Infinity Pharmaceuticals Provides Additional Information on MARIO-8 Study Evaluating Eganelisib in Combination with the PD-1 Targeted Checkpoint Inhibitor Pembrolizumab (KEYTRUDA®) in Patients with Squamous Cell Cancer of the Head and Neck (SCCHN)

On July 10, 2023 Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: INFI) ("Infinity"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing eganelisib, a first-in-class, oral, immuno-oncology macrophage reprogramming drug candidate, reported further design features of its Phase 2 MARIO-8 study in SCCHN (Press release, Infinity Pharmaceuticals, JUL 10, 2023, View Source [SID1234633127]).

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The adaptive design of the MARIO-8 study is intended to optimize the dose of the oral drug candidate, eganelisib, in combination with the standard dose of pembrolizumab, in 40-70 patients in Part A of the study. The dose optimization phase of the study will evaluate two dose regimens of eganelisib; a 30mg regimen, dosed daily for two out of every three weeks, and a 20mg regimen, with continuous daily dosing. The company has received FDA feedback and, pending final FDA review and subject to the successful close of the company’s proposed merger with MEI Pharma, Inc. ("MEI"), preliminary safety and efficacy data to inform the dose selection are expected in the second half of 2024.

The selected eganelisib dose, in combination with pembrolizumab, will be further evaluated in Part B of the study in approximately 100 additional patients, with the primary endpoint of overall survival and secondary endpoints of progression free survival and safety.

"Our ability to optimize the eganelisib dose in MARIO-8 is a very attractive component of this study, furthering our objective of bringing eganelisib to patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. These patients are in urgent need of better therapies and the data generated to date with eganelisib in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor in patients with SCCHN are encouraging," said Robert Ilaria, MD, Infinity’s Chief Medical Officer. "We are pleased to have received the FDA’s feedback and to have made great progress toward study initiation."

To view presentations on eganelisib, the treatment landscape in SCCHN, the data generated to date with eganelisib in patients with SCCHN from the MARIO-1 study, and the MARIO-8 study design by Infinity Chief Medical Officer Robert Ilaria and Dr. Ezra Cohen, the principal SCCHN investigator in the MARIO-1 study, please view the webcast on Infinity’s website which can be located at www.infi.com under the Investor/Media tab in the Events and Presentations folder titled "MEI Pharma and Infinity Merger and Clinical Program Update June 19, 2023".

Update on Proposed Transformative Merger with MEI

Infinity is pleased to report that a second leading independent proxy advisory firm, Glass, Lewis & Co ("Glass Lewis") has joined Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS") in recommending that stockholders of Infinity and MEI vote FOR the merger between the two companies. The combined company is expected to have an attractive combined clinical pipeline, strong balance sheet, and multiple potential value creation opportunities for stockholders.

Infinity stockholders are reminded to vote their proxies today FOR the proposals described in the joint proxy statement and prospectus, prior to the Infinity virtual special meeting of stockholders on July 14, 2023, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

It is very important that Infinity stockholders vote, as not voting has the same effect as voting against the proposed merger.

Infinity Stockholders who have questions about voting their proxy are encouraged to contact Morrow Sodali LLC who are assisting us, at 1-800-662-5200 or [email protected].

Phase 1 Study Indicates Allogeneic Cytokine-Induced Memory-Like Natural Killer Cells Plus N-803 May Induce Tumor Regression in Advanced Head-and-Neck Cancer Patients

On July 10, 2023 ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), a clinical-stage immunotherapy company, reported findings from a Phase 1 study showing that allogeneic cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) natural killer (NK) cells used in combination with ImmunityBio’s IL-15 superagonist N-803 may induce tumor regression associated with persistent CIML NK cell expansion in advanced head-and-neck cancer patients (Press release, ImmunityBio, JUL 10, 2023, View Source [SID1234633125]). The results indicate the potential for a new treatment approach for the disease in advanced cases that currently have extremely poor prognoses.

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The data from the proof-of-concept study were presented by Glenn J. Hanna, M.D., Medical Oncologist with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) and the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS) joint conference in Montreal, July 7-8, 2023.

Patients with recurrent incurable or metastatic (R/M) head and neck cancers (HNCs) that do not respond to platinum chemotherapy and immunotherapy have poor survival rates. Cellular therapies have emerged as treatments with potential activity in solid tumors.

"It was exciting to observe some tumor regression among heavily pre-treated patients with advanced head-and-neck cancer using a live cell therapy approach," said Dr. Hanna. "I am hopeful that future studies can build on this work to further evaluate NK and other immune cell therapies for these cancers."

This study (NCT04290546) sponsored by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute investigated allogeneic CIML NK cell infusion followed by N-803 after lead-in CTLA-4 inhibition (ipilimumab) plus lymphodepleting (LD) chemotherapy in advanced HNC. The study showed that tumor regression was associated with expansion of the NK cell type with cytolytic activity, CD56dimCD16+ NK cells, that target and kill tumor cells.

This phase 1 single-center trial enrolled 10 patients with R/M HNC (n=7 HNSCC, n=3 salivary cancer) regardless of human papillomavirus (HPV) status who had prior platinum chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Patients in cohort 1 received LD fludarabine (25 mg/m2) and cyclophosphamide (60 mg/m2/kg) on days -6 to -2 prior to haploidentical CIML NK cell infusion on day 0 (5-10 x 106 viable cells/kg=dose level 0) followed by N-803 (15 mcg/kg subcutaneously) starting on day +1 every 21-days for 4-doses. Patients in cohort 2 received the same regimen with a dose of lead-in ipilimumab on day -7. A total of 6 patients were treated in cohort 1 and 4 patients in cohort 2.

The primary objective was safety and maximum tolerated dose of CIML NK cells. The secondary objective was objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and phenotypic expansion and function of adoptively transferred NK cells.

"It is encouraging that allogeneic CIML NK cells supported by N-803 may induce tumor regression in advanced head-and-neck cancer patients," said Patrick Soon-Shiong, M.D., Executive Chairman and Global Chief Scientific and Medical Officer at ImmunityBio. "These results may have potential implications for many of the estimated 68,000 men and women in the United States who are diagnosed with head-and-neck cancers annually, and it is an ongoing pursuit of ImmunityBio’s technology platform to orchestrate T and NK cells to fight cancer."

AI-powered precision Antibody therapeutics

On July 10, 2023 ibioPharma presented its corporate presentation (Presentation, iBioPharma, JUL 10, 2023, View Source [SID1234633124]).

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HUTCHMED Initiates Phase I Study of its novel SHP2 inhibitor HMPL-415 for Advanced Malignant Solid Tumors in China

On July 10, 2023 HUTCHMED (China) Limited ("HUTCHMED") (Nasdaq/AIM:​HCM; HKEX:​13) reported that it has initiated a Phase I study in China of HMPL-415, an investigational novel selective allosteric inhibitor targeting Src homology-2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 ("SHP2") (Press release, Hutchison China MediTech, JUL 10, 2023, View Source [SID1234633123]). The first patient received their first dose on July 6, 2023.

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The clinical trial is a multi-center, open-label study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and preliminary efficacy profile of HMPL-415 as a single agent in patients with advanced malignant solid tumors. This study is expected to enroll up to approximately 80 patients, including patients as part of the dose escalation stage, and further patients at the determined recommended Ph II dose (RP2D). The leading principal investigators are Dr. Tianshu Liu of Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University and Dr. Nong Yang of Hunan Cancer Hospital. Additional details may be found at clinicaltrials.gov, using identifier NCT05886374.

About HMPL-415

HMPL-415 is a novel, highly potent and selective allosteric inhibitor targeting SHP2. SHP2 is a non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase ubiquitously expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of several tissues. SHP2 modulates diverse cell signaling events that control metabolism, cell growth, differentiation, cell migration, transcription and oncogenic transformation. It interacts with diverse molecules in the cell, and regulates key signaling events including RAS/ERK, PI3K/AKT, JAK/STAT and PD-1 pathways downstream of several receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) upon stimulation by growth factors and cytokines. Dysregulation of SHP2 expression or activity causes many developmental diseases, and hematological and solid tumors.1

HUTCHMED currently retains all rights to HMPL-415 worldwide.

BeiGene and DualityBio Announce Partnership to Advance Differentiated Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) Therapy for Solid Tumors

On July 10, 2023 BeiGene (NASDAQ: BGNE; HKEX: 06160; SSE: 688235), a global biotechnology company, and DualityBio, a next-generation ADC company, reported an agreement for BeiGene to acquire an exclusive option for a global clinical and commercial license to an investigational, preclinical ADC therapy for patients with select solid tumors (Press release, BeiGene, JUL 10, 2023, View Source [SID1234633122]).

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"With one of the industry’s leading global oncology research teams, we are investing in highly impactful therapeutic modalities such as ADCs that complement our dynamic and growing pipeline in solid tumors," said Lai Wang, Ph.D., Global Head of R&D at BeiGene. "Through this strategic partnership with DualityBio, we are well positioned to advance this asset globally alongside our initial internally discovered ADC assets with our end-to-end ADC manufacturing capabilities."

"Duality is dedicated to becoming a leading next-generation ADC company, and the assets built upon our DITAC platform show encouraging efficacy and safety in preclinical as well as global clinical studies," said John Zhu, Ph.D., CEO at DualityBio. "We are excited to partner with BeiGene to accelerate the development of this asset. In combining the strengths of BeiGene and Duality, we believe more breakthrough ADC medicines will be brought to patients worldwide."

Under the terms of the agreement, DualityBio will receive an upfront payment, and will be eligible for a payment contingent upon BeiGene exercising its option and additional payments based upon the achievement of certain development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, totaling up to $1.3 billion, in addition to tiered royalties. Upon exercising its option, BeiGene will hold global clinical, manufacturing, and commercial rights while DualityBio will perform all research activities through IND-enabling studies and support future IND filings by BeiGene.