Zymeworks Announces Five Presentations at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2021

On March 10, 2021 Zymeworks Inc. (NYSE: ZYME), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing multifunctional biotherapeutics, reported the acceptance of five abstracts for poster presentation at the upcoming American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2021 taking place virtually from April 10 – 15, 2021 (Press release, Zymeworks, MAR 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234576407]).

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The poster presentations will be available on Saturday, April 10 at 8:30 am ET on the conference website as well as the Zymeworks website.

Presentation Details

Title: PROTECT, a novel antibody platform for integrating tumor-specific immune modulation and enhancing the therapeutic window of targeted multispecific biologics
Abstract: 924
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Antibody Technologies

Title: Increasing the therapeutic index of IL-12 by engineering for tumor-specific protease activation
Abstract: 1788
Session Category: Immunology
Session Title: Modifiers of the Tumor Microenvironment

Title: Understanding the geometry and valency of bispecific antibodies in the optimization of tumor-dependent activation of 4-1BB
Abstract: 1737
Session Category: Immunology
Session Title: Immunomodulatory Agents and Interventions

Title: Super-resolution imaging studies of zanidatamab: providing insights into its bispecific mode of action
Abstract: 1032
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Cellular Responses to Anticancer Drugs

Title: The bispecific antibody zanidatamab’s (ZW25’s) unique mechanisms of action and durable anti-tumor activity in HER2-expressing cancers
Abstract: 1005
Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics
Session Title: Cellular Responses to Anticancer Drugs

AVEO Oncology Announces U.S. FDA Approval of FOTIVDA® (tivozanib) for the Treatment of Adult Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

On March 10, 2021 AVEO Oncology (Nasdaq: AVEO) reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved FOTIVDA (tivozanib) for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who have received two or more prior systemic therapies (Press release, AVEO, MAR 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234576423]). FOTIVDA is an oral, next-generation vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).

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"Today’s approval of FOTIVDA provides a new tool for treating patients with kidney cancer who have relapsed or become refractory to two or more prior systemic therapies," said Brian Rini, MD, Chief of Clinical Trials at Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center and principal investigator of the TIVO-3 trial. "With advances in RCC treatment, patients are living longer, increasing the need for proven, well tolerated treatment options in the relapsed or refractory setting. The TIVO-3 study is the first positive Phase 3 study in RCC patients who received two or more prior systemic therapies, and also the first Phase 3 RCC study to include a predefined population of patients who have received prior immunotherapy, the current standard of care in earlier-line treatment. With this approval, I believe FOTIVDA represents an attractive intervention, and expect it to play a meaningful role in the evolving RCC treatment landscape."

"We believe in FOTIVDA’s potential to provide a differentiated treatment option for the growing number of individuals in the U.S. with relapsed or refractory RCC, and today marks the culmination of many years of hard work and determination of many individuals to bring this therapy to patients," said Michael Bailey, president and chief executive officer of AVEO. "With today’s approval, AVEO begins its journey as a commercial-stage company, a noteworthy accomplishment in our industry. On behalf of the entire AVEO team, I would like to thank all the patients, their families, and caregivers whose tireless efforts made this day possible."

"Relapsed or refractory RCC is a devastating disease for which patient outcomes can be limited due to the tradeoff between tolerability and efficacy," said Dena Battle, president of KCCure. "The FDA approval of FOTIVDA represents an exciting, meaningful advancement by providing a new treatment option for this patient population."

AVEO plans to make FOTIVDA available to patients in the U.S. by March 31, 2021.

The approval of FOTIVDA is based on AVEO’s pivotal Phase 3 study, TIVO-3, comparing FOTIVDA to sorafenib in relapsed or refractory advanced RCC following two or more prior systemic therapies. The application is also supported by three additional trials in RCC and includes safety data from over 1,000 clinical trial subjects.

Patients (n=350) enrolled in the TIVO-3 study were randomized 1:1 to receive either FOTIVDA or sorafenib. The main efficacy outcome measure was progression-free survival (PFS), assessed by a blinded independent radiology review committee. Other efficacy endpoints were overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR).

Median PFS was 5.6 months (95% CI: 4.8, 7.3) in the FOTIVDA arm (n=175) compared with 3.9 months (95% CI: 3.7, 5.6) for those treated with sorafenib (HR 0.73; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.95; p=0.016). Median OS was 16.4 (95% CI: 13.4, 21.9) and 19.2 months (95% CI: 14.9, 24.2), for the FOTIVDA and sorafenib arms, respectively (HR 0.97; 95% CI: 0.75, 1.24). The ORR was 18% (95% CI: 12%, 24%) for the FOTIVDA arm and 8% (95% CI: 4%, 13%) for the sorafenib arm.

The most common (≥20%) adverse reactions were fatigue, hypertension, diarrhea, decreased appetite, nausea, dysphonia, hypothyroidism, cough, and stomatitis. The most common grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (≥5%) were decreased sodium, increased lipase, and decreased phosphate.

The recommended tivozanib dose is 1.34 mg once daily with or without food for 21 days every 28 days on treatment followed by 7 days off treatment (28 day cycle) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

Conference Call and Webcast Information

In connection with this announcement, AVEO will host a conference call and slide webcast today, March 10, 2021, at 6:00 PM Eastern Time. The call can be accessed by dialing (844) 882-7841 (U.S. and Canada) or (574) 990-9828 (international). The passcode for the conference call is 4648498. To access the live webcast and accompanying slide presentation, or the subsequent archived recording, please visit the Investors section of the AVEO website at www.aveooncology.com. The webcast will be recorded and available for replay on AVEO’s website for two weeks.

About FOTIVDA (tivozanib)

FOTIVDA (tivozanib) is an oral, next-generation vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). It is a potent, selective inhibitor of VEGFRs 1, 2, and 3 with a long half-life designed to improve efficacy and tolerability. AVEO received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for FOTIVDA on March 10, 2021 for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following two or more prior systemic therapies. FOTIVDA was approved in August 2017 in the European Union and other countries in the territory of its partner EUSA Pharma (UK) Limited for the treatment of adult patients with advanced RCC. FOTIVDA has been shown to significantly reduce regulatory T-cell production in preclinical models1. FOTIVDA was discovered by Kyowa Kirin.

INDICATIONS

FOTIVDA is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following two or more prior systemic therapies.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Hypertension and Hypertensive Crisis: Control blood pressure prior to initiating FOTIVDA. Monitor for hypertension and treat as needed. For persistent hypertension despite use of anti-hypertensive medications, reduce the FOTIVDA dose.

Cardiac Failure: Monitor for signs or symptoms of cardiac failure throughout treatment with FOTIVDA.

Cardiac Ischemia and Arterial Thromboembolic Events: Closely monitor patients who are at increased risk for these events. Permanently discontinue FOTIVDA for severe arterial thromboembolic events, such as myocardial infarction and stroke.

Venous Thromboembolic Events: Closely monitor patients who are at increased risk for these events. Permanently discontinue FOTIVDA for severe venous thromboembolic events.

Hemorrhagic Events: Closely monitor patients who are at risk for or who have a history of bleeding.

Proteinuria: Monitor throughout treatment with FOTIVDA. For moderate to severe proteinuria, reduce the dose or temporarily interrupt treatment with FOTIVDA.

Thyroid Dysfunction: Monitor before initiation and throughout treatment with FOTIVDA.

Risk of Impaired Wound Healing: Withhold FOTIVDA for at least 24 days before elective surgery. Do not administer for at least 2 weeks following major surgery and adequate wound healing. The safety of resumption of FOTIVDA after resolution of wound healing complications has not been established.

Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome (RPLS): Discontinue FOTIVDA if signs or symptoms of RPLS occur.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: Can cause fetal harm. Advise patients of the potential risk to a fetus and to use effective contraception.

Allergic Reactions to Tartrazine: The 0.89 mg capsule of FOTIVDA contains FD&C Yellow No.5 (tartrazine) which may cause allergic-type reactions (including bronchial asthma) in certain susceptible patients.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

The most common (≥20%) adverse reactions were fatigue, hypertension, diarrhea, decreased appetite, nausea, dysphonia, hypothyroidism, cough, and stomatitis, and the most common Grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (≥5%) were sodium decreased, lipase increased, and phosphate decreased.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Strong CYP3A4 Inducers: Avoid coadministration of FOTIVDA with strong CYP3A4 inducers.

USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

Lactation: Advise not to breastfeed.
Females and Males of Reproductive Potential: Can impair fertility.
Hepatic Impairment: Adjust dosage in patients with moderate hepatic impairment. Avoid use in patients with severe hepatic impairment.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact AVEO Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-833-FOTIVDA (1-833-368-4832) or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Please see FOTIVDA Full Prescribing Information which is available at www.AVEOoncology.com.

About Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma

According to the American Cancer Society’s 2021 statistics, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer, which is among the ten most common cancers in both men and women. Approximately 73,750 new cases of kidney cancer will be diagnosed annually and about 14,830 people will die from this disease. In patients with late-stage disease, the five-year survival rate is 13%. Agents that target the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway have shown significant antitumor activity in RCC.2 According to a 2019 publication, 50% of the approximately 10,000 patients who progress following two or more lines of therapy choose not to receive further treatment,3 which may be attributable to tolerability concerns and a lack of data to support evidence-based treatment decisions in this highly relapsed or refractory patient population.

Natera and Genentech Initiate Phase III Trial Using Signatera™ as a Companion Diagnostic for Atezolizumab in Early-Stage Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

On March 10, 2021 Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA), a pioneer and global leader in cell-free DNA testing, reported that the first patient has been screened in a new phase III clinical trial that uses its tumor-informed, personalized molecular residual disease (MRD) test, Signatera, as a companion diagnostic to identify muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma (MIUC) patients eligible for investigational treatment with Genentech’s, a member of the Roche group, cancer immunotherapy drug atezolizumab (Tecentriq) (Press release, Genentech, MAR 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234576441]).

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The IMvigor011 study, sponsored by Genentech, is a global, randomized, placebo-controlled, phase III clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of adjuvant treatment with the PD-L1 inhibitor, atezolizumab, in patients with MIUC who are MRD-positive after surgery. Eligible patients will be screened with Signatera within the first 20 weeks after surgery, and the first approximately 500 patients who test MRD-positive will be enrolled and randomized to receive either atezolizumab or placebo for 12 cycles, or up to one year. The primary endpoint of the study will be disease-free survival.

"There is a strong unmet need in this population, as bladder cancer patients with residual disease post-surgery are known to be at the highest risk of recurrence," said Thomas Powles, M.D., Professor, Barts Cancer Institute, and Principal Investigator of the study. "The Signatera MRD test offers a personalized, real-time diagnostic to identify bladder cancer patients who need additional therapy and may benefit from adjuvant treatment with Tecentriq."

In an exploratory analysis from the phase III, randomized, controlled IMvigor010 trial, presented at the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Immuno-Oncology conference in December 2020, the 37% of patients who tested MRD-positive with Signatera after surgery experienced significant benefit from adjuvant atezolizumab vs. observation (HR 0.59, p<0.001), while the 63% of patients who tested MRD-negative experienced zero treatment benefit. In an independent study of 68 patients with MIUC, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology in 2019, Signatera detected relapse with 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity, reporting a median lead time of 96 days.1

"This partnership with Genentech marks a significant milestone for Natera and for the field of personalized medicine," said Solomon Moshkevich, Natera’s General Manager of Oncology. "We look forward to a successful clinical trial, pairing atezolizumab with Signatera in an effort to bring highly effective treatment to the right set of patients at the earliest possible time."

About Signatera

Signatera is a custom-built circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) test for treatment monitoring and molecular residual disease (MRD) assessment in patients previously diagnosed with cancer. The test is available for clinical and research use, and in 2019, it was granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA. The Signatera test is personalized and tumor-informed, providing each individual with a customized blood test tailored to fit the unique signature of clonal mutations found in that individual’s tumor. This maximizes accuracy for detecting the presence or absence of residual disease in a blood sample, even at levels down to a single tumor molecule in a tube of blood. Unlike a standard liquid biopsy, Signatera is not intended to match patients with any particular therapy; rather, it is intended to detect and quantify how much cancer is left in the body, to detect recurrence earlier and to help optimize treatment decisions. Signatera test performance has been clinically validated in multiple cancer types including colorectal, non-small cell lung, breast, and bladder cancers. Signatera has been developed and its performance characteristics determined by Natera, the CLIA-certified laboratory performing the test. The test has not been cleared or approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). CAP accredited, ISO 13485 certified, and CLIA certified.

Jounce Therapeutics Announces Pricing of $56.25 Million Public Offering of Common Stock

On March 9, 2021 Jounce Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: JNCE), a clinical-stage company focused on the discovery and development of novel cancer immunotherapies and predictive biomarkers, reported that it has priced an underwritten public offering of 5,000,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $11.25 per share, which would result in gross proceeds of approximately $56.25 million, before underwriting discounts and commissions (Press release, Jounce Therapeutics, MAR 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234576366]).

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The proceeds of the offering are expected to be used to fund ongoing and planned clinical trials, including the INNATE trial of JTX-8064, to fund research and development to advance Jounce’s pipeline, and for working capital and other general corporate purposes. All shares are being offered by Jounce. Closing of the offering is expected to occur on or about March 12, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. Jounce has also granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 shares of common stock offered in the public offering on the same terms and conditions.

Cowen and Piper Sandler are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering.

The offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement that was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on March 8, 2018 and declared effective by the SEC on May 1, 2018. The offering will be made only by means of the prospectus and prospectus supplement that form a part of the registration statement. A preliminary prospectus supplement relating to, and describing the terms of, the offering has been filed with the SEC and is available on the SEC’s web site at www.sec.gov.

The final terms of the offering will be disclosed in a final prospectus supplement to be filed with the SEC. Copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relating to this offering can be obtained from Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by telephone at 833-297-2926; or from Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, MN 55402, or by telephone at 800-747-3924.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

BeiGene Initiates Phase 1 Clinical Trial for HPK1 Inhibitor BGB-15025

On March 10, 2021 BeiGene, Ltd. (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160), a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative medicines worldwide, reported that the first patient has been dosed in a Phase 1 clinical trial of BGB-15025, its investigational hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) inhibitor (Press release, BeiGene, MAR 10, 2021, View Source [SID1234576392]). BGB-15025 is designed to be a potent and highly selective small molecule oral inhibitor of HPK1, a kinase downstream of the T cell receptor (TCR) signaling pathway that is believed to play a key role in T cell activation.

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"We are incredibly proud of BeiGene’s research organization, which now has over 450 people, and its ability to discover not only potentially best-in-class cancer treatments but also investigational agents like BGB-15025, which we believe to be among the first HPK1 inhibitors to enter the clinic and represent a novel immuno-oncology approach targeting T cell activation to fight cancer growth," commented Lai Wang, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Head of Global Research, Clinical Operations & Biometrics and APAC Clinical Development at BeiGene. "We believe that the unique nature of BGB-15025 and the HPK1 pathway provides us with a compelling scientific rationale for investigating it as a monotherapy and in combination with our anti-PD-1 antibody, tislelizumab. We are excited to advance its clinical development globally."

This first-in-human Phase 1 trial (NCT04649385) will assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of BGB-15025 alone and in combination with tislelizumab in patients with advanced solid tumors. This trial will be conducted in multiple countries globally.

About BGB-15025

BGB-15025 is an investigational hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) inhibitor discovered and being developed by BeiGene. HPK1 is a key negative feedback regulator of T-cell receptor signaling, which is believed to play a key role in antitumor immune response. In preclinical studies, the inhibition of HPK1 enhanced T-cell activation, which is expected to enhance the anti-tumor activity of anti-PD-1 inhibitors such as BeiGene’s tislelizumab.

About Tislelizumab

Tislelizumab (BGB-A317) is a humanized IgG4 anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody specifically designed to minimize binding to FcγR on macrophages. In pre-clinical studies, binding to FcγR on macrophages has been shown to compromise the anti-tumor activity of PD-1 antibodies through activation of antibody-dependent macrophage-mediated killing of T effector cells. Tislelizumab is the first approved medicine from BeiGene’s immuno-oncology biologics program and is being developed globally as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies for the treatment of a broad array of both solid tumor and hematologic cancers.

Tislelizumab is approved in China for first-line treatment of patients with advanced squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in combination with chemotherapy. Tislelizumab has also received conditional approval in China for the treatment of patients with classical Hodgkin’s lymphoma (cHL) who received at least two prior therapies, and for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (UC) with PD-L1 high expression whose disease progressed during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy. Full approval for these indications is contingent upon results from ongoing randomized, controlled confirmatory clinical trials.

In addition, three supplemental Biologics License Applications for tislelizumab have been accepted and are under review in China for first-line treatment of patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC in combination with

chemotherapy, for the second- or third-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who progressed on prior platinum-based chemotherapy, and for previously treated unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Currently, 15 potentially registration-enabling clinical trials are being conducted in China and globally, including 12 Phase 3 trials and two pivotal Phase 2 trials.

In January 2021, BeiGene and Novartis entered into a collaboration and license agreement to develop, manufacture, and commercialize tislelizumab in North America, Europe, and Japan.
Tislelizumab is not approved for use outside of China.