FOTIVDA® (tivozanib) Now Approved for the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Following Two or More Prior Systemic Therapies; Onco360® Selected as Specialty Pharmacy Partner

On March 12, 2021 Onco360, the nation’s largest independent Oncology Pharmacy, reported that it has been selected by AVEO Oncology to be a specialty pharmacy partner for FOTIVDA (tivozanib), a new oral treatment for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following two or more prior systemic therapies (Press release, Onco360, MAR 12, 2021, View Source [SID1234576597]).

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!

"Onco360 is excited to be selected as a specialty pharmacy provider for FOTIVDA patients," said Benito Fernandez, Chief Commercial Officer, Onco360. "The recent approval of FOTIVDA unlocks a new therapy option for treatment-experienced patients with previously treated advanced RCC who have limited treatment options. As a provider of this key treatment, Onco360 can support the highly specialized needs of RCC patients and their physicians across the US."

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer1, which is among the 10 most common cancers in both men and women.2 According to the American Cancer Society 2020 statistics, approximately 73,750 new cases of kidney cancer will be diagnosed and about 14,830 people will die from this disease.2 Local therapies are often used to treat RCC in earlier stages; however, RCC patients are typically asymptomatic until disease progression and require systemic and targeted treatments at diagnosis.3 Targeted drugs used to treat advanced kidney cancer or metastatic RCC work by blocking angiogenesis and/or important proteins in cancer cells that help them grow and survive.4 Agents that target the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway have shown significant antitumor activity in RCC but are associated with adverse events and side effects that commonly result in high rates of dose interruptions and reductions.5 A more potent, highly selective inhibitor of VEGF receptors may improve efficacy and tolerability, and thus meet an unmet need for efficacious agents with differentiated safety profiles for RCC patients.6

FOTIVDA is manufactured by AVEO Oncology, an oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company committed to delivering medicines that provide a better life for cancer patients. The FDA’s approval of FOTIVDA, for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced RCC following two or more prior systemic therapies, is based on AVEO’s pivotal Phase 3 study, TIVO-3, comparing FOTIVDA to sorafenib in relapsed or refractory advanced RCC following two or more prior systemic therapies. The study met its primary endpoint of progression free survival (PFS), demonstrating a reduction in the risk of progression or death on treatment by 27% and a 44% improvement in median PFS compared to sorafenib (PFS hazard ratio of 0.73, p=0.02). Median PFS was 5.6 months for FOTIVDA compared to 3.9 months for sorafenib. The application is also supported by three additional trials in RCC and includes safety data from over 1,000 clinical trial subjects. For full prescribing information, visit FOTIVDA.com.

AVEO Oncology Announces Collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb to Evaluate FOTIVDA® (tivozanib) in Combination with OPDIVO® (nivolumab) in Pivotal Phase 3 TiNivo-2 Trial in IO Relapsed Renal Cell Carcinoma

On March 12, 2021 AVEO Oncology (Nasdaq: AVEO) reported that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Bristol Myers Squibb to evaluate FOTIVDA (tivozanib) in combination with OPDIVO (nivolumab), Bristol Myers Squibb’s anti-PD-1 therapy, in the pivotal Phase 3 TiNivo-2 trial in patients with advanced relapsed or refractory renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following prior immunotherapy exposure (Press release, AVEO, MAR 12, 2021, View Source [SID1234576596]). FOTIVDA is an oral, next-generation vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) approved for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced RCC following two or more prior systemic therapies.

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!

The randomized, open-label, controlled TiNivo-2 Phase 3 trial is expected to enroll approximately 326 patients with advanced RCC who have progressed following prior immunotherapy treatment. The study plans to enroll across clinical sites in the United States, Europe, and Latin America. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive either FOTIVDA (1.34 mg/QD for 21 days followed by 7 days off treatment) in combination with OPDIVO (480 mg every 4 weeks) or FOTIVDA alone. The TiNivo-2 study’s primary endpoint will assess progression free survival (PFS), with key secondary endpoints to include overall survival, overall response rate and duration of response, and safety.

"With the recent U.S. FDA approval of FOTIVDA in the relapsed/refractory RCC setting, I look forward to further exploring FOTIVDA’s immunomodulatory effects and differentiated tolerability profile in combination with OPDIVO," said Toni Choueiri, M.D., Director, Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology; Director, Kidney Cancer Center; Jerome and Nancy Kohlberg Chair and Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. "This combination was first explored in the Phase 1/2 TiNivo study, where it demonstrated favorable tolerability and prolonged PFS using the combination of FOTIVDA and OPDIVO in both treatment naïve and previously treated patients with advanced RCC. The TiNivo-2 Phase 3 study is expected to further our understanding of the activity and tolerability of this combination following prior immunotherapy."

"The advanced RCC treatment landscape has seen significant benefit from the introduction of immunotherapy-VEGF TKI combinations in earlier-line treatment, and we believe that this benefit could extend to the relapsed/refractory setting with an effective, well-tolerated combination," said Michael Bailey, president and chief executive officer of AVEO. "On the heels of the recent U.S. FDA approval of FOTIVDA as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced RCC following two or more prior systemic therapies, we are keenly interested in exploring its full potential in the combination setting. Working with our clinical collaborators and Bristol Myers Squibb, our goal is to advance this trial as expeditiously as possible."

Bristol Myers Squibb will provide OPDIVO clinical drug supply for the study. AVEO will serve as the study sponsor and will be responsible for costs associated with the trial execution.

OPDIVO is a registered trademark of Bristol Myers Squibb.

About FOTIVDA (tivozanib)

FOTIVDA (tivozanib) is an oral, next-generation vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). It is a potent, selective inhibitor of VEGFRs 1, 2, and 3 with a long half-life designed to improve efficacy and tolerability. AVEO received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for FOTIVDA on March 10, 2021 for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following two or more prior systemic therapies. FOTIVDA was approved in August 2017 in the European Union and other countries in the territory of its partner EUSA Pharma (UK) Limited for the treatment of adult patients with advanced RCC. FOTIVDA has been shown to significantly reduce regulatory T-cell production in preclinical models1. FOTIVDA was discovered by Kyowa Kirin.

INDICATIONS

FOTIVDA is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following two or more prior systemic therapies.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Hypertension and Hypertensive Crisis: Control blood pressure prior to initiating FOTIVDA. Monitor for hypertension and treat as needed. For persistent hypertension despite use of anti-hypertensive medications, reduce the FOTIVDA dose.

Cardiac Failure: Monitor for signs or symptoms of cardiac failure throughout treatment with FOTIVDA.

Cardiac Ischemia and Arterial Thromboembolic Events: Closely monitor patients who are at increased risk for these events. Permanently discontinue FOTIVDA for severe arterial thromboembolic events, such as myocardial infarction and stroke.

Venous Thromboembolic Events: Closely monitor patients who are at increased risk for these events. Permanently discontinue FOTIVDA for severe venous thromboembolic events.

Hemorrhagic Events: Closely monitor patients who are at risk for or who have a history of bleeding.

Proteinuria: Monitor throughout treatment with FOTIVDA. For moderate to severe proteinuria, reduce the dose or temporarily interrupt treatment with FOTIVDA.

Thyroid Dysfunction: Monitor before initiation and throughout treatment with FOTIVDA.

Risk of Impaired Wound Healing: Withhold FOTIVDA for at least 24 days before elective surgery. Do not administer for at least 2 weeks following major surgery and adequate wound healing. The safety of resumption of FOTIVDA after resolution of wound healing complications has not been established.

Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome (RPLS): Discontinue FOTIVDA if signs or symptoms of RPLS occur.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: Can cause fetal harm. Advise patients of the potential risk to a fetus and to use effective contraception.

Allergic Reactions to Tartrazine: The 0.89 mg capsule of FOTIVDA contains FD&C Yellow No.5 (tartrazine) which may cause allergic-type reactions (including bronchial asthma) in certain susceptible patients.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

The most common (≥20%) adverse reactions were fatigue, hypertension, diarrhea, decreased appetite, nausea, dysphonia, hypothyroidism, cough, and stomatitis, and the most common Grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (≥5%) were sodium decreased, lipase increased, and phosphate decreased.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Strong CYP3A4 Inducers: Avoid coadministration of FOTIVDA with strong CYP3A4 inducers.

USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

Lactation: Advise not to breastfeed.

Females and Males of Reproductive Potential: Can impair fertility.

Hepatic Impairment: Adjust dosage in patients with moderate hepatic impairment. Avoid use in patients with severe hepatic impairment.

NOXXON Pharma: Data Safety Monitoring Board Confirms Safety and Validates Recruitment of Last Patients in Final High-Dose Cohort of NOX-A12 in Phase 1/2 Brain Cancer Study

On March 12, 2021 NOXXON Pharma N.V. (Euronext Growth Paris: ALNOX), a biotechnology company focused on improving cancer treatments by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), reported that the Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) analyzed safety data from the initial four weeks of treatment of the first patient enrolled in the third and final dose cohort of the NOX-A12 plus radiotherapy brain cancer study (Press release, NOXXON, MAR 12, 2021, View Source [SID1234576595]). The DSMB concluded that it is safe and appropriate to continue patient recruitment according to the study protocol. The DSMB’s decision marks an important milestone in this trial as it enables the advancement and analysis of the final dose regimen, placing NOXXON on the path toward valuable data readouts anticipated later this year.

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!

The Phase 1/2 clinical study is testing three dose regimens of NOX-A12 (200, 400 and 600 mg/week), each combined with external-beam radiotherapy, in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients. Based on the DSMB’s confirmation, participating clinical centers have now initiated final patient recruitment for the last and highest dose group. After all patients in the third cohort have received four weeks of treatment with NOX-A12 and radiotherapy, the DSMB will reconvene for a final meeting to assess safety and tolerability. The outcome of this meeting will inform the recommended dose for the next randomized, controlled brain cancer trial which will lead to the registration of NOX-A12.

"We are pleased by the safety data confirmation of the DSMB, as it will allow our study to progress and the last patients to receive treatment at the highest planned dose of NOX-A12. This achievement brings us one step closer to a topline data readout for this cohort sometime around the end of Q3 2021," commented Aram Mangasarian, CEO of NOXXON. "As the study advances, we will be analyzing data which will be used to define the recommended dose and guide preparations for a potentially registrational Phase 2 study. The recent capital raise plus available financing vehicles secure NOXXON’s financial runway well into 2022, thereby allowing us to address operational matters crucial for the future of the company."

CohBar to Participate in M Vest LLC and Maxim Group LLC Inaugural Emerging Growth Virtual Conference

On March 12, 2021 CohBar, Inc. (NASDAQ: CWBR), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing mitochondria based therapeutics to treat chronic diseases and extend healthy lifespan, reported that CEO Steven Engle will participate in a fireside chat with Research Analyst Jason McCarthy at the Inaugural Emerging Growth Conference presented by M Vest LLC and Maxim Group LLC (Press release, CohBar, MAR 12, 2021, View Source [SID1234576594]). Mr. Engle will also present a company overview, which will be available on demand. The conference will be held virtually March 17 – 19, 2021.

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!

Maxim Emerging Growth Conference
Friday, March 19, 2021 at 2:30 PM ET
Webcast: The presentation may be accessed via webcast following the presentation, using the following link: https://www.m-vest.com/events/2021-emerging-growth-virtual-conference. Registration is required.

Celsion Corporation to Hold Year-End 2020 Financial Results and Business Update Conference Call on Friday, March 19, 2021

On March 12, 2021 Celsion Corporation (NASDAQ: CLSN), a clinical-stage development company focused on DNA-based immunotherapy and next-generation vaccines, reported that the Company will host a conference call at 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, March 19, 2021 to discuss financial results for the year ended December 31, 2020 and provide an update on clinical development programs with GEN-1, a DNA-based immunotherapy for the localized treatment of ovarian cancer and ThermoDox, a proprietary heat-activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin under investigator-sponsored development for several cancer indications (Press release, Celsion, MAR 12, 2021, View Source [SID1234576593]). Celsion has two platform technologies for the development of novel nucleic acid-based immunotherapies and next generation infectious vaccines. The Company’s immunotherapy candidate, GEN-1, is currently in Phase II development for the localized treatment of advanced ovarian cancer.

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!

To participate in the call, interested parties may dial 1-800-353-6461 (Toll-Free/North America) or 1-334-323-0501 (International/Toll) and ask for the Celsion Corporation Fourth Quarter 2020 Earnings Call (Conference Code: 1175518) to register ten minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. The call will also be broadcast live on the internet at www.celsion.com. The call will be archived for replay on Friday, March 19, 2021 and will remain available until April 2, 2021. The replay can be accessed at 1-719-457-0820 or 1-888-203-1112 using Conference ID: 1175518. An audio replay of the call will also be available on the Company’s website, www.celsion.com, for 90 days after 2:00 p.m. EDT Friday, March 19, 2021.