibrosis that Further Suggests Selinexor May Lead to Meaningful Spleen Volume Reduction, Symptom Improvement, Hemoglobin Stabilization and Disease Modification

On May 12, 2025 Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: KPTI), a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company pioneering novel cancer therapies, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 and highlighted progress on key clinical development programs (Press release, Karyopharm, MAY 12, 2025, View Source,-Symptom-Improvement,-Hemoglobin-Stabilization-and-Disease-Modificati [SID1234652885]).

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"We are pleased that our Phase 3 SENTRY trial in patients with JAKi-naïve myelofibrosis has passed its pre-specified futility analysis and continues as planned without modifications. Our conviction in this trial is further strengthened by our new data in hard-to-treat myelofibrosis patients where we observed spleen volume reduction, symptom improvement, hemoglobin stabilization and evidence of disease modification with selinexor monotherapy, addressing all four hallmarks of the disease," said Richard Paulson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Karyopharm. "The outcomes that we have observed from our multiple pre-clinical and clinical trials continue to suggest that selinexor may be additive, if not synergistic, when combined with ruxolitinib in JAKi-naïve myelofibrosis patients. This combination holds the potential to be a much needed, new standard of care for patients with myelofibrosis."

First Quarter 2025 Highlights

XPOVIO Commercial Performance

Demand for XPOVIO increased 5% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024, with demand growth in both the community and academic settings.
U.S. net product revenue was $21.1 million in the first quarter of 2025 compared to $26.0 million in the first quarter of 2024. Net product revenue in the first quarter of 2025 was impacted by a $5.0 million increase in the product return reserve due to atypical returns of expired 80 mg and 100 mg units from clinics and hospitals that had purchased these units following the 2020 approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of XPOVIO 100 mg in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone. The majority of XPOVIO that is prescribed today are 40 mg and 60 mg doses, and the Company expects product returns will revert to historical levels in future quarters.
Expanded global patient access for selinexor is translating into growth in royalty revenue from Menarini, Antengene and other international partners. Royalty revenue increased 57% to $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024.
Research and Development (R&D) Highlights

Myelofibrosis

The Phase 3 SENTRY trial (XPORT-MF-034; NCT04562389) continues as planned without any modifications following a pre-specified futility analysis conducted by the independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board. The trial is now approximately 80% enrolled. SENTRY is evaluating 60 mg once-weekly selinexor in combination with ruxolitinib compared to ruxolitinib plus placebo and is targeting 350 patients for enrollment.
Data from the XPORT-MF-035 (NCT04562870) Phase 2, randomized, open-label trial of selinexor versus physician’s-choice (PC) in hard-to-treat patients with heavily pretreated myelofibrosis indicated signs of single-agent clinical activity with selinexor, including spleen volume reduction, hemoglobin stabilization, symptom improvement and evidence of disease modification. Patients were randomized 1:1 to either selinexor monotherapy or PC. Selinexor was administered at 80 mg weekly for the first two cycles and then decreased to 60 mg weekly from cycle 3 onwards. An optional crossover was available for PC treated patients if they met predefined spleen progression criteria. In total, 12 patients were randomized to the selinexor arm and 12 patients to the PC arm; 6 patients crossed over from PC to selinexor. Inclusive of crossover, spleen volume reduction of 25% or more (SVR25) at anytime was achieved in 8/12 (67%) efficacy evaluable selinexor treated patients versus 3/8 (38%) efficacy evaluable patients treated with PC. Spleen volume reduction of 35% or more (SVR35) at anytime was observed in 4/12 (33%) efficacy evaluable patients treated with selinexor versus 1/8 (13%) efficacy evaluable patients treated with PC. Patients treated with selinexor had higher mean hemoglobin levels throughout the study duration and lower rates of red blood cell transfusions than those treated with PC. In addition, data on key cytokines that are relevant to myelofibrosis pathogenesis, symptom development, and anemia including IL-6, IL-8, TNFa, and hepcidin, demonstrated greater reductions at week 4 compared to baseline in patients treated with selinexor than patients treated with PC. Most common (≥25% overall) treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in the randomized arms were decreased weight (selinexor: 50%; PC: 50%), anemia (25%; 58%), asthenia (42%; 25%), nausea (33%; 25%), thrombocytopenia (33%; 25%) and upper respiratory tract infection (25%; 33%). Most common (≥15% in any arm) Grade 3+ TEAEs were anemia (17%; 58%), cardiac failure (0%; 17%), decreased appetite (17%; 0%) and nausea (17%; 8%). No treatment discontinuations due to TEAEs were observed in the selinexor arm. In 2023, Karyopharm decided to stop enrollment at 24 patients in this trial to focus resources on the Phase 3 SENTRY trial.
The Company continues to enroll patients into the 60 mg cohort of the Phase 2 SENTRY-2 trial of selinexor monotherapy in JAKi-naïve patients with moderate thrombocytopenia (XPORT-MF-044; NCT05980806).
Endometrial Cancer

Enrollment continues in the Phase 3 XPORT-EC-042 (NCT05611931) trial evaluating selinexor as a maintenance-only therapy following systemic therapy versus placebo in patients with TP53 wild-type advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer. The Company expects to report top-line data from this event-driven trial in mid-2026.
Multiple Myeloma

Enrollment of approximately 120 patients in the Phase 3 XPORT-MM-031 trial (EMN29; NCT05028348) was completed in the fourth quarter of 2024. The trial is being conducted in collaboration with the European Myeloma Network and is evaluating the all-oral combination of selinexor 40 mg, pomalidomide and dexamethasone (SPd40) in patients with previously treated multiple myeloma who received an anti-CD38 in their immediate prior line of therapy. The Company expects to report top-line data from this event-driven trial in the first half of 2026.
Anticipated Catalysts and Operational Objectives in 2025

Myelofibrosis

Announce completion of target enrollment (N=350) of the Phase 3 SENTRY trial evaluating selinexor in combination with ruxolitinib in JAKi-naive myelofibrosis patients in June/July 2025.
Report preliminary data on a subset of participants in the 60 mg cohort from the Phase 2 SENTRY-2 trial evaluating selinexor as a monotherapy in patients with JAKi-naïve myelofibrosis with moderate thrombocytopenia in 1H 2025.
Report top-line results from the Phase 3 SENTRY trial in late 2025/early 2026.
Multiple Myeloma

Maintain the Company’s commercial foundation in the increasingly competitive multiple myeloma marketplace and drive increased XPOVIO revenues.
Continue global launches and regulatory and reimbursement approvals for selinexor by partners in ex-U.S. territories.
Continue to follow patients that are enrolled in the Phase 3 XPORT-MM-031 (EMN29) trial.
Endometrial Cancer

Continue to enroll patients into the Phase 3 XPORT-EC-042 trial of selinexor as a maintenance monotherapy for patients with TP53 wild-type advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer.
2025 Financial Outlook

Based on its current operating plans, Karyopharm expects the following for full year 2025:

Total revenue to be in the range of $140 million to $155 million. Total revenue consists of U.S. XPOVIO net product revenue and license, royalty and milestone revenue earned from partners.
U.S. XPOVIO net product revenue to be in the range of $115 million to $130 million.
R&D and selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses to be in the range of $240 million to $255 million, which includes approximately $20 million of estimated non-cash stock-based compensation expense.
The Company expects that its existing cash, cash equivalents and investments, and the revenue it expects to generate from XPOVIO net product sales, as well as revenue generated from its license agreements, will fund its planned operations into early first quarter of 2026.1
1Excluding re-payment of $24.5 million aggregate principal amount of the Company’s remaining senior convertible notes due October 2025 (the 2025 Notes) and $25.0 million minimum liquidity covenant under the Company’s senior secured term loan due 2028. Taking into account the repayment of the 2025 Notes and the minimum liquidity covenant, Karyopharm expects its cash, cash equivalents and investments will fund its operations into early fourth quarter of 2025. The Company is exploring various alternatives to extend its cash runway, which may not result in the consummation of any transaction.

First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

Please note: All share amounts and per share amounts in this press release have been adjusted to reflect a 1-for-15 reverse split of our common stock, which we effected on February 25, 2025.

Total revenue: Total revenue for the first quarter of 2025 was $30.0 million, compared to $33.1 million for the first quarter of 2024.

Net product revenue: Net product revenue for the first quarter of 2025 was $21.1 million, compared to $26.0 million for the first quarter of 2024. The decrease in net product revenue was due to an increase in the gross-to-net provision, primarily related to atypical product returns recorded in the first quarter of 2025, resulting in a $5.0 million increase in the product return reserve.

License and other revenue: License and other revenue for the first quarter of 2025 was $9.0 million, compared to $7.1 million for the first quarter of 2024. The increase was attributable to timing of revenue recognition for the reimbursement of development-related expenses from Menarini.

Cost of sales: Cost of sales for the first quarter of 2025 was $1.3 million, compared to $1.9 million for the first quarter of 2024. Cost of sales reflects the costs of XPOVIO units sold and the costs of products sold to our partners.

R&D expenses: R&D expenses for the first quarter of 2025 were $34.6 million, compared to $35.4 million for the first quarter of 2024. The decrease was due to a reduction in personnel costs, partially offset by increased clinical trial activity related to our myelofibrosis trial.

SG&A expenses: SG&A expenses for the first quarter of 2025 were $27.4 million, compared to $29.5 million for the first quarter of 2024. The decrease was primarily due to the realization of previously implemented cost reduction initiatives.

Interest income: Interest income for the first quarter of 2025 was $1.0 million, compared to $2.2 million for the first quarter of 2024. The decrease in interest income was due to a lower cash and investments balance quarter-over-quarter.

Interest expense: Interest expense for the first quarter of 2025 was $11.0 million, compared to $5.9 million for the first quarter of 2024. The increase was related to the term loan and convertible debt that were issued in the second quarter of 2024.

Other income: Other income for the first quarter of 2025 was $19.8 million due to recurring non-cash fair value remeasurements which related to the refinancing transactions that were completed in the second quarter of 2024. The Company had immaterial other income in the first quarter of 2024.

Net loss: Karyopharm reported a net loss of $23.5 million, or $2.77 per basic and diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, compared to a net loss of $37.4 million, or $4.85 per basic and diluted share, for the first quarter of 2024. Net loss included non-cash stock-based compensation expense of $3.6 million and $5.0 million for the first quarters of 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Cash position: Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and investments as of March 31, 2025 totaled $70.3 million, compared to $109.1 million as of December 31, 2024.

Conference Call Information

Karyopharm will host a conference call today, May 12, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, to discuss the first quarter 2025 financial results, the financial outlook for 2025 and to provide other business updates. To access the conference call, please dial (800) 836-8184 (local) or (646) 357-8785 (international) at least 10 minutes prior to the start time and ask to be joined into the Karyopharm Therapeutics call. A live audio webcast of the call, along with accompanying slides, will be available under "Events & Presentations" in the Investor section of the Company’s website. An archived webcast will be available on the Company’s website approximately two hours after the event.

About XPOVIO (selinexor)

XPOVIO is a first-in-class, oral exportin 1 (XPO1) inhibitor and the first of Karyopharm’s Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compounds for the treatment of cancer. XPOVIO functions by selectively binding to and inhibiting the nuclear export protein XPO1. XPOVIO is approved in the U.S. and marketed by Karyopharm in multiple oncology indications, including: (i) in combination with VELCADE (bortezomib) and dexamethasone (XVd) in adult patients with multiple myeloma after at least one prior therapy; (ii) in combination with dexamethasone in adult patients with heavily pre-treated multiple myeloma; and (iii) under accelerated approval in adult patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), including DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma, after at least two lines of systemic therapy. XPOVIO (also known as NEXPOVIO in certain countries) has received regulatory approvals in various indications in a growing number of ex-U.S. territories and countries, including but not limited to the European Union, the United Kingdom, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, Israel, and Canada. XPOVIO/NEXPOVIO is marketed in these respective ex-U.S. territories by Karyopharm’s partners: Antengene, Menarini, Neopharm, and FORUS. Selinexor is also being investigated in several other mid- and late-stage clinical trials across multiple high unmet need cancer indications, including in endometrial cancer and myelofibrosis.

For more information about Karyopharm’s products or clinical trials, please contact the Medical Information department at: Tel: +1 (888) 209-9326; Email: [email protected]

XPOVIO (selinexor) is a prescription medicine approved:

In combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy (XVd).
In combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior therapies and whose disease is refractory to at least two proteasome inhibitors, at least two immunomodulatory agents, and an anti‐CD38 monoclonal antibody (Xd).
For the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL), not otherwise specified, including DLBCL arising from follicular lymphoma, after at least two lines of systemic therapy. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on response rate. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trial(s).
SELECT IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Warnings and Precautions

Thrombocytopenia: Monitor platelet counts throughout treatment. Manage with dose interruption and/or reduction and supportive care.
Neutropenia: Monitor neutrophil counts throughout treatment. Manage with dose interruption and/or reduction and granulocyte colony‐stimulating factors.
Gastrointestinal Toxicity: Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, and weight loss may occur. Provide antiemetic prophylaxis. Manage with dose interruption and/or reduction, antiemetics, and supportive care.
Hyponatremia: Monitor serum sodium levels throughout treatment. Correct for concurrent hyperglycemia and high serum paraprotein levels. Manage with dose interruption, reduction, or discontinuation, and supportive care.
Serious Infection: Monitor for infection and treat promptly.
Neurological Toxicity: Advise patients to refrain from driving and engaging in hazardous occupations or activities until neurological toxicity resolves. Optimize hydration status and concomitant medications to avoid dizziness or mental status changes.
Embryo‐Fetal Toxicity: Can cause fetal harm. Advise females of reproductive potential and males with a female partner of reproductive potential, of the potential risk to a fetus and use of effective contraception.
Cataract: Cataracts may develop or progress. Treatment of cataracts usually requires surgical removal of the cataract.
Adverse Reactions

The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) in patients with multiple myeloma who receive XVd are fatigue, nausea, decreased appetite, diarrhea, peripheral neuropathy, upper respiratory tract infection, decreased weight, cataract and vomiting. Grade 3‐4 laboratory abnormalities (≥10%) are thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, hypophosphatemia, anemia, hyponatremia and neutropenia. In the BOSTON trial, fatal adverse reactions occurred in 6% of patients within 30 days of last treatment. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 52% of patients. Treatment discontinuation rate due to adverse reactions was 19%.
The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) in patients with multiple myeloma who receive Xd are thrombocytopenia, fatigue, nausea, anemia, decreased appetite, decreased weight, diarrhea, vomiting, hyponatremia, neutropenia, leukopenia, constipation, dyspnea and upper respiratory tract infection. In the STORM trial, fatal adverse reactions occurred in 9% of patients. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 58% of patients. Treatment discontinuation rate due to adverse reactions was 27%.
The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥20%) in patients with DLBCL, excluding laboratory abnormalities, are fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, appetite decrease, weight decrease, constipation, vomiting, and pyrexia. Grade 3‐4 laboratory abnormalities (≥15%) are thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, neutropenia, anemia, and hyponatremia. In the SADAL trial, fatal adverse reactions occurred in 3.7% of patients within 30 days, and 5% of patients within 60 days of last treatment; the most frequent fatal adverse reactions was infection (4.5% of patients). Serious adverse reactions occurred in 46% of patients; the most frequent serious adverse reaction was infection (21% of patients). Discontinuation due to adverse reactions occurred in 17% of patients.
Use In Specific Populations
Lactation: Advise not to breastfeed.

For additional product information, including full prescribing information, please visit www.XPOVIO.com.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. at 1‐888‐209‐9326 or FDA at 1‐800‐FDA‐1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

CARsgen Announces Preliminary Clinical Data for Allogeneic BCMA CAR-T CT0596, Demonstrating Favorable Safety and Efficacy

On May 11, 2025 CARsgen Therapeutics Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 2171.HK), a company focused on developing innovative CAR T-cell therapies, reported preliminary clinical data for CT0596, an allogeneic BCMA-targeted CAR-T developed using the THANK-u Plus platform (Press release, Carsgen Therapeutics, MAY 11, 2025, View Source [SID1234652835]). CT0596 is currently being evaluated in an early exploratory clinical study for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM) or relapsed/refractory plasma cell leukemia (R/R PCL) to assess its safety, and preliminary efficacy.

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As of May 6, 2025, 8 patients with R/R MM who had received at least three prior lines of therapy were enrolled and infused with CT0596 following lymphodepletion with the FC regimen (fludarabine 22.5-30 mg/m² and cyclophosphamide 350-500 mg/m²). Key findings from up to four months of follow-up include:

No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), ≥Grade 3 cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were reported. The product demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with no patients discontinuing treatment due to adverse events.
1) Among 5 patients who completed the first efficacy assessment at Week 4, 3 patients (60%) achieved stringent complete response/complete response (sCR/CR), and 4 patients (80%) achieved minimal residual disease (MRD)-negativity in the bone marrow. 2) Early efficacy data from 2 patients at Day 14 showed reductions in measurable lesions by ≥92% and ≥65%, respectively. 3) 1 patient had not yet reached the protocol-specified efficacy assessment timepoint.
All sCR/CR patients remained in ongoing responses, including the first patient who completed the four-month follow-up.
Based on the preliminary safety and efficacy data, CT0596 demonstrated favorable tolerability and encouraging efficacy signals in R/R MM patients across all predefined dose levels, with CAR-T expansion observed. These findings warrant further exploration not only in R/R MM, but also in other plasma cell malignancies and autoimmune diseases mediated by autoreactive plasma cells. CARsgen plans to present detailed clinical data at upcoming scientific conferences. The company anticipates submitting an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for this product candidate in the second half of 2025.

About THANK-u Plus

CARsgen has developed the THANK-u Plus platform as an enhanced version of its proprietary THANK-uCAR allogeneic CAR-T technology to address the potential impact of NKG2A expression levels on therapeutic efficacy. THANK-u Plus demonstrates sustained expansion regardless of varying NKG2A expression levels on NK cells and exhibits significantly improved expansion compared to THANK-uCAR. Preclinical studies show that THANK-u Plus delivers superior antitumor efficacy in the presence of NK cells compared to THANK-uCAR. Allogeneic BCMA or dual-targeting CD19/CD20 CAR-T cells developed using this platform exhibit robust antitumor activity in the presence of NK cells, indicating that THANK-u Plus has broad potential for developing diverse allogeneic CAR-T therapies. CARsgen is developing allogeneic CAR-T products using THANK-u Plus platform to increase CAR T cell expansion, persistence and efficacy.

InnoCare’s Mesutoclax Receives Breakthrough Therapy Designation from China’s NMPA

On May 11, 2025 InnoCare Pharma (HKEX: 09969; SSE: 688428), a leading biopharmaceutical company focusing on the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases, reported that its B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) inhibitor, Mesutoclax (ICP-248), has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the treatment of BTKi-treated relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (R/R MCL) (Press release, InnoCare Pharma, MAY 11, 2025, View Source [SID1234652836]). This marks the first BCL2 inhibitor to receive BTD recognition in China!

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Mesutoclax is a novel, orally bioavailable BCL2 selective inhibitor, developed as monotherapy or in combination with orelabrutinib for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and other non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas (NHLs), and as well as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). BCL2 is an important regulatory protein in the apoptosis pathway, and its abnormal expression is associated with the development of various hematologic malignancies. Mesutoclax exerts anti-tumor activity by selectively inhibiting BCL2 and restoring the normal apoptosis process in cancer cells.

Dr. Jasmine Cui, the Co-founder, Chairwoman, and CEO of InnoCare, said, "We are delighted that mesutoclax has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation, which will help expedite multi-center, multi-indication clinical trials for mesutoclax in China and globally to benefit patients as early as possible."

Clinical trials of mesutoclax are ongoing both in China and globally, including a Phase III registrational trial of mesutoclax in combination with orelabrutinib as a first line therapy for the treatment of CLL/SLL patients, as well as a clinical trial of mesutoclax for the treatment of AML.

The Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD) by the CDE aims to accelerate the clinical development of new drugs that demonstrate significant clinical advantages. New drugs granted BTD are typically intended for diseases that are life-threatening or severely impair quality of life, and have demonstrated clear advantages in efficacy or safety during clinical trials.

SystImmune, Inc. to Present Updated izalontamab brengitecan (iza-bren) Data in Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer at ESMO Breast 2025

On May 9, 2025 SystImmune, Inc. (SystImmune), a clinical-stage biotechnology company, reported that one abstract on izalontamab brengitecan (iza-bren), a potentially first-in-class EGFRxHER3 bispecific antibody drug conjugate (ADC) will be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Breast Cancer 2025 Annual Congress taking place May 14 – May 17 in Munich, Germany (Press release, SystImmune, MAY 9, 2025, View Source [SID1234652830]). Iza-bren is being jointly developed by SystImmune and Bristol Myers Squibb under a collaboration and exclusive license agreement.

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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

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Data will be presented at the meeting from an ongoing Ph1 clinical trial of iza-bren in patients with locally advanced or metastatic HER2- Breast Cancer. Additional subgroup analysis in previously disclosed data at SABCS 2024 shows encouraging efficacy for iza-bren across all HER2 levels in HER2- Breast Cancer patients including HER2 0 patients. These data highlights continued progress in iza-bren clinical development and builds upon the previously reported clinical data in breast cancer patients at SABCS in 2024.

"These data continue to support our conviction that iza-bren demonstrates strong clinical efficacy across a wide variety of tumors such as breast cancer including HER2 negative breast cancer with a manageable safety profile," said Jonathan Cheng, M.D., CMO of SystImmune. "This positions iza-bren as an important therapeutic option that may address the unmet medical needs of patients with limited treatment options. We are committed to advancing this therapy through clinical trials, exploring its potential not only as a monotherapy but also in combination with other agents, so as to improve outcomes for cancer patients globally."

Details on the presentations at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Breast are below:

Phase I study of iza-bren (BL-B01D1), an EGFR x HER3 Bispecific Antibody-drug Conjugate (ADC), in Patients with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer (BC)
Presentation No: 302MO
Session Title: Mini Oral Session 2
Speaker: Yiqun Du (Shanghai, China)
Session Date & Time: Friday, May 16th, 2025, 8:20 AM-10:10 AM CEST

About iza-bren
The company is developing iza-bren, a bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets both EGFR and HER3. These proteins are highly expressed in most epithelial tumors. The tetravalent iza-bren has two binding domains for distinct Growth Factor Receptors that drive cancer cell proliferation and survival. Iza-bren blocks EGFR and HER3 signals to cancer cells, reducing proliferation and survival signals. Upon antibody mediated internalization, iza-bren is trafficked to cancer cell lysosomes and liberates its therapeutic payload that induces genotoxic stress activating pathways leading to cancer cell death.