On December 10, 2024 Pilatus Biosciences Inc. reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) to its leading molecule, PLT012, for treating liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer (HCC/ICCA) (Press release, Pilatus Biosciences, DEC 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234649003]). Achieved in November 2024, this designation marks a crucial advancement in developing innovative therapies for patients facing these challenging cancers. Dr. Raven Lin, CEO, emphasized the company’s commitment to addressing urgent medical needs, while Prof. Ping-Chih Ho highlighted PLT012’s unique therapeutic approach targeting the tumor microenvironment. Pilatus is actively working with regulatory authorities to expedite PLT012’s development and availability.

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Pilatus Biosciences, a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company spun out from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research (Lausanne), is leading the development of first-in-class biologics targeting metabolic checkpoints. Supported by the Cancer Research Institute (New York), the company employs a pioneering approach to immunometabolism, reprogramming the immune microenvironment to combat cancer effectively.

"We are honored to receive Orphan Drug Designation for PLT012, a milestone that reflects our dedication to addressing the urgent need for innovative therapies in liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer," said Dr. Raven Lin, CEO and Co-founder of Pilatus Biosciences. Prof. Ping-Chih Ho, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board and Co-founder of Pilatus Biosciences, added, "PLT012 leverages metabolic checkpoint targeting to reprogram the tumor microenvironment (TME), offering a unique therapeutic approach. This designation highlights the promising scientific discoveries and results we have achieved in addressing the underserved area. It further motivates us to accelerate PLT012’s development and collaborate globally to bring this promising treatment to patients with limited options."

Currently, Pilatus Biosciences is advancing the development of PLT012, actively engaging with regulatory authorities and stakeholders to expedite the availability of this promising therapy.

About PLT012

PLT012, is a humanized anti-CD36 antibody with a unique dual mechanism of action (MOA): it simultaneously disarms immunosuppressive cell populations and amplifies effector T cell functions. PLT012 has shown potential against multiple tumors with unmet medical needs. It is set to advance to its first U.S. IND submission and first patient dosing in 2025. As a monotherapy, PLT012 demonstrates remarkable anti-tumor efficacy in both immune ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ tumor models with a significant augmentation in GzmB-expressing CD8+ T cells and reductions in both intratumoral Tregs and pro-tumorigenic macrophage. Additionally, PLT012 treatment alters the exhaustion features of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells by increasing the populations of progenitor- (Texprog) and tumoricidal activities in terminal-exhausted T cells (Texterm), highlighting enhanced anti-tumor immunity when combined with immune checkpoint blockade therapies, such as PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors.

About Orphan Drug Designation

The FDA’s Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) program provides orphan status to drugs defined as those intended for the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. ODD qualifies the sponsor of the drug for certain development incentives, including tax credits for qualified clinical testing, prescription drug user fee exemptions and 7 years marketing exclusivity upon FDA approval.

About Liver and Intrahepatic Bile Duct Cancer (HCC/ICCA)

Primary liver cancer first occurs in either the liver or the intrahepatic bile ducts. The two most common types of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer are hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, 80-90% of cases), and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA, 10-15% of cases). In HCC and ICCA, metabolic reprogramming plays a crucial role in promoting tumor progression by modifying the TME to support tumor growth and immune evasion.

For HCC, the most common first-line systemic therapies include either a combination of a PD-L1 inhibitor and a VEGF inhibitor or a combination of a PD-L1 inhibitor and a CTLA-4 inhibitor. Most patients will require multiple lines of treatment, as the recurrence rate of HCC has been reported to be as high as 88%. Second-line treatments for HCC are primarily multiple tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitors, even the incidence of a second HCC recurrence is 50%-70%. Additional lines of treatment may be administered if the patient can tolerate a second-line therapy with a different MOA than those previously administered.

PLT012 emerges as a promising candidate, demonstrating dual MOA that synergizes with existing treatments and provide immune-stimulating effects in the TME, potentially enhancing therapeutic outcomes.

On December 10, 2024 Novartis reported results from an updated analysis of the pivotal Phase III NATALEE trial of Kisqali (ribociclib) that underscore the extended efficacy beyond the duration of treatment in combination with endocrine therapy (ET) (Press release, Novartis, DEC 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234649002]). Results showed a sustained reduction in distant recurrence of 28.5% (HR=0.715; 95% CI 0.604-0.847; nominal P<0.0001), compared to ET alone, in patients with stage II and III hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR+/HER2-) early breast cancer (EBC)1.

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Reduction in distant recurrence, known as distant disease-free survival (DDFS), is a decrease in the rate of cancer returning and spreading to other organs. The DDFS with Kisqali was consistent across all pre-specified patient subgroups, including those with node-negative (N0) disease1. These late-breaking data are being presented at the 2024 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS).

"In day-to-day practice, we see a real and persistent risk of breast cancer coming back after early diagnosis, often as metastatic disease," said Paolo Tarantino, M.D., Advanced Fellow at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School. "The latest NATALEE and real-world data presented at SABCS reaffirm we can better address risk of recurrence for all patients at high-risk, including selected patients with node-negative disease, by offering them adjuvant CDK4/6 inhibitor treatment in addition to endocrine therapy."

DDFS results across pre-specified subgroups1,4**:

Subgroup Hazard Ratio 95% CI
Intention-To-Treat Population 0.715 0.604-0.847
AJCC Tumor Stage IIA 0.396 0.218-0.720
AJCC Tumor Stage IIB 0.806 0.524-1.238
AJCC Tumor Stage IIIA 0.697 0.524-0.926
AJCC Tumor Stage IIIB 0.569 0.326-0.994
AJCC Tumor Stage IIIC 0.878 0.649-1.188
Node-negative disease 0.696 0.403-1.204
Node-positive disease 0.726 0.608-0.867
Safety remains consistent with previous reports, and no new safety signals were identified5. Adverse events (AEs) of special interest (grade 3 or higher) were neutropenia (44.4%), liver-related AEs (e.g., elevated transaminases) (8.6%), and QT interval prolongation (1.0%)5.

Real-World Risk of Distant Recurrence
Further, real-world evidence presented at the meeting highlights the relatively high incidence of distant recurrences within 5 years despite ET monotherapy for patients at high-risk, regardless of nodal involvement2.

"On the heels of its U.S. FDA and EMA approvals in early breast cancer, it is encouraging to see the continued benefit of adding Kisqali to standard endocrine therapy to help reduce the risk of recurrence," said Jeff Legos, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Oncology Development, Novartis. "These data, together with the recent NCCN Guidelines Category 1 preferred treatment recommendation for all eligible patients with early breast cancer, reinforce the opportunity to evolve adjuvant treatment to help a broader group of people."

Additional research presented at the meeting further demonstrates the ongoing focus of Novartis to advance the care of people with breast cancer, including studies investigating the potential of radioligand therapies in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer (MBC)6.

*NCCN makes no warranties of any kind whatsoever regarding their content, use or application and disclaims any responsibility for their application or use in any way.

**The 4-year DDFS analysis was not prespecified and the trial was not powered to demonstrate statistical significance of these results.

About NATALEE
NATALEE is a global Phase III multi-center, randomized, open-label trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Kisqali with ET as an investigational adjuvant treatment versus ET alone in patients with stage II and III HR+/HER2- EBC, being conducted in collaboration with TRIO7,8. The adjuvant ET in both treatment arms was a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI; anastrozole or letrozole) and goserelin if applicable7,8. The primary endpoint of NATALEE is invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) as defined by the Standardized Definitions for Efficacy End Points (STEEP) criteria7,8. A total of 5,101 adult patients with HR+/HER2- EBC across 20 countries were randomized in the trial7,8.

About Kisqali (ribociclib)
Kisqali (ribociclib) is a selective cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, a class of drugs that help slow the progression of cancer by inhibiting two proteins called cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6). These proteins, when over-activated, can enable cancer cells to grow and divide too quickly. Targeting CDK4/6 with enhanced precision may play a role in ensuring that cancer cells do not continue to replicate uncontrollably.

Kisqali has been approved as a treatment for breast cancer by regulatory authorities in 99 countries worldwide, including the U.S. FDA and the European Commission9,10. In the US, Kisqali is indicated in combination with an AI as an adjuvant treatment for adults with HR+/HER2- stage II and III early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence, as well as for the treatment of adults with HR+/HER2- advanced or MBC as initial ET; Kisqali is also approved in the metastatic indication in combination with fulvestrant as initial ET or following disease progression on ET in post-menopausal women or in men9. In the EU, Kisqali is approved for the treatment of women with HR+/HER2- advanced or MBC in combination with either an AI or fulvestrant as initial ET or following disease progression10. In pre- or peri-menopausal women, the ET should be combined with a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist9,10.

In EBC, ribociclib (Kisqali) is the only CDK4/6 inhibitor recommended by the NCCN Guidelines for breast cancer for both all node-positive disease as well as for patients with no nodal involvement with high-risk disease characteristics, such as tumor size >5 cm, or for tumors sized 2-5 cm, either Grade 2 with high genomic risk/Ki-67 ≥20% or Grade 33. In MBC, Kisqali has consistently demonstrated statistically significant overall survival benefit across three Phase III trials11-21. The NCCN Guidelines also recommend ribociclib (Kisqali) as the only Category 1 preferred CDK4/6 inhibitor for first-line treatment of people living with HR+/HER2- when combined with an AI3, making Kisqali the preferred first-line treatment of choice for US prescribers in HR+/HER2- MBC.

In addition, Kisqali has achieved the highest score (A) on the European Society for Medical Oncology-Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (ESMO-MCBS) for EBC22; and has the highest rating of any CDK4/6 inhibitor on the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale, achieving a score of five out of five for first-line pre-menopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer23. Further, Kisqali in combination with either letrozole or fulvestrant has uniquely, among other CDK4/6 inhibitors, received a score of four out of five for post-menopausal patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer treated in the first line24.

Kisqali was developed by Novartis under a research collaboration with Astex Pharmaceuticals.

Please see full Prescribing Information for Kisqali, available at www.Kisqali.com

On December 10, 2024 Olema Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Olema" or "Olema Oncology", Nasdaq: OLMA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of targeted therapies for breast cancer and beyond, reported updated clinical results from the ongoing Phase 1b/2 study of palazestrant in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitor, ribociclib, in patients with estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (ER+/HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer (Press release, Olema Oncology, DEC 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234649000]). Results as of September 25, 2024, will be presented in a poster session at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS 2024) being held December 10-13 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. Updated results as of November 11, 2024, are detailed below.

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"We believe these data, while still maturing, are compelling and highly differentiated, with robust clinical activity shown across both ESR1 wild-type and mutant patient populations after prior treatment with a CDK4/6 inhibitor in combination with endocrine therapy. Mutations in the ESR1 gene are one of the most common resistance mechanisms arising during current front-line standard of care treatment, leading to progression. Palazestrant has demonstrated its potential to work in combination with ribociclib by completely blocking estrogen receptor signaling and suppressing tumor growth to extend progression-free survival after prior progression on the current standard of care, regardless of ESR1 status," said Sean P. Bohen, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Olema Oncology. "These data provide the foundation to initiate OPERA-02, our planned pivotal Phase 3 trial of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib in front-line metastatic breast cancer next year. We look forward to sharing mature data from this combination in 2025 and continuing the development of palazestrant as we work to advance our goal of creating innovative therapies to improve the lives of breast cancer patients."

Interim Results from the Phase 1b/2 Study of Palazestrant in Combination with Ribociclib
Enrollment
62 patients with advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer were treated with palazestrant (n=56 at the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of 120 mg once daily) plus ribociclib (600 mg once daily; three weeks on treatment followed by one week off treatment).

The majority of participants (48 (77%)) were 2/3+ line patients; 48 (77%) patients received prior endocrine therapy for metastatic breast cancer, 46 (74%) patients received prior treatment of endocrine therapy with CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i), 12 (19%) received two prior lines of treatment with CDK4/6i, and 11 (18%) patients received chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.
36 (58%) patients had visceral disease; 42 (68%) patients had measurable disease at baseline. Of 60 patients whose circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) was assessed, 28% had activating mutations in ESR1 at baseline.
Efficacy
Palazestrant combined with ribociclib showed promising clinical activity including tumor responses, prolonged disease stabilization, and progression-free survival in patients with ESR1 wild-type and ESR1 activating mutations at baseline and in those previously treated with one or two lines of CDK4/6i. Efficacy data continue to mature; 30 (48%) patients remain on treatment, and the longest duration on treatment is approximately 18 months (79 weeks) and was ongoing as of the data cutoff date of November 11, 2024.

With a median follow-up of 12 months, the median PFS was not reached as of the data cutoff date. Across all patients, the 6-month PFS rate was 73%. In those who received prior treatment with a CDK4/6i plus an endocrine therapy, the 6-month PFS rate was 68%. The 6-month PFS rate in ESR1 mutant patients was 81% and in ESR1 wild-type patients it was 70%.
In those who were clinical benefit rate (CBR)1-eligible, the CBR was 76% (37/49) in all patients, 81% (13/16) in patients with ESR1 mutations, and 74% (23/31) in ESR1 wild-type patients. In patients with prior CDK4/6i treatment, the CBR was 71% (25/35), 81% (13/16) in patients with ESR1 mutations, and 65% (11/17) in ESR1 wild-type patients.
As of the data cutoff date, there were 11 responses (two confirmed complete responses, eight confirmed partial responses, and one unconfirmed partial response). Among 37 response-evaluable patients with measurable disease, the ORR was 27% (10/37). 60% of the 37 had a reduction in target lesion size.

Safety and Tolerability
Across 62 treated patients, the combination of up to 120 mg of palazestrant with the approved dose for metastatic disease of 600 mg of ribociclib daily was well tolerated with no new safety signals or increase in toxicity. The overall safety profile was consistent with the established safety profile of ribociclib 600 mg plus an endocrine therapy.

Treatment with palazestrant up to 120 mg combined with ribociclib (600 mg) was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities.
The majority of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were Grade 1 or 2, and the severity and incidence of adverse events were consistent with the expected safety profile of ribociclib plus endocrine therapy.
Pharmacokinetics
Palazestrant did not affect ribociclib drug exposure when compared with published exposure data for single-agent ribociclib. Steady-state trough values showed no clinically significant difference between the combination and single-agent palazestrant.

Conclusions
Findings from this study support the advancement of palazestrant in combination with ribociclib into clinical development for the first-line treatment of ER+/HER2- advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

"Palazestrant is not an endocrine therapy where you need to wait six months to see a patient derive benefit. We have seen impressive responses quickly and a significant reduction of disease burden. The patients I have seen feel much better than they have on other treatments available in the armamentarium today," said Virginia Borges, M.D., Professor, Medicine-Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado, and Principal Investigator for the palazestrant plus ribociclib combination study. "The findings presented at SABCS show that the combination of palazestrant and ribociclib is well-tolerated with meaningful preliminary efficacy that I believe has the potential to outperform the current standard of care and change how metastatic breast cancer is treated. I look forward to the continued development of palazestrant."

A copy of the poster presented at SABCS reflecting a September 25, 2024 data cutoff date will be made available on the Publications page of Olema’s website in alignment with the Symposium’s embargo policy.

1CBR is the proportion of patients who remained on treatment through at least 24 weeks with a confirmed complete response or partial response, or stable disease.

Conference Call Information
Olema will hold a conference call to discuss these results today with the investment community at 8:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. CT). Register to join the webcast by visiting the Events and Presentations page on the Investors section of Olema’s website.

About Palazestrant (OP-1250)
Palazestrant (OP-1250) is a novel, orally available small molecule with dual activity as both a complete estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist (CERAN) and selective ER degrader (SERD). It is currently being investigated in patients with recurrent, locally advanced or metastatic ER-positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) breast cancer. In preclinical studies, palazestrant completely blocks ER-driven transcriptional activity in both ESR1 wild-type and mutant forms of breast cancer. In Olema’s ongoing clinical trials for advanced or metastatic ER+/HER2- breast cancer, palazestrant has demonstrated anti-tumor activity along with attractive pharmacokinetics and exposure, favorable tolerability, and combinability with CDK4/6 inhibitors. Palazestrant has been granted U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Fast Track designation for the treatment of ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer that has progressed following one or more lines of endocrine therapy with at least one line given in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor. It is being evaluated both as a single agent in an ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial, OPERA-01, and in Phase 1/2 combination studies with CDK4/6 inhibitors (palbociclib and ribociclib), a PI3Ka inhibitor (alpelisib), and an mTOR inhibitor (everolimus). For more information on OPERA-01, please visit www.opera01study.com.

On December 10, 2024 Nurix Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: NRIX), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted protein modulation drugs designed to treat patients with cancer and inflammatory diseases, reported new positive clinical data from patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) treated in the Phase 1a/1b clinical trial of its Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) degrader NX-5948 (Press release, Nurix Therapeutics, DEC 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234648999]). These data were presented by Nirav N. Shah, M.D., M.S.H.P., Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and a clinical investigator on the trial, in an oral session at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition being held December 7-10, 2024, in San Diego, CA. In addition, Nurix and its collaborators presented new preclinical data for NX-5948 and its BTK and IKZF1/3 degrader NX-2127 in separate poster and oral presentations at the ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.

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"We are excited to report our latest results based on enrollment of sixty relapsed/refractory CLL/SLL patients, almost double the number of patients in our previous mid-year 2024 update. With a greater number of patients and longer duration of treatment, we are highly encouraged to see a deepening of therapeutic responses over time while maintaining a favorable safety profile," said Paula G. O’Connor, M.D., chief medical officer of Nurix. "These positive results are particularly impressive given the inclusion of patients with a high incidence of baseline genetic mutations in BTK, PLCG2, and TP53, and challenging clinical factors, such as central nervous system involvement, which are associated with poor prognosis. We continue to enroll patients in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe in the Phase 1b portion of the trial and are on track to initiate pivotal trials of NX-5948 in 2025."

NX-5948 Phase 1a/1b clinical update
As of the October 10, 2024 data cut, sixty (60) patients with relapsed or refractory CLL/SLL were enrolled. This cohort of CLL/SLL patients was a heavily pretreated population that had received a median of four prior lines of therapy (range = 1-12) including prior covalent BTK inhibitors (98.3%), prior BCL2 inhibitors (83.3%), and prior non-covalent BTK inhibitors (28.3%). At baseline, a large number of patients had mutations associated with BTK inhibitor resistance, including mutations in BTK (38.6%) and PLC2G (12.3%). Poor prognostic features were common, including TP53 mutations (40.4%), and five patients (8.3%) had central nervous system (CNS) involvement.

The data presented at the ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting include safety findings for all patients in the NX-5948 Phase 1a/1b dose escalation and expansion cohorts (n=125), including those with CLL/SLL and those with non-Hodgin’s lymphoma (NHL). Patients were treated with NX-5948 at starting doses ranging from 50 mg to 600 mg once daily by oral administration, and intra-patient dose escalation was permitted per protocol. NX-5948 was well tolerated across all doses evaluated, and safety findings in the CLL/SLL cohort were consistent with the overall population as well as previous safety analyses. Among the CLL/SLL patients, the most common treatment emergent adverse events were purpura/contusion (36.7%, all grade 1 or 2), fatigue (26.7%, all grade 1 or 2), petechiae (26.7%, all grade 1 or 2), neutropenia (23.3%, 18.3% grade 3 or higher), and rash (23.3%, 1.7% grade 3 or higher). Importantly, across the entire population, there was only one case of grade 1 atrial fibrillation in a patient with pre-existing atrial fibrillation.

Among the efficacy evaluable patients with CLL/SLL (n=49), NX-5948 treatment resulted in a robust objective response rate (ORR) of 75.5% across all doses tested, with the majority of responses occurring at the first assessment (Week 8). With longer time on treatment, the ORR increased to 84.2% based on an exploratory efficacy analysis of patients who had at least two response assessments (Week 16). Responses were observed across all populations regardless of prior treatment, baseline mutations, high-risk molecular features, or CNS involvement. This includes patients with baseline BTK mutations associated with treatment resistance to both covalent and non-covalent BTK inhibitors. Robust BTK degradation was observed in all patients, including those with baseline BTK mutations.

Responses were durable with the median duration of response not reached. Thirteen patients had duration of response greater than six months, and five patients remain on treatment and in response beyond one year of treatment.

Additional preclinical data presentations
Nurix and its collaborators presented new preclinical data for NX-5948 in an animal model of primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) and assessed the impact of NX-2127 on T cell function.

Preclinical data were presented demonstrating the positive effects of brain-penetrant NX-5948 treatment on survival in a patient-derived xenograft model of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) in a poster titled: BTK Degradation As a Novel Therapeutic Strategy in Relapsed CNS Lymphoma: Proof of Concept Studies in Intracranial Patient-Derived, Rodent Models. The data demonstrate that daily oral administration of NX-5948 drives potent degradation of BTK, inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and prolonged survival in the setting of CNS lymphoma. In addition, transcriptional changes associated with enhanced tumor antigen presentation and reduced tumor progression were observed in NX-5948 treated animals. Notably, oral administration of ibrutinib resulted in similar level of ERK inhibition but did not lead to prolonged survival or the same pattern of transcriptional changes in the model, suggesting that BTK degradation by NX-5948 exhibits differential biology relative to BTK inhibition by ibrutinib, a result that may be associated with the elimination of BTK’s scaffolding function by NX-5948.

In addition, preclinical results were presented demonstrating that although both NX-2127 and NX-5948 effectively degrade BTK in primary CLL cells while preserving T-cell activation and survival in vitro, NX-2127 demonstrates unique immunomodulatory activity. These data were the subject of an oral presentation titled: NX-2127 and NX-5948, Two Clinical Stage Cereblon-Recruiting BTK Degraders, Facilitate T Cell Functionality in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Specifically, the data demonstrate distinct immunomodulatory effects in NX-2127 treated CLL cells, including upregulation of CD38, an interferon (IFN)-response gene, bolstering the immune response, promotion of T cell differentiation towards a TH1 phenotype, enhancing anti-tumor immunity, reduction in Treg differentiation, which supports a shift toward a less immunosuppressive microenvironment and enhancement of immunological synapse formation, and T cell-mediated cytotoxicity. In addition, RNA sequencing revealed unique patterns of gene expression in NX-2127-treated CLL cells, distinguishing responders from non-responders and further demonstrating its distinctive T cell modulatory effects.

About NX-5948: NX-5948 is an investigational, orally bioavailable degrader of BTK that is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1a/b clinical trial in adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. Additional information on the Phase 1a/b clinical trial can be accessed at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05131022).

About NX-2127: NX-2127 is an investigational, orally bioavailable degrader of BTK and cereblon neosubstrates Ikaros (IKZF1) and Aiolos (IKZF3). NX-2127 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1a/b clinical trial in adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies. Additional information on the ongoing clinical trial can be accessed at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04830137).

On December 10, 2024 Sutro Biopharma, Inc. (Sutro or the Company) (NASDAQ: STRO), a clinical-stage oncology company pioneering site-specific and novel-format antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), reported the selected dose from the dose-optimization portion (Part 1) of REFRαME-O1, the registration-directed trial of luveltamab tazevibulin (luvelta) in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC), following a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Press release, Sutro Biopharma, DEC 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234648998]).

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"The topline results confirm luvelta’s favorable safety and efficacy profile at the starting dose of 5.2 mg/kg, further supporting our confidence that it can improve clinical outcomes compared to chemotherapy in our ongoing registrational trial," said Anne Borgman, M.D., Sutro’s Chief Medical Officer. "Consistent response rates were observed in patients across all levels of FRα expression of 25% or greater, reconfirming luvelta’s potential to expand the benefit of a targeted treatment to 8 out of 10 PROC patients."

REFRαME-O1 (Part 1)

REFRαME-O1 (Part 1) evaluated luvelta in patients with PROC with low, medium, and high FRα expression levels. This includes patients with ≥25% Tumor Proportion Score (TPS), defined as at least 25% of tumor cells expressing FRα, at any staining intensity. In the dose-optimization (Part 1), patients were randomized 1:1 to a 5.2 mg/kg with prophylactic pegfilgrastim (G-CSF) for 2 cycles followed by 4.3 mg/kg for subsequent cycles (5.2 mg/kg group), or a 4.3 mg/kg dose of luvelta for all cycles (4.3 mg/kg group). We plan to present additional data at future medical meetings.

Topline Results from Evaluable Patients (5.2 mg/kg group; N = 25):

Achieved an objective response rate (ORR) of 32%, which includes one partial response that confirmed post data extraction1
Disease control rate of 96%
Approximately half of the patients treated were ineligible for an approved FRα-targeting ADC
88% of patients received prior bevacizumab
Grade 3 or higher neutropenia occurred in 32% of patients, no febrile neutropenia
"The clinical results from Part 1 of REFRαME-O1 provide compelling evidence that luvelta has the potential to be both first in class and best in class for patients who have low to medium expression of FRα. FRα is a validated target, and luvelta has the opportunity to reach more patients in need," commented Bradley Monk, M.D., Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute; Director GOG Partners.

"The topline safety profile of luvelta from Part 1 is encouraging. Neutropenia rates were low, highlighting successful management guidelines. Furthermore, the lack of serious ocular damage, pancytopenia, or Interstitial Lung Disease provide further confidence in our ability to treat a broad group of women with PROC with a focus on their overall wellbeing," stated Wendel Naumann, M.D., Professor, Levine Cancer, Atrium Health/Wake Forest University, Charlotte, NC.

REFRαME-O1 (Part 2) Registrational Trial

REFRαME-O1 (Part 2) is an ongoing global registrational trial for patients with PROC, evaluating a 5.2 mg/kg dose with prophylactic pegfilgrastim (G-CSF) for the first two cycles followed by a 4.3 mg/kg dose for subsequent cycles. Part 2 will enroll approximately 500 patients, randomized 1:1 to luvelta or investigators’ choice of chemotherapy. Luvelta is positioned for an Accelerated Approval application in mid-2027.

About Luveltamab Tazevibulin
Luveltamab tazevibulin, abbreviated as "luvelta" and formerly known as STRO-002, is a FRα-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) designed to treat a broad range of patients with ovarian cancer, including those with lower FRα-expression who are not eligible for approved treatment options targeting FRα. Developed and manufactured with Sutro’s cell-free XpressCF platform, luvelta is a homogeneous ADC with four hemiasterlin cytotoxins per antibody, precisely positioned to efficiently deliver to the tumor while ensuring systemic stability after dosing. REFRαME-O1, a Phase 2/3 registration-directed study for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is ongoing. The Company has another ongoing registration-directed trial, REFRαME-P1, for patients with CBF/GLIS acute myeloid leukemia, a rare subtype of pediatric cancer, as well as additional ongoing trials in patients with endometrial cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and in combination with bevacizumab in patients with ovarian cancer. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted luvelta a Fast Track designation for Ovarian Cancer, as well as Orphan and Rare Pediatric Disease designations for CBF/GLIS Pediatric AML.