Plus Therapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug Application for 186RNL for the Treatment of Leptomeningeal Metastases

On October 19, 2021 Plus Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTV) (the "Company"), a U.S. clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing innovative, targeted radiotherapeutics for rare and difficult-to-treat cancers, reported clearance of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Rhenium-186 NanoLiposome (186RNL) for the treatment of leptomeningeal metastases (LM) (Press release, Cytori Therapeutics, OCT 19, 2021, View Source [SID1234591523]). The Company expects to initiate patient accrual in a Phase 1 dose escalation trial of 186RNL (ReSPECT-LM) in the fourth quarter of 2021.

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"LM is an increasingly common secondary cancer complication, occurring as a result of increasing observed survival rates for a variety of primary solid and hematologic tumors," said Andrew J. Brenner, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Medicine, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at The University of Texas and ReSPECT-LM Principal Investigator. "Given the excellent safety data thus far using 186RNL in recurrent glioblastoma, and the preclinical efficacy data when used in animal models of LM, we are optimistic about the potential safety and efficacy of 186RNL as a novel treatment option for LM."

The ReSPECT-LM trial is a multicenter, sequential cohort, open-label, single dose, dose escalation Phase 1 study. It will evaluate the maximum tolerated dose, maximum feasible dose, safety, and efficacy of a single administration of 186RNL via intraventricular catheter for LM following standard surgical, radiation, and/or chemotherapy treatment. The primary endpoint of the study is the incidence and severity of adverse events/serious adverse events and dose limiting toxicities. Secondary endpoints include overall response rate, duration or response, progression free survival, and overall survival.

"Leptomeningeal metastasis is a neurologically devastating and fatal complication of cancer," said Marc H. Hedrick M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Plus Therapeutics. "Our latest approved IND application is part of a multifaceted plan to expand our radiotherapeutic pipeline with promising, innovative drugs to treat a variety of rare and difficult to treat cancers."

The ReSPECT-LM Phase 1 clinical trial follows preclinical studies in which tolerance to doses of 186RNL as high as 1,075 Gy was shown in animal models with LM with no observed significant toxicity. Treatment led to marked reduction in tumor burden in both C6 and MDA-231 LM models.

About Leptomeningeal Metastases (LM)

LM is a rare complication of cancer in which the disease spreads to the membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and spinal cord. LM occurs in approximately 5% of people with cancer, or 110,000 people in the U.S. each year, and is usually terminal with a median survival of approximately 2-3 months following treatment. LM occurs with cancers that are most likely to spread to the central nervous system. The most common cancers to include the leptomeninges are breast cancer, lung cancer, and melanomas.