Revolution Medicines Reports Progress Across Pipeline of Targeted Therapeutics for RAS-Addicted Cancers in Presentation at 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

On January 11, 2022 Revolution Medicines, Inc. (Nasdaq: RVMD), a clinical-stage oncology company developing novel targeted therapies for RAS-addicted cancers, reported progress across its pipeline of targeted therapeutics spanning its RAS(ON) Inhibitor and RAS Companion Inhibitor portfolios (Press release, Revolution Medicines, JAN 11, 2022, View Source [SID1234598582]). These updates were announced in a corporate presentation delivered by Mark A. Goldsmith, M.D., Ph.D., the company’s chief executive officer and chairman, at the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

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RAS(ON) Inhibitors

As a centerpiece of this presentation, Dr. Goldsmith provided updates on the company’s expanding portfolio of innovative RAS(ON) Inhibitors. The company is on track to file investigational new drug (IND) applications in the first half of 2022 for its two most advanced RAS(ON) Inhibitors, RMC-6236 (RASMULTI) and RMC-6291 (KRASG12C), both of which have shown attractive preclinical profiles including strong anti-tumor activity.

Dr. Goldsmith also introduced two new mutant-selective RAS(ON) Inhibitors that Revolution Medicines has advanced into IND-enabling development. RMC-9805 is an oral, mutant-selective, covalent inhibitor of KRASG12D, which is the primary tumor driver in more than 50,000 new patients with colorectal, pancreatic or lung cancer annually in the United States. Evaluation in preclinical in vivo cancer models has demonstrated best-in-class potential for RMC-9805, and the company aims to file an IND application in the first half of 2023.

RMC-8839 is an oral, mutant-selective, covalent inhibitor of KRASG13C. Revolution Medicines believes that RMC-8839 is the first compound to directly target KRASG13C, an important therapeutic target primarily for lung and select colorectal cancer patients who are not currently served by any targeted RAS drug. This first-in-class development candidate has demonstrated strong anti-tumor responses in in vivo cancer models and the company aims to file an IND application in the second half of 2023.

In addition to its four development-stage RAS(ON) Inhibitors, the company disclosed that it has ongoing discovery programs pursuing additional mutant-selective compounds for various cancer mutations at RAS hotspots G12, G13 and Q61, with the goal of nominating a fifth development candidate in the second half of 2022.

RAS Companion Inhibitors

Dr. Goldsmith also provided updates on the company’s class-leading, clinical-stage RAS Companion Inhibitors: RMC-4630, the company’s investigational SHP2 inhibitor, and RMC-5552, the company’s potent, selective inhibitor of mTORC1.

The first patient has been dosed in RMC-4630-03, a global, multicenter, open-label Phase 2 study evaluating the efficacy, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of RMC-4630 in combination with Lumakras (sotorasib), Amgen’s KRASG12C inhibitor, in subjects with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Revolution Medicines is sponsoring the RMC-4630-03 study under its global partnership with Sanofi and conducting the trial in collaboration with Amgen, which is supplying sotorasib to study sites globally. The study’s first patient was enrolled and dosed at Sarah Cannon Research Institute in Nashville, Tennessee, by study investigator Melissa Johnson, M.D., Director of the Lung Cancer Research Program.

The company also reported initial findings from the ongoing dose escalation portion of its Phase 1/1b clinical trial of RMC-5552, including preliminary evidence of clinical activity against advanced tumors with mutations associated with hyperactive mTORC1 signaling. To date, all four efficacy evaluable patients treated with 6 mg per week have experienced disease control, including one patient exhibiting a confirmed partial response with a 63% reduction from baseline and the other three with stable disease. A strategic priority is to evaluate RMC-5552 in combination with RAS(ON) Inhibitors in patients carrying both RAS and mTOR pathway mutations, representing approximately 30,000 new patients per year in the United States.

"We begin 2022 with strong momentum in our efforts to serve critical unmet medical needs for patients with diverse RAS-addicted cancers," said Dr. Goldsmith. "We now have four development-stage RAS(ON) Inhibitors with compelling preclinical profiles, the first two of which are expected to enter the clinic this year and the other two advancing toward IND filings in 2023. In addition, both of our clinical-stage RAS Companion Inhibitors have now shown encouraging initial single agent clinical activity and are continuing in monotherapy and/or combination treatment studies. Our cohesive portfolio of development-stage assets is designed to inhibit the cancer drivers of all major RAS-addicted forms of human lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancer, and we remain optimistic that the era of targeted treatment for patients with these cancers is within reach."

BeyondSpring Announces Organizational Streamlining

On January 11, 2022 BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals (the "Company" or "BeyondSpring") (NASDAQ: BYSI), a global pharmaceutical company focused on the development of cancer therapeutics, reported an organizational streamlining initiative focused on prioritizing the Company’s highest value business activities, extending its cash runway and preserving long-term sustainability (Press release, BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, JAN 11, 2022, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=beyondspring-announces-organizational-streamlining [SID1234598583]).

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As part of the reorganization, BeyondSpring is reducing its U.S. workforce by 35%, including reassignment of certain personnel to subsidiaries, which is expected to result in cost savings that will extend the cash runway. The reorganization follows BeyondSpring’s receipt of a Complete Response Letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the New Drug Application (NDA) seeking approval of plinabulin in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) on November 30, 2021.

"The reorganization of BeyondSpring is a necessary step forward for the Company to deliver on its mission to develop innovative cancer therapies and improve clinical outcomes for patients who have high unmet medical needs globally," said Dr. Lan Huang, BeyondSpring’s co-founder, chief executive officer and chairwoman. "This reorganization will enable BeyondSpring to reduce operating expenses and extend its cash runway. We express sincere appreciation to colleagues impacted by this decision, and thank our team members for their contributions."

Going forward, BeyondSpring intends to prioritize the following clinical and regulatory activities:

Continued advancement of the regulatory process of plinabulin in CIN in China and the U.S.
NDA filing and regulatory process of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the U.S. and China
Advancement of immune-oncology (IO) trials with plinabulin in triple combination IO therapy in various cancers.

The Company remains committed to optimizing the value of the plinabulin franchise through further clinical development in areas of unmet medical need.

Panavance Therapeutics Inc. Created to Transform Cancer Treatment

On January 11, 2022 Panavance Therapeutics Inc. ("Panavance") is a new clinical-stage pharmaceutical company reported that created to advance and develop GP-2250, a patented, novel therapeutic for the treatment of cancer and other therapeutic indications (Press release, Panavance Therapeutics, JAN 11, 2022, View Source [SID1234598602]).

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GP-2250 is a broadly active, tumor cell selective cancer therapeutic with a unique mechanism of action that, as demonstrated in preclinical research, suppresses cancer cells by disrupting their energy metabolism—bringing about cancer cell death. Panavance’s initial clinical focus is on pancreatic cancer, and the company is conducting preclinical studies to develop GP-2250 for the treatment of other cancers and therapeutic indications.

"Panavance was established by Avensis Pharma AG to pursue the development of GP-2250, a novel compound with great potential. This molecule has demonstrated effectiveness and safety in preclinical studies, and its early clinical results in a Phase 1/2 pancreatic cancer trial across 4 US clinical sites have been encouraging," said Greg Bosch, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Panavance.

"We believe in the potential of GP-2250, and the Panavance team is dedicated to realizing its therapeutic possibilities, starting with pancreatic and gynecological cancers, both of which represent areas with unmet clinical need. Ultimately, we hope to improve and extend the lives of cancer patients."

To accelerate its capitalization, development, and success, Panavance has assembled an impressive leadership team, board of directors, and clinical and scientific advisors, which include seasoned leaders with life science backgrounds in pharmaceutical drug development, clinical and medical sciences, commercialization, and capital markets.

Learn more about Panavance and GP-2250 at www.panavance.com.

References and links to websites have been provided for convenience, and the information contained on any such website is not a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this press release. Panavance is not responsible for the contents of third-party websites.

HUTCHMED Initiates Phase I Study of BTK Inhibitor HMPL-760 in Patients with Previously Treated B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in China

On January 10, 2022 HUTCHMED (China) Limited ("HUTCHMED") (Nasdaq/AIM:HCM; HKEX:13) reported that it has initiated a Phase I study in China of HMPL-760, a highly potent, selective, and reversible inhibitor with long target engagement against Bruton’s tyrosine kinase ("BTK"), including wild-type and C481S-mutated BTK. The first patient received their first dose on January 4, 2022.

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The clinical study is a multi-center, open-label study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and preliminary efficacy profile of HMPL-760. The study is enrolling patients with previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia/​small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) or other types of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma ("NHL"), including patients treated with a prior regimen containing a BTK inhibitor, whose disease carries either wild-type BTK or acquired resistance to first generation BTK inhibitors due to additional mutations to BTK.

An initial dose escalation stage to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or the recommended Phase II dose ("RP2D") is planned, to be followed by a dose expansion phase where patients will receive HMPL‑760 to further evaluate the safety, tolerability, and clinical activity at the RP2D. Approximately 100 patients are expected to be enrolled.

HMPL-760 is HUTCHMED’s fifth investigational drug candidate targeting hematological malignancies in clinical development. Amdizalisib (HMPL-689, targeting the delta isoform of phosphoinositide 3-kinase or PI3K delta) and HMPL-523 (targeting spleen tyrosine kinase or Syk) are also being studied in several Phase II trials against B-cell dominant malignancies. Phase II registration studies are underway in China for amdizalisib in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL), for which it has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation in China, and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL).

In addition to the three BCR inhibitors, for hematological malignancies HUTCHMED is also developing its in-house discovered drug candidate HMPL-306, a dual-inhibitor of mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2, and tazemetostat, a methyl­transferase inhibitor of EZH2 (being developed in Greater China by HUTCHMED pursuant to a strategic collaboration with Epizyme).

About BTK and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
BTK is a key component of the B-cell receptor signaling pathway and is an important regulator of cell prolifera­tion and cell survival in various lymphomas. The abnormal activation of B-cell receptor signaling is closely related to the development of B-cell type hemato­logical cancers, which represent approximately 85% of all NHL cases.[1] BTK is considered a validated target for drugs that aim to treat certain hemato­logical cancers, however C481S mutation of BTK is a known resistance mechanism for first and second generation BTK inhibitors. In 2020, approximately 93,000 new cases of NHL are estimated to have been diagnosed in China.[2]

About HMPL-760
HMPL-760 is an investigational, highly selective, non-covalent, third-generation inhibitor of BTK, both wild-type and C481S mutant enzymes, with pre-clinical data suggesting high target specificity and higher potency versus first generation BTK inhibitors. BTK C481S mutation plays an important role in resistance to certain BTK inhibitors.[3],[4]

HMPL-760 is HUTCHMED’s eleventh innovative potential oncology drug candidate to enter clinical develop­ment. HUTCHMED currently retains all rights to HMPL-760 worldwide.

Clovis Oncology Announces Preliminary Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021

On January 10, 2022 Clovis Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLVS) reported its preliminary, unaudited global product revenues for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021 (Press release, Clovis Oncology, JAN 10, 2022, View Source [SID1234598468]). The financial information presented in this news release may be adjusted as a result of completion of customary quarterly review and audit procedures.

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Unaudited preliminary results include:

$35.5M – $36.1M in estimated Rubraca global product revenues for the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to $37.9M for Q3 2021 and $43.3M for Q4 2020
US and Europe product revenues approximately $27.5M – $27.9M and $8.0M – $8.2M
$148.3M – $148.9M in estimated Rubraca product revenues for FY 2021 compared to $164.5M for FY 2020
Approximately $143.4M in cash and cash equivalents and $27.8M in available funding under the ATHENA financing at December 31, 2021
Net cash used in operating activities for the fourth quarter of 2021 approximately $41.1M to $41.7M, down approximately 10 to 11 percent from the prior quarter
Cash used in operating activities does not reflect approximately $9.7M provided to the Company under the ATHENA financing
Clovis plans to discuss these results with investors this week at the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference which is being held virtually January 9-13, 2022.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent reduction in ovarian cancer diagnoses and treatments continue to impact Rubraca sales in both the US and Europe. Despite these continuing commercial headwinds, we anticipate 2022 will be the most significant year of clinical data readouts in the Company’s history," said Patrick J. Mahaffy, President and CEO of Clovis Oncology. "For Rubraca, we anticipate three Phase 3 readouts during the year: ATHENA-MONO as monotherapy in the first-line ovarian cancer maintenance treatment setting during Q1, TRITON3 in the second-line prostate cancer treatment setting for selected patients during Q2, and ATHENA-COMBO in combination with Opdivo in the first-line ovarian cancer maintenance treatment setting in the second half of 2022. In addition, for FAP-2286, we are actively enrolling the Phase 1 portion of LuMIERE and anticipate data presentations at nuclear medicine meetings during 2022. We and our investigators are extremely enthusiastic about this program and look forward to initiating the Phase 2 portion of the LuMIERE study later this year."

Clovis Oncology to Present at 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on January 12

Clovis’ President and CEO, Patrick J. Mahaffy, will present at the 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 12 at 9:45 a.m. ET. A live audio webcast of the presentation/Q&A session, as well as the accompanying slide presentation, can be accessed through the investor relations section of the Company’s website at clovisoncology.com. Approximately 24 hours following the live presentation, a replay of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website for up to 30 days.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Financial Results Release Planned for February 23

The Company plans to report financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2021 on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, before the open of the US financial markets. Clovis’ senior management will host a conference call and live audio webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss the Company’s results in greater detail.

Additionally, the Company filed today with the Securities and Exchange Commission a Current Report on Form 8-K that provides additional information about the Company’s financial performance, status of clinical trials, liquidity position and impact of COVID-19.

About Rubraca (rucaparib)

Rubraca is an oral, small molecule inhibitor of PARP1, PARP2 and PARP3 being developed in multiple tumor types, including ovarian and prostate cancers, as monotherapy and in combination with other anti-cancer agents. Exploratory studies in other tumor types are also underway. Clovis holds worldwide rights for Rubraca.

In the United States, Rubraca is approved for the maintenance treatment of adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. Rubraca is also approved in the United States for the treatment of adult patients with deleterious BRCA mutation (germline and/or somatic) associated epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have been treated with two or more chemotherapies and selected for therapy based on an FDA-approved companion diagnostic for Rubraca. Additionally, Rubraca is approved in the US for the treatment of adult patients with a deleterious BRCA mutation (germline and/or somatic)-associated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have been treated with androgen receptor-directed therapy and a taxane-based chemotherapy. Select patients for therapy based on an FDA-approved companion diagnostic for Rubraca. This indication is approved under accelerated approval based on objective response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials. The TRITON3 clinical trial is expected to serve as the confirmatory study for the Rubraca accelerated approval in mCRPC.

In Europe, Rubraca is approved for the maintenance treatment of adults with platinum-sensitive relapsed high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in response (complete or partial) to platinum-based chemotherapy. Rubraca is also approved in Europe for the treatment of adult patients with platinum sensitive, relapsed or progressive, BRCA mutated (germline and/or somatic), high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer, who have been treated with two or more prior lines of platinum-based chemotherapy, and who are unable to tolerate further platinum-based chemotherapy.

Rubraca is an unlicensed medical product outside of the US and Europe.

About FAP-2286

FAP-2286 is a clinical candidate under investigation as a peptide-targeted radionuclide therapy (PTRT) and imaging agent targeting fibroblast activation protein (FAP). FAP-2286 consists of two functional elements; a targeting peptide that binds to FAP and a site that can be used to attach radioactive isotopes for imaging and therapeutic use. High FAP expression has been shown in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, cancer of unknown primary, salivary gland, mesothelioma, colon, bladder, sarcoma, squamous non–small cell lung, and squamous head and neck cancers. High FAP expression was detected in both primary and metastatic tumor samples and was independent of tumor stage or grade. Clovis holds US and global rights for FAP-2286 excluding Europe, Russia, Turkey, and Israel.

FAP-2286 is an unlicensed medical product.

About Targeted Radionuclide Therapy

Targeted radionuclide therapy is an emerging class of cancer therapeutics, which seeks to deliver radiation directly to the tumor while minimizing delivery of radiation to normal tissue. Targeted radionuclides are created by linking radioactive isotopes, also known as radionuclides, to targeting molecules (e.g., peptides, antibodies, small molecules) that can bind specifically to tumor cells or other cells in the tumor environment. Based on the radioactive isotope selected, the resulting agent can be used to image and/or treat certain types of cancer. Agents that can be adapted for both therapeutic and imaging use are known as "theranostics." Clovis, together with licensing partner 3B Pharmaceuticals, is developing a pipeline of novel, targeted radiotherapies for cancer treatment and imaging, including its lead candidate, FAP-2286, an investigational peptide-targeted radionuclide therapeutic (PTRT) and imaging agent, as well as three additional discovery-stage compounds.

About the LuMIERE Clinical Study

LuMIERE is a Phase 1/2 study evaluating FAP-2286 as a peptide-targeted radionuclide therapy (PTRT) targeting fibroblast activation protein, or FAP, in patients with advanced solid tumors. The Phase 1 portion of the LuMIERE study -is evaluating the safety of the investigational therapeutic agent and will identify the recommended Phase 2 dose and schedule of lutetium-177 labeled FAP-2286 (177Lu-FAP-2286). FAP-2286 labeled with gallium-68 (68Ga-FAP-2286) will be utilized as an investigational imaging agent to identify patients with FAP-positive tumors appropriate for treatment with the therapeutic agent. Once the Phase 2 dose is determined, Phase 2 expansion cohorts are planned in multiple tumor types.