On November 29, 2018 Tocagen Inc. (Nasdaq: TOCA), a late clinical-stage, cancer-selective gene therapy company and NRG Oncology, a member of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) National Clinical Trial Network (NCTN), reported that the NCI Cancer Therapy and Evaluation Program (CTEP) Brain Malignancies Steering Committee has approved a concept to develop a clinical trial utilizing the investigational therapeutic regimen Toca 511 (vocimagene amiretrorepvec) & Toca FC (flucytosine, extended-release) for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) (Press release, Tocagen, NOV 29, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2378701 [SID1234531707]).
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NRG Oncology, as one of the four adult group members of the NCI NCTN, conducts practice-defining, multi-institutional Phase 2 and 3 trials funded primarily by the NCI. The proposed Phase 2/3 trial (NRG-BN006) is expected to begin enrollment in 2019 and will be conducted by NRG Oncology under its NCI-funded grant, with Tocagen supplying investigational drug and supplemental financial support. Additional information about the trial will be provided in 2019.
Standard of care (SOC) for newly diagnosed GBM, the most common and deadly form of primary malignant brain tumor, involves surgical removal of as much of the tumor as possible followed by radiation therapy and temozolomide with use of tumor treating fields in a select group of patients. The proposed NRG-BN006 trial is designed to assess the benefit of adding Toca 511 & Toca FC to chemotherapy and radiation compared to SOC alone.
"The Brain Tumor Committee at NRG Oncology elected to conduct and sponsor the Toca 511 & Toca FC clinical trial in patients with newly diagnosed GBM based on the merits of published clinical data, which show extended overall survival compared to historical controls, durable complete responses and a favorable safety profile in patients with recurrent high grade glioma along with preclinical data that support a novel immune-activating mechanism of action, synergy with radiation therapy and additive efficacy in combination with temozolomide," said Minesh P. Mehta, chair of the Brain Tumor Committee at NRG Oncology.
Added Manmeet Ahluwalia, Principal Investigator of the proposed study, "Glioblastoma remains a very high unmet need and there is excitement among the NRG Oncology membership to explore the potential of Toca 511 & Toca FC to enhance standard treatment to achieve greater tumor response and extend survival of patients with this aggressive type of cancer."
Tocagen is currently studying Toca 511 & Toca FC for the treatment of recurrent high grade glioma (HGG) in the ongoing Phase 3 trial (Toca 5) which has enrolled approximately 400 patients, equally randomized to receive either Toca 511 & Toca FC or standard of care. Across three ascending-dose Phase 1 trials, Tocagen has treated 127 patients with recurrent HGG with Toca 511 & Toca FC. In these trials, Tocagen observed potential benefits, including ongoing durable complete responses, extended overall survival and a favorable safety profile. The proposed NRG-BN006 trial will be the first clinical trial of the Toca 511 & Toca FC regimen in the newly diagnosed GBM setting.