1stOncology™: Cancer Intelligence Service – Page 787 – 1stOncology is recognized as a Top 10 Global Pharma Analytic Provider

Plus Therapeutics Announces FDA Agreement to Initiate ReSPECT-LM Dose Optimization Trial for REYOBIQ™ in Leptomeningeal Metastases

On June 30, 2025 Plus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTV) (the "Company"), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing targeted radiotherapeutics with advanced platform technologies for central nervous system (CNS) cancers, reported the initiation of the ReSPECT-LM dose optimization trial for REYOBIQTM (rhenium Re186 obisbemeda) for the treatment of leptomeningeal metastases (LM) (Press release, Plus Therapeutics, JUN 30, 2025, View Source [SID1234654175]). The dose optimization trial follows encouraging results from the Company’s single-dose escalation trial and is designed to evaluate multiple-dose regimens of REYOBIQ administered at defined intervals via intraventricular catheter (Ommaya reservoir).

Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:

Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing

Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!

"A safe and effective therapeutic to address the epidemic of CNS metastases and specifically leptomeningeal metastases is urgently needed," said Marc H. Hedrick, M.D., Plus Therapeutics President and Chief Executive Officer. "We expect that optimizing the dosing regimen for REYOBIQ in this trial will provide data needed to design and support a follow-on registrational trial."

ReSPECT-LM Dose Optimization Trial Design
The study design is consistent with the FDA’s Project Optimus, and aims to optimize treatment dosing for maximum efficacy and safety. The primary objectives of the trial include determining the safety and tolerability of multiple REYOBIQ doses administered via intraventricular catheter at defined intervals in patients with LM from any primary solid tumor cancer and to identify both the maximum tolerated dose and minimum effective dose.

Key additional elements of the trial design include:

Enrollment of up to 24 patients, evaluating REYOBIQ administered at the recommended Phase 2 dose or R2PD of 44.1 mCi, fractionated across three dosing intervals, with up to six patients per cohort interval:
Cohort 1: 56 days
Cohort 2: 28 days
Cohort 3a: 14 days
Cohort 3b: 14 days (6 doses)
The trial will evaluate both safety, pharmacokinetics/dosimetry, and select efficacy-related endpoints such as objective response rate (ORR), neurologic progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), changes in neurologic status
Furthermore, the trial will analyze cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tumor cell counts via Plus’ CNSide CSF assay platform, other pharmacodynamic markers, and compare these to standard CSF cytology
Because of the anticipated pace of enrollment, the trial is being limited initially to only two prestigious and high enrolling cancer centers, both in Texas—the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSW) but may expand to more sites if needed.

The dose optimization study builds on promising results from the Company’s single-dose escalation trial. Key highlights include:

Cohort 4 dose (44.1 mCi) was determined to be the RP2D
Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic data showed that a single dose of REYOBIQ remained in the CSF for at least 7 days, and delivered up to an average absorbed dose of 253 Gy to the cranial subarachnoid space in Cohort 5
Neuroimaging results showed a clinical benefit rate1 of 76%, with 5 of 17 patients (29%) achieving partial responses and 8 (47%) maintaining stable disease through Day 112
Clinical examination showed a clinical benefit rate in 87% of evaluable patients, with 13 of 15 patients showing a partial response or stable disease based on physician assessment
No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed in the first four cohorts; one Grade 4 DLT (thrombocytopenia) occurred in each of Cohorts 5 and 6
Biologic signals of early apoptosis, innate immune activation, and increased T-cell activity by Day 28, as observed through RNA sequencing of LM cells
5 of 7 patients with over 80% reduction of LM tumor cells in CSF survived at least one year after initial treatment
The Company anticipates presenting these data and additional information from the completed single-dose escalation trial at the upcoming SNO/ASCO CNS Metastases Conference on August 14-16, 2025, in Baltimore, MD. The company will also request an End of Phase 1 Type B meeting with the FDA to align on the clinical development plan and the design of a potential registrational trial.

The ReSPECT-LM dose optimization trial benefits from a $17.6 million grant from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), the second largest public funding source for cancer research in the world.

About LM
Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) are a rare but severe complication of advanced cancer, affecting the fluid-lined structures of the central nervous system. LM occurs in approximately 5% of patients with metastatic cancer, with breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanoma being the most common sources. Median survival is typically 2-6 months, and effective treatment options are limited, highlighting the urgent need for novel therapies.

About REYOBIQ (rhenium Re186 obisbemeda)
REYOBIQ (rhenium Re186 obisbemeda) is a novel injectable radiotherapy specifically formulated to deliver direct targeted high dose radiation in CNS tumors in a safe, effective, and convenient manner to optimize patient outcomes. REYOBIQ has the potential to reduce off target risks and improve outcomes for CNS cancer patients, versus currently approved therapies, with a more targeted and potent radiation dose. Rhenium-186 is an ideal radioisotope for CNS therapeutic applications due to its short half-life, beta energy for destroying cancerous tissue, and gamma energy for real-time imaging. REYOBIQ is being evaluated for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma, leptomeningeal metastases, and pediatric brain cancer in the ReSPECT-GBM, ReSPECT-LM, and ReSPECT-PBC clinical trials. ReSPECT-GBM is supported by an award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), and ReSPECT-LM is funded by a three-year $17.6M grant by the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The Company’s ReSPECT-PBC clinical trial for pediatric brain cancer is supported by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program.

Tyra Biosciences, Inc. (Tyra or the Company) announced the first patient has been dosed in the SURF302 Phase 2 clinical study

On June 30, 2025 Tyra Biosciences, Inc. (Tyra or the Company) reported the first patient has been dosed in the SURF302 Phase 2 clinical study of TYRA-300 in low-grade, intermediate risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (IR NMIBC) (Press release, Tyra Biosciences, JUN 30, 2025, View Source [SID1234654174]).

SURF302 is an open-label Phase 2 clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of TYRA-300 in participants with FGFR3-altered low-grade, IR NMIBC. The study will enroll up to 90 participants at multiple sites primarily in the United States. Participants will be randomized initially to treatment with TYRA-300 at 50 mg once daily (QD) (Cohort 1) or treatment with TYRA-300 at 60 mg QD (Cohort 2). Following a review of efficacy and safety, an additional dosing cohort may be evaluated. The primary endpoint is complete response (CR) rate at three months. Secondary endpoints include time to recurrence, the median duration of response, recurrence free survival, progression free survival, safety and tolerability. The Company expects to report initial three-month CR data in the first half of 2026.

TYRA-300 will also be evaluated in pediatric achondroplasia in the BEACH301 Phase 2 study, which is open for enrollment and for which the Company now expects first child dosing in the second half of 2025.

TuHURA Biosciences Completes Acquisition of Kineta

On June 30, 2025 TuHURA Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:HURA) ("TuHURA"), a Phase 3 immuno-oncology company developing novel technologies to overcome resistance to cancer immunotherapy, reported the successful completion of the acquisition of Kineta, Inc. (OTCPK:KANT) ("Kineta"), the maker of the novel VISTA inhibiting mAb formerly known as KVA1213, now renamed as TBS-2025 (Press release, TuHURA Biosciences, JUN 30, 2025, View Source [SID1234654173]).

"While TuHURA’s IFx-2.0 is being investigated for its potential to overcome primary resistance to checkpoint inhibitors in Merkel cell carcinoma, the acquisition of VISTA expands TuHURA’s pipeline with a Phase 2 ready drug candidate, TBS-2025, which TuHURA believes has the potential to overcome acquired resistance to cancer immunotherapy," stated James Bianco, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of TuHURA. "The acquisition provides for synergies across both TuHURA’s therapeutic focus as well as with TuHURA’s antibody drug conjugate (ADC) technology. Not only can TBS-2025 be administered as the intact mAb alone or in combination with other therapeutics, we are also investigating the possibility of it being conjugated to a Delta Opioid Receptor inhibitor(s) resulting in a potential immunomodulatory, bi-functional, and bi-specific ADC targeting myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME)."

"We are currently planning on investigating TBS-2025 (formerly known as KVA12123) in a Phase 2 trial in combination with a menin inhibitor in NPM1 mutated AML. Unlike other checkpoints, which are mostly present on activated T cells, VISTA is predominately expressed on myeloid cells, notably MDSCs, and on quiescent T cells. Research has demonstrated that when mutated, NPM1 and DNM3TA, two of the most common mutations in AML and typically co-mutated in myelodysplasia (MDS), result in high expression of VISTA on the surface of leukemic blasts. The presence of VISTA on these cells is believed to be the primary mechanism by which leukemic cells escape immune recognition and attack, resulting in a low treatment response rate and a high level of relapse in AML. We believe, in a relatively inexpensive, small Phase 2 study, we can determine if TBS-2025, our VISTA inhibiting antibody, can augment the response rates seen with menin inhibitors and decrease the rate of relapse in patients with NMP1 mutated relapsed or refractory AML where menin inhibitors are the current standard of care."

About the Transaction
Pursuant to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement between TuHURA and Kineta, each share of Kineta common stock, par value $0.001 per share (each, a "Share"), issued and outstanding immediately prior to the merger, was converted into the right to receive at the closing of the merger 0.185298 shares of TuHURA common stock, par value $0.001 per share ("TuHURA Common Stock"), for an aggregate of 2,868,169 shares of TuHURA Common Stock. Also pursuant to the terms and conditions of the merger agreement, each Share is also entitled to its pro rata portion of an aggregate of 1,129,885 additional shares of TuHURA Common Stock to be issued after 6 months following the closing, which aggregate number of shares is subject to adjustment for losses incurred or accrued during the six month period from the closing of the merger, and (ii) the right to its pro rata share of cash consideration received by Kineta pursuant to disposed asset payments related to legacy Kineta assets. Such payments of cash consideration, if any, will be made at a later date and in accordance with the terms of the merger agreement. In each case, in lieu of the issuance of a fractional share of TuHURA Common Stock to former holders of Kineta common stock, TuHURA will pay an amount equal to the product of (A) such fractional share and (B) $5.7528.

Leerink Partners acted as the exclusive financial advisor to TuHURA on the transaction.

About TBS-2025 (f/k/a KVA12123)
VISTA (V-domain Ig suppressor of T cell activation) is an immune checkpoint highly expressed on myeloid cells. VISTA is a strong driver of immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment (TME). VISTA expression is found on infiltrating immune cells, with the highest levels on myeloid lineage cells, including MDSCs. It suppresses T cell function, and high levels of VISTA expression in the human TME have been correlated in most studies with decreased overall survival (OS).

TBS-2025 VISTA-blocking immunotherapy is administered intravenously every 2 weeks (Iadonato et al. Front Immunol 2023). It is an engineered IgG1 mAb with an extended half-life that binds to a unique epitope at both acidic and neutral pH.

TBS-2025 was investigated in a dose escalation Phase 1/2 trial, both as a monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab, in patients with relapsed and/or treatment-refractory advanced solid tumors. TBS-2025 was well tolerated at doses up to 1,000mg both in the monotherapy arm (n=24) or in the pembrolizumab combination therapy arm (n=16). Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data demonstrated greater than 90% receptor occupancy across the every two- week dosing interval. Immunocytokine analysis was consistent with the mechanism of action for VISTA inhibition on immune cells.

Tempest Receives Clearance to Proceed with Pivotal Trial of Amezalpat Combination Therapy for First-Line HCC in China

On June 30, 2025 Tempest Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: TPST), a clinical-stage biotechnology company with a pipeline of first-in-classi targeted and immune-mediated therapeutics to fight cancer, reported that the company received approval from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) in China to proceed with a pivotal trial to evaluate amezalpat (TPST-1120) in combination with atezolizumab and bevacizumab, the current standard of care, versus the standard of care alone in the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Press release, Tempest Therapeutics, JUN 30, 2025, View Source [SID1234654172]).

"This regulatory clearance to proceed with a pivotal trial in China is a significant milestone towards reaching global markets where HCC has high prevalence," said Sam Whiting M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and head of R&D of Tempest. "It is rewarding that the regulatory officials in China see the promise and potential of amezalpat and have provided the green light to begin a registration-directed trial. We strongly believe amezalpat is a drug that can make a difference in the lives of patients with HCC and believe it should be advanced to pivotal testing."

About the TPST-1120-301 Study (NCT06680258)

The planned Phase 3 study is a global, blinded, 1:1 randomized study of amezalpat plus atezolizumab and bevacizumab versus placebo plus atezolizumab and bevacizumab, the standard of care, for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic HCC. The company has also received agreement from the FDA and EMA on its Phase 3 study design, dose of amezalpat, and the statistical plan, including a pre-specified efficacy analysis that could shorten the time to primary analysis.

About Hepatocellular Carcinoma

HCC is an aggressive cancer with rising mortality and is projected to become the third leading cause of cancer death by 2030.1 Every year, more than 900,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with HCC.2 Incidence and mortality are highest in East Asia and are increasing in parts of Europe and the US.3 In the US, HCC represents the fastest-rising cause of cancer-related death.3

Nine out of ten cases of HCC are caused by chronic liver disease, which includes chronic hepatitis B and C infection, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) and cirrhosis resulting from these conditions.4

Even if diagnosed in the early stage, an estimated 70-80% of people with early-stage HCC experience disease recurrence following surgery.5 Early recurrence is associated with poorer prognosis and shorter survival.5,6 Tumor size, number of tumors, and portal vein invasion are associated with an increased risk of recurrence.6

About Amezalpat

Amezalpat is an oral, small molecule, selective PPAR⍺ antagonist. Data suggest that amezalpat treats cancer by targeting tumor cells directly and by modulating immune suppressive cells and angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment. In an ongoing global randomized Phase 1b/2 study of amezalpat in combination with atezolizumab and bevacizumab in first-line patients with advanced HCC, the amezalpat arm showed clinical superiority across multiple study endpoints, including overall survival in both the entire population and key subpopulations, when compared to atezolizumab and bevacizumab alone, the standard of care. These randomized data were supported by additional positive results observed in the Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with heavily pretreated advanced solid tumors, including renal cell carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma.

AMGEN ANNOUNCES POSITIVE TOPLINE PHASE 3 RESULTS FOR BEMARITUZUMAB IN FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR 2b (FGFR2b) POSITIVE FIRST-LINE GASTRIC CANCER

On June 30, 2025 Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) reported the Phase 3 FORTITUDE-101 clinical trial evaluating first-line bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy (mFOLFOX6) met its primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) at a pre-specified interim analysis (Press release, Amgen, JUN 30, 2025, View Source [SID1234654171]).

Bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in OS as compared to placebo plus chemotherapy in people living with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancer with FGFR2b overexpression and who are non-HER2 positive. FGFR2b overexpression was defined as 2+/3+ staining in ≥10% of tumor cells by centrally performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing.

Gastric cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, with nearly one million new cases and over 650,000 deaths globally each year 1, highlighting a critical unmet medical need.

"Most patients with gastric cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage, with poor prognosis, low survival rates and limited therapeutic options," said Jay Bradner, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "These first positive top-line results of an FGFR2b targeted monoclonal antibody from our Phase 3 FORTITUDE-101 study mark a meaningful advance in the development of effective targeted therapy for gastric cancer."

The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (>25%) in patients treated with bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy were reduced visual acuity, punctate keratitis, anaemia, neutropenia, nausea, corneal epithelium defect and dry eye. While ocular events were consistent with the Phase 2 experience and observed in both arms, they occurred with greater frequency and severity in the Phase 3 bemarituzumab arm.

Detailed results from the trial will be shared at a future medical meeting.

FORTITUDE-101 was conducted with the support of Zai Lab. Zai Lab holds co-development and commercialization rights for bemarituzumab for mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

A Phase 3 study of bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy and nivolumab is also ongoing in patients with first-line gastric cancer, with a data readout anticipated in H2 2025.

About FGFR2b
The FGFR2b protein (also known as fibroblast growth factor receptor 2b) is an emerging biomarker which, when overexpressed, promotes aberrant signaling leading to tumor cell proliferation.2

The FGFR2b protein is overexpressed by G/GEJ tumor cells in approximately 38% of patients with advanced G/GEJ cancer. FGFR2b protein overexpression is defined as 2+/3+ staining intensity on tumor cell membrane, as detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing. In approximately 16% of patients with advanced G/GEJ cancer, FGFR2b protein overexpression is observed on ≥10% of tumor cells by IHC.3

About FORTITUDE-101
FORTITUDE-101 is a randomized, multi-center, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study of bemarituzumab plus mFOLFOX6 versus placebo plus mFOLFOX6 as first-line therapy in advanced G/GEJ cancer with FGFR2b overexpression. The FORTITUDE-101 trial spanned 300 sites across 37 countries, with 547 patients enrolled.

The primary outcome measure of the trial is overall survival in patients with FGFR2b ≥10% 2+/3+ tumor cell staining. Key secondary outcome measures include progression-free survival and overall response rate. Candidates were excluded from the trial if they were known to be human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive. FORTITUDE-101 included more comprehensive ocular-related monitoring than previous studies of bemarituzumab.