On October 12, 2017 Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: INFI) reported that an abstract describing new data for IPI-549, an orally administered immuno-oncology development candidate that selectively inhibits phosphoinositide-3-kinase gamma (PI3K-gamma), has been selected as a late-breaking presentation during an oral session at the 2017 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting taking place in National Harbor, MD, November 10 – 12 (Press release, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, OCT 12, 2017, View Source [SID1234520876]). Additionally, a clinical trials in progress poster will also be presented on the Phase 1/1b clinical study which is ongoing to explore the safety and activity of IPI-549 both as a monotherapy and in combination with Opdivo (nivolumab), a PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors. IPI-549 is believed to be the only PI3K-gamma inhibitor in clinical development.

Details of the presentations are as follows:

Updated Phase 1/1b Data
Title: Monotherapy dose escalation clinical and translational data from first-in-human study in advanced solid tumors of IPI-549, an oral, selective, PI3K-gamma inhibitor targeting tumor macrophages
Abstract number: O43
Oral session: Clinical Trials – New Agents
Oral session date and time: Friday, November 10, 2017, from 1:45 p.m. –3:30 p.m. ET
Lead author: David Hong, M.D., Deputy Chair, Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Additionally, an identically titled poster will be presented on Friday, November 10, 2017, from 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET and 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET.

Clinical Trials in Progress
Title: Phase 1/1b, first-in-human study of the PI3K-gamma inhibitor IPI-549 as monotherapy and combined with nivolumab in patients with advanced solid tumors
Abstract number: P219
Poster session: Clinical trials in progress
Presentation time: Friday, November 10, 2017, from 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET and 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET
Lead author: Antoni Ribas, M.D., Ph.D., Parker Institute Center Director at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

About the IPI-549 and the Ongoing Phase 1 Study
IPI-549 is an investigational, orally administered immuno-oncology development candidate that selectively inhibits PI3K-gamma. In preclinical studies, IPI-549 reprograms macrophages from a pro-tumor, M2, to an anti-tumor, M1, phenotype and is able to overcome resistance to checkpoint inhibition as well as to enhance the activity of checkpoint inhibitors.1,2 As such, IPI-549 may have the potential to treat a broad range of solid tumors and represents a potentially complementary approach to restoring anti-tumor immunity in combination with other immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibitors.

A Phase 1 study of IPI-549 in patients with advanced solid tumors is ongoing to evaluate the safety, tolerability, activity, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of IPI-549 as a monotherapy and in combination with Opdivo in approximately 200 patients with advanced solid tumors.3 The four-part study includes monotherapy and combination dose-escalation components, in addition to monotherapy expansion and combination expansion components. Patient enrollment is complete in monotherapy dose-escalation, and monotherapy expansion is ongoing. Combination dose-escalation is also ongoing, and combination expansion is expected to begin in the second half of 2017.

The combination expansion component includes multiple cohorts designed to evaluate IPI-549 in patients with specific types of cancer, including patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), melanoma, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) whose tumors show initial resistance or subsequently develop resistance to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. This combination expansion will also include a cohort of patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) who have not been previously exposed to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. Although there has been great progress in the treatment of cancer, there remains a need for additional treatment options. NSCLC, melanoma, HNSCC and TNBC account for more than 22 percent of all new cancer cases in the U.

IPI-549 is an investigational compound and its safety and efficacy has not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or any other health authority.