Karyopharm Announces Dosing of First Patient in a New Phase 2 Study Evaluating Single-Agent Selinexor Versus Physician’s Choice in Previously Treated Myelofibrosis

On December 6, 2021 Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:KPTI), a commercial-stage pharmaceutical company pioneering novel cancer therapies, reported dosing of the first patient in a new Phase 2 study evaluating oral selinexor, the Company’s first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compound, as a monotherapy versus physician’s choice in patients with myelofibrosis (MF) previously treated with a JAK 1/2 inhibitor (XPORT-MF-035; NCT04562870) (Press release, Karyopharm, DEC 6, 2021, View Source [SID1234596468]).

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This randomized, multi-center, open-label Phase 2 study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of selinexor monotherapy and is expected to enroll up to 112 patients, who will be randomized 1:1 to receive either low dose, once-weekly oral selinexor or physician’s standard treatment choice (per clinical practice). The primary endpoint of the study is the percentage of patients with spleen volume reduction (SVR) of ≥35% from baseline as assessed by an Independent Review Committee. The first patient has been dosed at the Instituto Scientifico Romagnolo per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori (IRST) Meldola, Italy, by the Lead Principal Investigator, Dr. Alessandro Lucchesi, Sr. Consultant and Research Hematologist under the guide of Professor Giovanni Martinelli, the Chief Scientific Director.

Initiation of this Phase 2 study follows encouraging preliminary data from the Phase 2 ESSENTIAL trial, which will be highlighted in an oral presentation given by Srinivas Tantravahi, MBBS, MRCP, University of Utah Hospital, at the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) 2021 Annual and Exposition on Saturday, December 11, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. ET. In the investigator-sponsored ESSENTIAL study (NCT03627403), which is evaluating selinexor in patients with MF previously treated with a JAK inhibitor, preliminary data showed that 33% of patients that received at least 24 weeks of selinexor treatment achieved ≥35% SVR. The responses were durable, and the first patient remained on study for more than two years. Patients had a median duration of 22 months of prior JAK inhibitor therapy with 11 out of 12 patients having disease refractory to ruxolitinib.

"As part of our strategic imperatives and pipeline priorities, we remain focused on diseases with the highest unmet needs and greatest potential to make an impact in patient outcomes," said Sharon Shacham, PhD, MBA, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Karyopharm. "Myelofibrosis is a serious and life–threatening blood cancer defined by stem cell–derived clonal myeloproliferation, bone marrow fibrosis, anemia, enlarged spleen, low blood counts and short survival. With JAK inhibitors being the only class of drugs approved for this disease, there remains limited therapeutic options for patients who either progress following treatment with a JAK inhibitor or are intolerant. We believe selinexor has the potential to hold an important place in the myelofibrosis treatment paradigm and with dosing of the first patient underway, we plan to provide updates as the study progresses."

About XPOVIO (selinexor)

XPOVIO is a first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compound. XPOVIO functions by selectively binding to and inhibiting the nuclear export protein exportin 1 (XPO1, also called CRM1). XPOVIO blocks the nuclear export of tumor suppressor, growth regulatory and anti-inflammatory proteins, leading to accumulation of these proteins in the nucleus and enhancing their anti-cancer activity in the cell. The forced nuclear retention of these proteins can counteract a multitude of the oncogenic pathways that, unchecked, allow cancer cells with severe DNA damage to continue to grow and divide in an unrestrained fashion. Karyopharm received accelerated U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of XPOVIO in July 2019 in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) 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. NEXPOVIO (selinexor) has also been granted conditional marketing authorization for adult patients with heavily pretreated multiple myeloma by the European Commission. Karyopharm’s supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) requesting an expansion of its indication to include the treatment for patients with multiple myeloma after at least one prior therapy was approved by the FDA on December 18, 2020. In June 2020, Karyopharm received accelerated FDA approval of XPOVIO for its second indication in 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. Selinexor is also being evaluated in several other mid-and later-phase clinical trials across multiple cancer indications, including as a potential backbone therapy in combination with approved myeloma therapies (STOMP) and in endometrial cancer (SIENDO), among others. Additional Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies are ongoing or currently planned, including multiple studies in combination with approved therapies in a variety of tumor types to further inform Karyopharm’s clinical development priorities for selinexor. Additional clinical trial information for selinexor is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

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 2 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.

37th Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs (SITC 2022), November 8-12, Boston, MA

On December 6, 2021 ITI reported that it will be attending SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) 2022 in Boston, MA (Press release, Immunomic Therapeutics, DEC 6, 2021, View Source [SID1234596487])

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The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs brings together stakeholders across the cancer immunotherapy field to advance the science, discover breakthroughs and educate the world on cancer immunotherapy.

As the largest conference solely focused on cancer immunotherapy, the Annual Meeting & Pre-Conference Programs provides international leaders from academia, regulatory and government agencies, as well as industry representatives with a multidisciplinary educational and interactive environment focused on improving outcomes for all cancer patients.

Purple Biotech Announces Initiation of Part 2 of Ongoing Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial Evaluating NT219 for Treatment of Multiple Cancers Supporting Potential Expansion of Clinical Program

On December 6, 2021 Purple Biotech (NASDAQ/TASE: PPBT), a clinical-stage company developing first-in-class, effective and durable therapies by overcoming tumor immune evasion and drug resistance, reported the initiation of Part 2 of its ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial of NT219, a novel small molecule inhibiting simultaneously IRS1/2 and STAT3, for the treatment of multiple cancers (Press release, Purple Biotech, DEC 6, 2021, View Source [SID1234596503]). Part 2 is a dose escalation study of NT219, beginning with 6mg/kg, in combination with the standard dose of cetuximab (ERBITUX), in patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck cancer (SCCHN) or colorectal adenocarcinoma.

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The monotherapy portion of the study, Part 1, is progressing as planned, and is now dosing patients with advanced solid tumors in the 24mg/kg cohort. To date, no drug limiting toxicities have been observed in the trial, and NT219 has been found to be well-tolerated with minimal serious adverse events.

Initial efficacy data previously reported from the first dose level in Part 1, and additional efficacy signals in the following two cohorts, support the immediate extension of the study to Part 2 of the study, dosing NT219 at its recommended Phase 2 dose in combination with cetuximab in patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN, as well as the potential expansion of the clinical program to new indications, which is anticipated to commence during the second half of 2022.

Additional preliminary efficacy data from Part 1 of the trial is expected to be presented at a medical meeting in the first half of 2022.

"The advancement of our ongoing Phase 1/2 clinical trial to Part 2 represents an important achievement for our NT-219 clinical development program," said Michael Schickler, Ph.D., Head of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs of Purple Biotech. "We are encouraged by the initial signals of efficacy, as well as safety trends, observed in Part 1 of the study to date. We look forward to the availability of additional preliminary efficacy data from Part 1 of the study in the first half of 2022, as well as to the further advancement of our development program to Part 2 of the study, and to the potential expansion of the clinical program into other unmet cancer indications, in the second half of 2022."

Melanoma Research Alliance Applauds Expanded Approval of Pembrolizumab to Patients with Stage 2 Disease

On December 6, 2021 The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), the largest non-profit funder of melanoma research worldwide, reported the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decision to expand eligibility of Merck’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to include patients with Stage IIB and IIC melanoma (Press release, Melanoma Research Alliance, DEC 6, 2021, View Source [SID1234596520]).

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Melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, is the fifth most common cancer in the U.S. While surgery is curative for most patients with early-stage disease, an estimated 27% percent of patients with Stage II melanoma will experience a disease recurrence in the first five years following surgery.1 Reducing the risk of recurrence after surgery represents a major opportunity to eliminate melanoma suffering and death.

"Over the last decade the treatment landscape for patients facing advanced melanoma has been dramatically changed by checkpoint immunotherapies," says MRA Chief Science Officer Marc Hurlbert, PhD. "It’s great to see those same advancements now become available to patients with Stage II melanoma at risk for recurrence."

Pembrolizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, works by stimulating the patient’s immune system to attack melanoma by promoting the tumor-killing effectiveness of T cells. It was first approved for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma in 2014 and has since gained FDA approval to treat multiple cancers, including certain cancers of the lung, bladder and blood.

FDA approval of pembrolizumab in the adjuvant setting is based on results from the KEYNOTE-716 trial. In this randomized, Phase 3 study, patients with resected stage IIB or IIC melanoma who were treated with pembrolizumab demonstrated a 35% reduced risk of disease recurrence or death compared with patients receiving placebo.

"By giving patients a new option to prevent recurrence – at even earlier stages of disease – we are marking a new milestone in achieving MRA’s mission of ending suffering and death due to melanoma," says MRA President & CEO Michael Kaplan.

Redx and Caris Life Sciences Announce Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Phase 2 Study Recruitment in US

On December 6, 2021 Redx Pharma (AIM: REDX), the clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing novel, small molecule, highly targeted therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and fibrotic disease, and Caris Life Sciences ("Caris"), the leading molecular science and technology company actively developing and delivering innovative solutions to revolutionize healthcare, reported that they have entered into a strategic partnership (Press release, Redx Pharma, DEC 6, 2021, View Source [SID1234596488]).

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The partnership will leverage Caris’ comprehensive Whole Transcriptome Sequencing (WTS) and Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) platform assay, real-world data and its Right-In-Time (RIT) clinical trial solutions to enhance the speed of U.S. accruals for Redx’s Phase 2 trial for the investigational Porcupine inhibitor, RXC004, in genetically-selected patients with Wnt-ligand dependent microsatellite stable (MSS) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Utilizing Caris’ RIT clinical trial solution will help Redx match the right U.S. patients to the Phase 2 trial based on both the individual patient’s molecular tumour profile and the trial’s eligibility requirements, i.e., those whose cancers carry Ring Finger Protein 43 (RNF43) loss of function mutations or R-spondin (RSPO) fusions with MSS mCRC, and have progressed following therapy with current standard of care. Through the nationwide identification of eligible patients with the required genetic characteristics Caris’ flexible enrolment model will enable rapid initiation of study treatment for RXC004 at its extensive network of U.S. RIT trial sites, in addition to trial sites initiated by Redx.

Lisa Anson, Chief Executive Officer of Redx Pharma, said: "We are delighted to be partnering with Caris on several of their innovative technologies and approaches. Together we aim to greatly enhance the speed of our patient accrual for the U.S. into PORCUPINE, our RXC004 Phase 2 trial in patients with Wnt-ligand driven metastatic colorectal cancer who currently have few treatment options. The Caris approach will complement our screening capabilities, and potentially identify new populations where RXC004 may have utility."

"Unlike more limited panels, Caris tests all 22,000 genes in both DNA and RNA, which minimizes the potential of missing alterations that would inform drug development decisions," said Brian Lamon Ph.D., Chief Business Officer, Head of BioPharma Business Development at Caris Life Sciences. "We will comprehensively deploy all of our precision oncology tools to support and maximize the success of the RXC004 program."

The RXC004 Phase 2 trial in MSS mCRC patients (NCT04907539), known as the PORCUPINE trial, prospectively selects patients with Wnt-ligand dependence for treatment with Redx’s Porcupine inhibitor, RXC004. The study will recruit patients from the U.K., U.S., Spain and South Korea. The prevalence of the upstream Wnt pathway aberrations which drive Wnt-ligand dependence in MSS mCRC, RNF43 loss of function mutations and RSPO-fusions, is around 8%. As such, identification of potentially eligible MSS mCRC patients involves a significant screening effort. The International Coordinating Investigator in the U.S. for PORCUPINE, the RXC004 Phase 2 trial in colorectal cancer, is Professor Scott Kopetz at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.

The strategic partnership between Redx and Caris will also include a real-world evidence collaboration, using Caris’ extensive database of genetic aberrations, therapeutic interventions and patient outcomes, to understand the clinical outcomes for MSS CRC patients with these genetic aberrations. Utilizing Caris’ comprehensive data set will allow Redx to further characterize the target patient population, and potentially identify additional patient populations in MSS CRC where RXC004 may have efficacy. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

About RXC004
RXC004 is a wholly owned, potent, selective, oral, small-molecule inhibitor of the Porcupine enzyme, a key activator of Wnt ligands in the Wnt-signalling pathway. The Wnt pathway is well established as a driver of both tumour growth and immune evasion. Aberrant Wnt signalling contributes directly to tumour growth and plays an important role in immune evasion, which has also been linked to resistance to immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) such as nivolumab. By selecting patients with tumours that have high Wnt-ligand dependency, such as those with loss of function mutations in the RNF43 gene and fusions in the RSPO gene family, RXC004 has an opportunity to both directly inhibit the tumour growth and have an immune-enhancing effect to allow the patient’s immune system to better recognise and attack the tumour.

ICIs such as anti-PD-1 antibodies have revolutionised the treatment of cancer, but do not work in all patients. Wnt-pathway activation can enhance the ability of the tumour to evade destruction by the immune system and has been linked to lack of response to ICIs in these tumours. Redx scientists have observed in preclinical studies that RXC004 can block activation of the Wnt pathway and restore the ability of the immune system to fight the tumour. Thus, RXC004 offers potential to address some of the shortcomings of ICI therapies through increasing both response rates and duration of response, particularly in patient populations unresponsive to ICI therapy.