On September 15, 2020 Tyme Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: TYME), an emerging biotechnology company developing cancer metabolism-based therapies (CMBTsTM), reported that the final results of its SM-88 Phase II Prostate Cancer study designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of SM-88 in patients with non-metastatic biochemical recurrent prostate cancer, was published on September 13th, 2020 in the peer-reviewed journal Investigational New Drugs (Press release, TYME, SEP 15, 2020, View Source [SID1234565184]). The article, titled "Phase II Trial of SM-88, a Cancer Metabolism Based Therapy, in Non-Metastatic Biochemical Recurrent Prostate Cancer," is available online at View Source

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The study demonstrated that SM-88 had promising efficacy and safety outcomes for prostate cancer patients while sparing testosterone. The study also demonstrated a reduction of CTCs, an important prognostic indicator, that may prove to be a better surrogate for patient outcomes than PSA, particularly for SM-88.

"Oral SM-88 has demonstrated potential efficacy and a well-tolerated safety profile that may represent a new treatment option for more than 450,000 prostate cancer patients in the U.S. alone seeking a non-cytotoxic, non-hormonal therapy," said Giuseppe Del Priore, M.D., M.P.H., Chief Medical Officer at TYME. "We are encouraged by the clinical results of our unique proprietary approach using cancer metabolism-based therapies that we believe attack the cancer cells from within, interrupting the cancer metabolic processes."

From September 2016 to April 2019, twenty-three evaluable patients with non-metastatic pancreatic cancer with rising PSA levels, detectable circulating tumor cells and no radiographically detectable metastases were assessed in a Phase II trial. All patients received 230 mgs twice per day of SM-88 orally. Patients also received oral doses of methoxsalen (10 mg), phenytoin (50 mg), and sirolimus (0.5 mg) once per day. Most patients had previously received androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) after radiation therapy or surgery, but ADT treatment changes were not permitted during the trial.

From the initial diagnoses of PSA rise, 100% of patients (23/23) remained free of metastatic progression (MFS) and 87% of patients (20/23) have maintained radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) with a median duration of therapy of 6.5 months since starting SM-88 treatment. All patients who have maintained meaningful reductions in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) on SM-88 were 100% free of any radiographic progression.

At baseline, the median PSA for patients with radiographic progression was 13.4 compared to 5.6 for patients with no radiographic progression (p=0.02). Among evaluable patients, PSA stabilized in 83% of patients (19/23). Importantly, 52% of evaluable patients (12/23) experienced an improvement in median PSA doubling time (DT), a positive prognostic indicator. In all patients who completed three cycles of therapy, the median DT improved nearly 34.4% from 6.1 to 8.2 months (n=20). After 12 weeks, or three cycles of therapy, 78.2% of patients (18/23) demonstrated a decrease in CTC from baseline, with a median decrease of 65.3%.

Patients without local progression (20/23) had slightly higher testosterone levels at baseline and throughout treatment on SM-88 as compared to those who experienced local radiographic progression (3/23). According to the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire, patients generally reported stable cognitive and sexual function domain measures, with no detectable worsening in any domain. Patient weight, EKG QTc, glucose and hematocrit and other measures, which are often side effects of ADT, did not appear affected while receiving SM-88.

The SM-88 therapy was well tolerated in all patients. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events. No adverse events resulted in dose delay, discontinuation, or reduction. The majority of Grade 1 AEs possibly or probably related to the SM-88 investigational therapy were gastrointestinal in nature.

The Phase II prostate cancer trial results are from an investigational study. SM-88 is not approved for the treatment of patients with any disease condition.

About Advanced Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men, accounting for approximately 31,620 deaths in the United States in 2019.1 Approximately 15% of men with prostate cancer present with metastatic disease, and 20% to 30% of men with localized disease treated with definitive local therapy subsequently develop metastatic disease. While the vast majority of patients with metastatic disease demonstrate a transient response to androgen deprivation, eventually all patients develop hormone refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) and virtually all prostate cancer deaths are due to the development of metastatic HRPC.2 While chemotherapy regimens have shown a modest survival advantage in HRPC patients, median survival remains approximately 19 months,3,4 and not all patients are candidates for chemotherapy. Novel agents and new approaches such as oral cancer metabolic-based therapies are needed.

About SM-88

SM-88 is an oral investigational modified proprietary tyrosine derivative that is believed to interrupt the metabolic processes of cancer cells by breaking down the cells’ key defenses and leading to cell death through oxidative stress and exposure to the body’s natural immune system. Clinical trial data have shown that SM-88 has demonstrated encouraging tumor responses across 15 different cancers, including pancreatic, lung, breast, prostate and sarcoma cancers with minimal serious grade 3 or higher adverse events. SM-88 is an investigational therapy that is not approved for any indication in any disease. Learn more.