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QIAGEN Advances Cancer Genomic Profiling With New Products and Partnership Updates at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

On April 22, 2025 QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) reported a series of product and partnership updates designed to strengthen its portfolio for cancer genomic profiling (Press release, Qiagen, APR 22, 2025, View Source [SID1234652017]).

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These new developments will be showcased at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2025, from April 25-30 in Chicago.

Important updates include a new set of QIAseq panels for comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) and a new QIAcuity digital PCR (dPCR) kit and assays for cell and gene therapy quality control along with a new free, limited version of the Human Somatic Mutation Database (HSMD) from the QIAGEN Digital Insights (QDI) bioinformatics business.

"The launch of the new QIAseq panels represents a significant step forward in enabling researchers to gain deeper, more accurate insights into cancer biology and biomarker discovery along the complete workflow from sample technologies to QIAGEN Digital Insights for powerful genomic data analysis and interpretation," said Nitin Sood, Senior Vice President and Head of Product Portfolio & Innovation at QIAGEN. "Additionally, our new QIAcuity digital PCR kit and assays support pharma companies in developing safe and effective biotherapeutics also for cancer patients. We are moving ahead in supporting scientists and clinicians in advancing cancer research and precision medicine."

The new products and partnership updates include the following:

The QIAseq xHYB CGP portfolio is being expanded to offer a highly curated solution for multimodal cancer genomic profiling. It includes DNA and RNA panels to capture critical genomic regions, and is designed to leverage actionable and interpretable variants sourced from the Human Somatic Mutation Database (HSMD) from QDI. QIAGEN will highlight the panel’s capabilities at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2025 during a Spotlight Theater talk. Dr. Christopher Reynolds of Myriad Genetics will present a proof-of-concept study assessing the panel’s performance in variant detection using matched tumor/plasma samples from Stage III/IV prostate and ovarian cancer patients.

TheQIAcuity RCL Quant Kit and new QIAcuity CGT dPCR assays support quality control in cell and gene therapy with solutions for lentivirus-based applications that are used for applications including the manufacturing of CAR-T therapies, a novel type of cancer treatment. The new kit and assays reliably detect critical quality attributes in lentivirus-based biotherapeutics, ensuring therapy safety and efficacy.

QIAGEN and Element Biosciences are building on their existing partnership by adding the new QIAseq xHYB CGP Panels to Element’s AVITI platform and Trinity workflow. This update, expected by late 2025, will make cancer genomic profiling faster, easier and more cost-effective by reducing hands-on time and equipment needs.

In the partnership with Myriad Genetics, QIAGEN plans to launch globally (excluding Japan) a sequencing-based homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) assay designed to enable deeper molecular insights into DNA repair deficiencies. This solution will enhance the ability of researchers to investigate mechanisms of homologous recombination and optimize treatment strategies.

Further supporting the research community, QIAGEN is introducing HSMD Research, a free, limited version of its HSMD database to make genomic data more widely available. This resource offers academic researchers curated insights on 25 key genes involved in solid tumors and blood cancers while covering gene annotations, variant distributions, functional impacts and clinical significance.
To learn more about QIAGEN’s latest innovations, visit booth #2620 at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2025. More details about featured talks, poster presentations and product demonstrations are available at View Source

OncoSpherix Selected to Present at Portal Innovations’ ‘Rising Stars in Oncology’ Event During AACR 2025

On April 22, 2025 OncoSpherix, a biotech company pioneering innovative therapies for tumor hypoxia, reported its participation in Portal Innovations’ ‘Rising Stars in Oncology’ event during the 2025 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in Chicago (Press release, OncoSpherix, APR 22, 2025, View Source [SID1234652016]).

The event, taking place on April 25, 2025, will spotlight emerging biotech companies developing breakthrough cancer treatments. OncoSpherix will present its latest advancements in targeting the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) pathway, thereby disrupting essential processes that fuel tumor growth, metastasis, and resistance to therapy.

"We are honored to be recognized as a rising innovator in oncology," said OncoSpherix CEO, Margaret Offermann, MD, PhD. "This event provides a unique platform to share our mission and engage with leading investors, researchers, and industry experts."

The ‘Rising Stars in Oncology’ event, hosted by Portal Innovations, brings together cutting-edge biotech companies, venture investors, and scientific leaders to showcase promising advancements in cancer therapeutics.

For more details on the event, visit: View Source

HUTCHMED Completes Patient Enrollment of a Phase II Registration Study of Savolitinib in Gastric Cancer in China

On April 22, 2025 HUTCHMED (China) Limited ("HUTCHMED") (Nasdaq/AIM:HCM; HKEX:13) reported that it has completed enrollment of the registration phase of its Phase II trial of savolitinib in gastric cancer patients with MET amplification (Press release, HUTCHMED, APR 22, 2025, View Source [SID1234652015]).

This clinical trial is a single-arm, multi-center, open-label, Phase II registration study to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of savolitinib in treating gastric cancer or gastroesophageal junction ("GEJ") adenocarcinoma patients with MET amplification. Primary endpoint is objective response rate ("ORR") evaluated by the Independent Review Committee ("IRC") (RECIST 1.1). Secondary endpoints include progression free survival (PFS) and incidence of various adverse events (AE), among others. A total of 64 patients have been enrolled in the study. Further details may be found at clinicaltrials.gov using identifier NCT04923932.

As reported at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, interim results from the study showed a 45% ORR confirmed by IRC and a 50% ORR in patients with high MET gene copy number. 4-month duration of response (DOR) rate was 85.7% with median follow up time of 5.5 months. The most common grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events ("TRAE") (≥ 5%) were platelet count decreased, hypersensitivity, anemia, neutropenia and hepatic function abnormal. Only one patient discontinued treatment due to grade 4 liver function abnormal (TRAE) and no patient died due to TRAE.

The China’s National Medical Products Administration ("NMPA") has granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to savolitinib for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer or GEJ adenocarcinoma patients with MET amplification who have failed at least two lines of standard therapies. If positive, HUTCHMED may initiate plans to apply for marketing authorization of savolitinib for gastric cancer in China in late 2025.

About Gastric Cancer with MET Amplification

MET-driven gastric cancer has a very poor prognosis.1 It is estimated that MET amplification accounts for approximately 4-6% of gastric cancer patients.2,3 The annual incidence of MET amplification gastric cancer is estimated to be approximately 18,000 in China.4 The ongoing registration trial follows multiple Phase II studies conducted in Asia to study savolitinib in MET-driven gastric cancer patients, including VIKTORY.2 The VIKTORY study reported a 50% ORR in patients whose tumors harbored MET amplification and were treated with savolitinib monotherapy.

About Savolitinib

Savolitinib is an oral, potent, and highly selective MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor ("TKI") being jointly developed by AstraZeneca and HUTCHMED and commercialized by AstraZeneca. MET is a tyrosine kinase receptor that has an essential role in normal cell development.5 Savolitinib blocks atypical activation of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase pathway that occurs because of mutations (such as exon 14 skipping alterations or other point mutations), gene amplification or protein overexpression.

Savolitinib is approved in China and is marketed under the brand name ORPATHYS by our partner, AstraZeneca, for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with MET exon 14 skipping alteration, representing the first selective MET inhibitor approved in China. It has been included in the National Reimbursement Drug List of China (NRDL) since March 2023.

It is currently under clinical development for multiple tumor types, including lung, kidney, and gastric cancers as a single treatment and in combination with other medicines.

Genprex Announces Research Collaborators’ Abstract Published in Cancer Research Supplement Proceedings

On April 22, 2025 Genprex, Inc. ("Genprex" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: GNPX), a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on developing life-changing therapies for patients with cancer and diabetes, reported that its research collaborators’ abstract was published in the online Proceedings supplement of Cancer Research, a scientific journal published by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) (Press release, Genprex, APR 22, 2025, View Source [SID1234652014]).

Genprex collaborators will present the published abstract in a poster presentation at the 2025 AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting being held April 25-30, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. The collaborators will present positive preclinical data from a study of Genprex’s lead drug candidate, Reqorsa Gene Therapy (quaratusugene ozeplasmid), for the treatment of KRASG12Cmutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

"We are pleased to have our collaborators’ abstract selected for both publication and presentation before the world’s top cancer researchers, investigators and healthcare professionals," said Ryan Confer, President and Chief Executive Officer at Genprex. "This publication highlights research-driven advances against cancer, and we are gratified to be featured among those advances. We look forward to this week’s presentation of positive preclinical data on our lead drug candidate, REQORSA, as a potential therapeutic treatment for Ras inhibitor resistant lung cancer."

The featured Genprex-supported poster to be presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2025:

Title: Overcoming sotorasib acquired resistance in KRASG12C mutant NSCLC by TUSC2 gene therapy

Session Category: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics

Session Title: Drug Resistance in Molecular Targeted Therapies 3

Session Date and Time: Tuesday, April 29 from 2-5 p.m. CT

Location: Poster Section 17

Poster Board Number: 12

Abstract Presentation Number: 5517

The featured Genprex-supported abstract to be presented at AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) 2025:

Acquired resistance (AR) to Lumakras (sotorasib), the first FDA-approved KRASi, poses a significant challenge in the treatment of KRASG12C mutant NSCLC. Despite initial responses, patients invariably develop resistance, necessitating alternative therapeutic strategies. The mechanisms underlying AR include the emergence of additional mutations in the KRAS gene, reactivation of the KRAS pathway, or activation of alternative signaling pathways. TUSC2, a potent tumor suppressor gene with immunogenic properties, exhibits multifunctional activity by inhibiting downstream signaling pathways, including MAPK and mTOR; arresting the growth and proliferation of cancer cells; inducing tumor cell death; and activating innate and adaptive immune responses. In this study, researchers demonstrated that TUSC2 gene therapy (REQORSA) effectively overcomes sotorasib AR in KRASG12C mutant NSCLC mouse xenografts.

The data indicate that TUSC2 transfection significantly reduced colony formation in two AR cell lines. Transfection of TUSC2 also markedly increased apoptosis in AR cells. Re-expression of TUSC2 into AR PDXOs significantly decreased the viability of organoids compared with the empty vector. The H23AR tumors exhibited significantly lower sensitivity to sotorasib than their parental counterparts. However, treatment with REQORSA was highly effective in controlling tumor growth compared to treatment with sotorasib alone or the control groups. REQORSA alone also exhibited a strong antitumor effect on TC314AR PDXs. Sotorasib alone showed no significant antitumor activity in these models. However, a synergistic antitumor effect was observed when TC314AR PDX tumors were treated with the combination of REQORSA and sotorasib.

In conclusion, researchers demonstrated that REQORSA, alone or in combination with sotorasib,

induced apoptosis, inhibited colony formation, and showed significant antitumor efficacy in KRASG12C mutant sotorasib-acquired resistant xenograft and PDX tumors.

About Reqorsa Gene Therapy

REQORSA (quaratusugene ozeplasmid) consists of a plasmid containing the TUSC2 gene encapsulated in non-viral lipid-based nanoparticles in a lipoplex form (the Company’s Oncoprex Delivery System), which has a positive charge. REQORSA is injected intravenously and specifically targets cancer cells. REQORSA is designed to deliver the functioning TUSC2 gene to negatively charged cancer cells while minimizing uptake by normal tissue. Laboratory studies conducted at MD Anderson show that the uptake of TUSC2 in tumor cells in vitro after REQORSA treatment was 10 to 33 times the uptake in normal cells.

Circle Pharma to Present Late-Breaking Data at AACR 2025 Demonstrating Mechanism of Action for Novel Cyclin A/B RxL Inhibitors

On April 22, 2025 Circle Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing cell-permeable macrocycle therapeutics, reported a late-breaking poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2025 in Chicago, Illinois (Press release, Circle Pharma, APR 22, 2025, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=circle-pharma-to-present-late-breaking-data-at-aacr-2025-demonstrating-mechanism-of-action-for-novel-cyclin-a-b-rxl-inhibitors [SID1234652013]).

The poster will present new mechanistic insights into the anti-cancer activity of cyclin A/B RxL inhibitors, including their impact on DNA repair pathways and mitotic progression in E2F-high cancers. Circle Pharma’s CID-078, an oral macrocycle Cyclin A/B RxL inhibitor, is being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical study (NCT06577987).

Presentation Details Title: Anti-cancer effect of Cyclin A/B RxL inhibitors is mediated in part by disruption
of the ATR/Chk1 DNA repair pathway 
Session: Late-Breaking Research: Experimental and Molecular Therapeutics 3 
Session Start: 4/29/2025 9:00:00 AM CT 
Session End: 4/29/2025 12:00:00 PM CT
Location: Poster Section 52 Poster Board Number: 19 Abstract Number: LB296

The study, led by researchers from Circle Pharma in collaboration with the University of Oxford and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, highlights the dual mechanism by which Cyclin A/B RxL inhibitors induce tumor regression.

Contributing Authors: Catherine E. Gleason, Ranya Odeh, Frances Hamkins-Indik, Iolanda Vendrell, Roman Fischer, Benedikt Kessler, Shilpa Singh, Matthew Oser, Marie Evangelista, and Pablo D. Garcia, Circle Pharma Inc., South San Francisco, CA, University of Oxford, UK, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA