On November 16, 2021 Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLRB), a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of targeted drugs for the treatment of cancer, reported that patients in a Phase 1 study of iopofosine I-131 ("iopofosine") in children and adolescents with relapsed and refractory high grade gliomas (HGGs) and soft tissue sarcomas, exhibited positive changes in various tumor parameters (Press release, Cellectar Biosciences, NOV 16, 2021, View Source [SID1234595695]). The Phase 1 study is an international, open-label, dose escalation, safety study of iopofosine in children and adolescents with relapsed or refractory cancers, specifically HGGs, high risk neuroblastoma and select soft tissue sarcomas.
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The independent data monitoring committee (DMC) had previously determined that doses up to 60 mCi/m2 were safe and tolerable and to initiate the 75 mCi/m2 dosing cohort. The DMC advised, based upon the initial data, to enrich the 60 mCi/m2 dose level for patients over the age of 10 with HGG and Ewing sarcoma. The initial response and tumor uptake were confirmed by further therapeutic responses, evidenced by changes in tumor parameters. This includes patients with relapsed HGGs experiencing over 5 months of progression free survival (PFS).
"Initial responses to iopofosine I-131 in relapsed pediatric brain tumors are most encouraging. Current treatment paradigms typically result in only 2-3 months1 of PFS and while there is no comparator in this study, iopofosine data to date have demonstrated nearly double the PFS versus historical data," said Laurence Reilly interim chief medical officer of Cellectar. "Based upon these data we will continue to enroll patients with high grade gliomas and soft tissue sarcomas, and we look forward to engaging with the FDA in order to outline a potential registrational pathway."
Pediatric HGGs are a collection of aggressive brain and central nervous system tumor subtypes including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas, glioblastomas, astrocytomas and ependymomas. Children with these tumors have a poor prognosis and 5-year survival of less than 30%.
About iopofosine (also known as CLR 131)
Iopofosine is a small-molecule Phospholipid Drug Conjugate designed to provide targeted delivery of iodine-131 (radioisotope) directly to cancer cells, while limiting exposure to healthy cells. We believe this profile differentiates iopofosine from many traditional on-market treatments. Iopofosine is currently being evaluated in the CLOVER-WaM Phase 2 pivotal study in patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM), a Phase 2b study in r/r multiple myeloma (MM) patients and the CLOVER-2 Phase 1 study for a variety of pediatric cancers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted iopofosine Fast Track Designation for WM patients having received two or more prior treatment regimens, as well as r/r MM and r/r diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Orphan Drug Designations (ODDs) have been granted for WM, MM, neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma and osteosarcoma. Iopofosine was also granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) for the treatment of neuroblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma and osteosarcoma. The European Commission granted an ODDs for r/r MM and WM.