On September 17, 2018 G1 Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: GTHX), a clinical-stage oncology company, reported that it is expediting analyses of myelopreservation data from its randomized Phase 2 trial of trilaciclib in combination with chemotherapy and Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in first-line small cell lung cancer (SCLC) (Press release, G1 Therapeutics, SEP 17, 2018, View Source [SID1234529790]). Myelopreservation results from the trial will be reported in the fourth quarter of 2018.

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!

"We elected to make myelopreservation the primary outcome of the randomized trilaciclib/chemotherapy/Tecentriq trial based on the strength of the first-line small cell lung cancer myelopreservation results from our randomized Phase 2 trilaciclib/chemotherapy trial, which we reported in March," said Raj Malik, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Research and Development. "This protocol amendment, which we have discussed with U.S. and European regulatory authorities, enables us to accelerate analyses of mature myelopreservation data collected from the trilaciclib/chemotherapy/Tecentriq trial. The trial will remain blinded to investigators and participants, with no impact on our timeline to report overall survival data."

This randomized, double-blind Phase 2 trial enrolled 107 patients to receive trilaciclib or placebo in combination with chemotherapy (carboplatin + etoposide) and Tecentriq as first-line treatment for SCLC. The trial is evaluating the myelopreservation potential of trilaciclib. Myelopreservation is the ability to preserve hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell function, as well as immune system function, during chemotherapy. Anti-tumor efficacy measures including overall response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival are also being evaluated. Under the revised protocol, myelopreservation results are now the primary outcome and overall survival is being assessed as a secondary outcome. The trial completed enrollment in February 2018.

"Data from the trilaciclib/chemotherapy/Tecentriq trial have the potential to confirm the myelopreservation results observed in our randomized Phase 2 trial of trilaciclib in combination with chemotherapy. Both trials evaluated trilaciclib in first-line small cell lung cancer using the same chemotherapy backbone," said Mark Velleca, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer. "By the end of the year we will have myelopreservation data from all four randomized Phase 2 trials of trilaciclib, including three in small cell lung cancer and one in triple negative breast cancer. In these trials, trilaciclib was used in first-, second- and third-line settings in combination with a variety of chemotherapy regimens. We plan to discuss the totality of the data, which includes approximately three hundred participants who received trilaciclib, with U.S. and European regulatory authorities in the first half of 2019."

Webcast and Conference Call

The G1 management team will host a webcast and conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET today to discuss the trilaciclib clinical development program. The live call may be accessed by dialing 866-763-6020

About Trilaciclib

Trilaciclib is a first-in-class myelopreservation therapy designed to preserve hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell function, as well as immune system function, during chemotherapy. Trilaciclib is a short-acting intravenous CDK4/6 inhibitor administered prior to chemotherapy and has the potential to significantly improve treatment outcomes.

Trilaciclib is being evaluated in four randomized Phase 2 clinical trials. In March 2018, G1 announced positive Phase 2 data showing myelopreservation benefits in newly diagnosed, treatment-naive small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients (NCT02499770). Additional results from this trial will be reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2018 Congress being held October 19-23. The company plans to report data from three other randomized Phase 2 trials in 2018: a trial in combination with chemotherapy and Tecentriq in first-line SCLC, (NCT03041311), a trial in combination with chemotherapy in previously treated SCLC (NCT02514447), and a trial in combination with chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer (NCT02978716).

On September 17, 2018 GamaMabs Pharma, a biotechnology company developing optimized therapeutic antibodies targeting the Anti-Müllerian Hormone Receptor II (AMHRII) for the treatment of cancer, reported that it has dosed the first patient in its Phase 2 clinical trial – of GM102 single agent and in combination with Trifluridine/Tipiracil (Lonsurf) – in patients with advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) (Press release, GamaMabs Pharma, SEP 17, 2018, View Source [SID1234529581]).

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!

GM102 is a first-in-class glyco-engineered (low-fucose) monoclonal antibody targeting tumor antigen AMHRII. AMHRII is re-expressed in approximately 70% of colorectal cancer patients. GM102 exerts its anti-tumor activity through macrophage and NK cell engagement in the tumor microenvironment, resulting in enhanced tumor phagocytosis and ADCC (Antibody Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity).

This phase 2 study resulted from collaborative research with various European academic research centers and hospitals, which unveiled a wide AMHRII expression in human CRC tumors and a substantial expression of the target on tumor cells at the membrane level. These results were published at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual meeting in April 2018.

"The C201 study will investigate the anti-tumor activity of GM102 in this new indication and its potential synergism with Lonsurf for patients who have progressed on prior therapies. Most CRC tumors express moderate to large macrophage infiltration. GM102 therefore has a potential to enhance macrophage phagocytosis on tumor cells in addition to acting synergistically with Lonsurf," said Isabelle Tabah-Fisch, M.D., GamaMabs’ chief medical officer. "This is a key step in the development of our molecule, which has already shown excellent tolerability in patients with gynecological cancers and first signs of activity in the first patients in the phase 1a/1b C101 study, recently presented at the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2018 conference."

"We are still in serious need of active drugs for our CRC patients," said Professor B. Melichar, investigator at Olomouc University Hospital, Olomouc, Czech Republic. "AMHRII is yet another unexplored target in CRC. GM102 is the latest generation immunological agent to be tested in colorectal cancers, especially those which do not respond to checkpoint inhibitors. We look forward to evaluating this new agent and I am happy to have the first patient already enrolled in the study."

The European multicenter two-parallel non-randomized cohort C201 Phase 2 study will assess objective response rates, immunological changes in the tumor microenvironment, progression-free and overall survival rates for patients with advanced/metastatic colorectal cancers treated with GM102 single agent and in combination with Lonsurf. The study will enroll patients who have progressed after at least two lines of prior systemic therapies for metastatic or locally advanced disease and have received all prior available therapies (cohort 1) or are candidates to receive Lonsurf (cohort 2).

Lonsurf (trifluridine-tipiracil hydrochloride) is a chemotherapy drug, used to treat metastatic colorectal cancer. Servier commercializes Lonsurf in Europe and other countries outside of the United States, Canada, Mexico and Asia. Taiho Pharmaceutical has the right to develop and commercialize Lonsurf in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Asia.

On September 17, 2018 AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), a research-based global biopharmaceutical company, reported that it will announce its third-quarter 2018 financial results on Friday, November 2 2018, before the market opens (Press release, AbbVie, SEP 17, 2018, View Source [SID1234529546]). AbbVie will host a live webcast of the earnings conference call at 8 a.m. Central time (9 a.m. Eastern). It will be accessible through AbbVie’s Investor Relations website investors.abbvie.com. An archived edition of the session will be available later that day.

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!

On september 17, 2018 Mersana Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRSN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing a pipeline of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) based on its Dolaflexin and other proprietary platforms, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the partial clinical hold on the Phase 1 study of XMT-1522 (Press release, Mersana Therapeutics, SEP 17, 2018, View Source [SID1234529521]).

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!

Mersana and the FDA reached alignment on changes to the protocol, including increased monitoring as well as the exclusion of patients with advanced hepatic impairment. Although XMT-1536, Mersana’s Dolaflexin ADC targeting NaPi2b, was not subject to a clinical hold, Mersana has decided to implement similar modifications to the XMT-1536 protocol.

In addition, alternative dosing regimens will be evaluated for both clinical trials. The XMT-1522 trial will begin with a once-every-four-week dose regimen. This dosing regimen has already been implemented in the XMT-1536 trial at previously explored dose levels in order to enable a comparison of relevant doses and their impact on the safety, efficacy and PK profile of the drug candidate. The company may evaluate additional regimens as well. Data on XMT-1536 is expected in the first half of 2019.

"We are excited to resume enrollment on the XMT-1522 trial and to work with investigators to explore the full potential of both promising drug candidates in the solid tumor setting," said Anna Protopapas, Chief Executive Officer of Mersana.

About XMT-1522

XMT-1522 is a Dolaflexin ADC targeting HER2-expressing tumors. XMT-1522 contains a proprietary HER2 antibody which is conjugated with Mersana’s Dolaflexin platform — a Fleximer polymer linked with a proprietary auristatin payload. XMT-1522 provides a drug load of approximately 12 molecules per antibody, specifically designed to improve potency while simultaneously increasing tolerability. XMT-1522 has the potential to extend HER2-targeted therapy beyond the current "HER2-positive" populations into patients with lower levels of HER2 expression. The Phase 1 protocol will evaluate XMT-1522 in patients with advanced HER2-positive breast and gastric cancer, as well as advanced breast cancer with low HER2 expression and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). More information on the ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial can be found at clinicaltrials.gov.

About XMT-1536

XMT-1536 is a highly potent immunoconjugate targeting the sodium-dependent phosphate transport protein (NaPi2b) and is comprised of an average of 10-15 DolaLockTM payload molecules conjugated to XMT-1535, a proprietary humanized anti-NaPi2b antibody, via the Dolaflexin ADC platform. NaPi2b is an antigen highly expressed in the majority of non-squamous NSCLC and epithelial ovarian cancer. XMT-1536 is in Phase 1 clinical trials in patients with tumors expressing NaPi2b, including ovarian cancer, NSCLC and other cancers. More information on the ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial can be found at clinicaltrials.gov.

On September 17, 2018 Unum Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: UMRX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of cellular immunotherapies based on its novel, universal Antibody-Coupled T cell Receptor (ACTR) technology platform, reported that the Company will be presenting data on the first dose level (40×106 ACTR+ T cells) of its ATTCK-20-03 clinical trial evaluating ACTR707 in combination with rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory CD20-positive B cell non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (r/r NHL) (Press release, Unum Therapeutics, SEP 17, 2018, View Sourcenews-releases/news-release-details/unum-therapeutics-announces-abstract-accepted-presentation" target="_blank" title="View Sourcenews-releases/news-release-details/unum-therapeutics-announces-abstract-accepted-presentation" rel="nofollow">View Source [SID1234529485]). Three of the six patients treated at the first dose level achieved a complete response, two of which remained ongoing at the time of the most recent data cut off. No dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) were observed in any of the four DLT-evaluable patients, and no serious or severe adverse events of cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity were observed in any patients. These data will be presented at the Fourth Annual CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference (CIMT) (Free CIMT Whitepaper) on September 30 in New York, New York.

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!

"These preliminary clinical data suggest that complete responses may be achieved without cytokine release syndrome, further validating the potential of our proprietary ACTR technology platform," said Chuck Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of Unum. "The ATTCK-20-03 trial is a key element of our strategy to develop novel therapeutics for patients with no available treatment options."

"Complete responses observed in this heavily pre-treated patient population at the first dose level of the ATTCK-20-03 trial support the potential potency of ACTR T cells for these patients," said Michael Vasconcelles, Chief Medical Officer of Unum. "Based upon this encouraging preliminary profile, we look forward to continuing the dose escalation phase of this study. We expect these and future data to support selection of an ACTR product candidate to progress into potential registration trials in patients with r/r NHL."

Enrollment and ACTR707 dosing in the second dose cohort (60×106 ACTR+ T cells) of the ATTCK-20-03 trial has been completed and dose escalation is proceeding. The Company expects to present additional data from this study later this year.

Safety and Preliminary Efficacy of ACTR707, Autologous T Lymphocytes Expressing an Antibody-Coupled T Cell Receptor, in Combination with Rituximab in Subjects with Relapsed or Refractory CD20-Positive B-cell Lymphoma (Abstract #A003)

Presenter: Dr. Veronika Bachanova, University of Minnesota

Date: Sunday, September 30, 2018, 11:45am – 2:15pm

Location: New York Marriott Marquis, Westside Ballroom

ATTCK-20-03 is a Phase I, multi-center, open label, single arm clinical trial evaluating ACTR707 in combination with rituximab in patients with r/r NHL. Eligible patients for enrollment must have, among other criteria, received adequate prior anti-lymphoma therapy, including rituximab and chemotherapy, for their CD20-positive r/r NHL. Key eligibility criteria include: pre-specified eligible NHL subtypes, including DLBCL, disease progression following immediate prior therapy, adequate organ function and performance status, and measurable disease. The trial design includes a dose escalation phase using an adaptive design, followed by a cohort expansion phase. Primary study objectives are to characterize the safety of ACTR707 in combination with rituximab and to determine the maximum tolerated dose and proposed recommended Phase 2 dose. Secondary study objectives include: assessment of the anti-lymphoma activity of the combination, ACTR707 persistence, rituximab pharmacokinetics, and inflammatory markers and cytokine levels. Following leukapheresis, each patient receives lymphodepletion followed by the first infusion of rituximab and then a single infusion of ACTR707. Rituximab infusions continue on a regular, pre-specified schedule.

Data in the first cohort of the trial demonstrate complete responses at the first response assessment in 3/6 patients treated with ACTR707 in combination with rituximab, two of which remained ongoing at the time of the most recent data cut off. There were no serious or severe adverse events of cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, or autoimmune events. Grade 3 or higher adverse events were mostly hematologic including neutropenia (n=2), febrile neutropenia (n=2), and thrombocytopenia (n=1). ACTR+ T cells were detectable in all subjects and ACTR+ T cells persisted in the presence of continued rituximab administration. These results support the continued dose escalation of ACTR707 in combination with rituximab.

Conference Call and Webcast
Unum will host a conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. EDT today to discuss the data. To participate in the conference call, please dial (866) 300-3411 (domestic) or (636) 812-6658 (international) and enter the conference code: 2958105. To join the live webcast, please visit the investor relations section of the Unum Therapeutics website at View Source at least 10 minutes before the event begins. A webcast replay will be available at the same location on the Unum Therapeutics website beginning approximately two hours after the event and will be archived for 90 days.

About ACTR707

ACTR707 is an investigational drug that may represent an important construct not only for adult patients with CD20+ r/r NHL, when used in combination with rituximab, but also for patients with other cancer types when used in combination with other antibodies. ACTR707 was identified through a comprehensive high-throughput screening effort aimed at identifying receptors with improved functional characteristics across several dimensions. In preclinical testing, ACTR707 demonstrated potent activity against a wide range of hematologic and solid tumor cancers. Given the challenges of the immunosuppressive solid tumor microenvironment, Unum believes that ACTR707’s increased activity may be particularly important in addressing solid tumor cancers. ACTR707 is currently being tested in combination with rituximab in patients with r/r NHL in a Phase I multi-center open label clinical trial, ATTCK-20-03. Testing is expected to be initiated later in 2018 in ATTCK-34-01, a Phase I multi-center open label clinical trial exploring the combination of ACTR707 with trastuzumab in patients with HER2+ advanced cancers.