Adaptive Biotechnologies Enters Partnership with Illumina to Develop Distributable IVD Test Kits for clonoSEQ and immunoSEQ Dx

On September 24, 2019 Adaptive Biotechnologies Corporation (Nasdaq: ADPT), a commercial stage biotechnology company that aims to translate the genetics of the adaptive immune system into clinical products to diagnose and treat disease, reported a partnership with Illumina, Inc. (Nasdaq: ILMN) to develop in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) test kits for Adaptive’s current and future portfolio of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based immunodiagnostics (Press release, Adaptive Biotechnologies, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539739]).

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The test kits under development would expand the availability of Adaptive’s clonoSEQ Assay for assessing and monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) for the management of patients with certain blood cancers and immunoSEQ Dx Assay for pipeline applications. Clinicians currently order clonoSEQ to monitor MRD as a test performed at Adaptive’s lab in Seattle. The planned IVD test kits will make it possible for hospitals and health systems to run Adaptive’s clonoSEQ and immunoSEQ Dx assays in their local laboratories across the United States.

"We are proud to partner with Illumina to deliver on our promise to develop distributable kits for our novel immunodiagnostics to reach more patients," said Chad Robins, chief executive officer and co-founder of Adaptive Biotechnologies. "These IVD test kits will further validate Adaptive as a valued partner for standardized MRD monitoring and immune profiling solutions from research to the clinic."

Adaptive’s immune medicine platform is uniquely suited for the development of standardized IVD test kits. Under the non-exclusive agreement, Adaptive will develop the clonoSEQ and immunoSEQ Dx IVD test kits to run on Illumina’s NextSeq 550Dx system. Adaptive will be responsible for obtaining necessary regulatory approvals for each IVD test kit and for their subsequent commercialization.

"By making Adaptive’s clonoSEQ more accessible to patients, we are ensuring health care providers have access to a valuable part of a growing genomics ecosystem. Partnerships that bring exceptional clinical content to customers and patients represent an exciting opportunity in clinical genomics," said Dr. Phil Febbo, Chief Medical Officer of Illumina. "We are committed to unlocking the power of the genome through our work with Adaptive which will expand access to genomic-based testing in order to improve patient outcomes."

About the clonoSEQ Assay

The clonoSEQ Assay was granted de novo designation and marketing authorization by FDA for the detection and monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using DNA from bone marrow

samples. clonoSEQ is the first and only FDA-authorized in vitro diagnostic assay for MRD testing. It is also the first clinical diagnostic powered by immunosequencing to receive FDA clearance. clonoSEQ leverages Adaptive’s proprietary immunosequencing platform to identify and quantify specific DNA sequences found in malignant cells, allowing clinicians to assess and monitor MRD during and after treatment. The assay provides standardized, accurate and sensitive measurement of MRD that allows physicians to predict patient outcomes, assess response to therapy over time, monitor patients during remission and detect potential relapse. Clinical practice guidelines in hematological malignancies recognize that MRD status is a reliable indicator of clinical outcomes and response to therapy, and clinical outcomes are strongly associated with MRD levels measured by the clonoSEQ Assay in patients diagnosed with ALL and MM. clonoSEQ testing is covered by Medicare and an expanding list of private payors in alignment with the FDA label.

clonoSEQ is a single-site assay performed at Adaptive Biotechnologies. It is also available as a CLIA-regulated laboratory developed test (LDT) service for use in other lymphoid cancers. For important information about the FDA-cleared uses of clonoSEQ, including the full intended use, limitations, and detailed performance characteristics, please visit www.clonoSEQ.com/technical-summary.

Pfizer and Flatiron Health Announce Expanded Strategic Collaboration to Unlock Power of Real-World Evidence in Oncology

On September 24, 2019 Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and Flatiron Health reported an expanded strategic collaboration to further integrate and increase the use of real-world data in Pfizer’s development of innovative targeted cancer medicines (Press release, Pfizer, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539738]). Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will draw on de-identified, real-world datasets and analytical expertise from Flatiron Health to inform development strategies and activities for a number of clinical development projects across major tumor types, as well as jointly explore other innovative ways to drive clinical development innovation with real-world data.

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The collaboration, which was first established in 2014, builds on recent pioneering work by Pfizer and Flatiron Health to incorporate real-world evidence as part of a regulatory submission to expand the area of use for one of Pfizer’s breast cancer medicines.

"Real-world data and evidence, and the technologies that capture and analyze them, are increasingly valuable ways for us to improve medicines development. They can augment the data we collect in traditional trials and enable greater efficiency and effectiveness in our clinical trial design and operations," said Rod MacKenzie, Ph.D., Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice President, Pfizer. "We are pleased to expand our relationship with Flatiron Health as we continue to work with leading technology companies and transform clinical trials to better deliver breakthroughs to patients."

The expanded collaboration will be governed by a Joint Steering Committee to set strategic objectives for the collaboration as well as oversee identification and execution of projects in support of these objectives. Collaborative projects will include datasets from tumor types such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Pfizer and Flatiron Health will explore appropriate venues to share learnings from these research projects, as well as broader implications for the application of real-world data, with the scientific and healthcare communities to further explore the role of real-world evidence in regulatory decision making.

"This collaboration is geared toward uncovering valuable insights to inform clinical development within Pfizer’s oncology portfolio, as well as identifying future areas of collaboration that will evolve the role of real-world evidence in bringing innovative cancer treatments to patients," said Zach Weinberg, president and co-founder, Flatiron Health. "We believe that the use of real-world evidence holds the potential to significantly accelerate cancer research, and we are proud to expand our relationship with Pfizer Oncology, a leader in this space."

Pfizer Presents New Evidence of IBRANCE® (palbociclib) Effectiveness in HR+, HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients in Four Real-World Studies at ESMO Congress 2019

On September 24, 2019 Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) reported the presentation of four IBRANCE (palbociclib) real-world analyses (Press release, Pfizer, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539737]). The studies support the effectiveness of IBRANCE combination therapy in everyday clinical practice and provide additional insights on its use in certain patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The posters will be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress 2019 in Barcelona, Spain on Sunday, September 29.

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Among the data, Pfizer will share the first real-world comparative analysis of a CDK 4/6 inhibitor in combination with an aromatase inhibitor compared to an aromatase inhibitor alone.

"We have an opportunity to make positive changes in cancer care by incorporating learnings from real-world data in addition to data gathered from clinical trials," said Chris Boshoff, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Development Officer, Oncology, Pfizer Global Product Development. "We are pleased to share this view of the impact IBRANCE has had on patients treated outside of traditional clinical studies, as it continues to add to the body of evidence for IBRANCE and provides insights into the patient experience."

About the Real-World Comparative Analysis

In this retrospective analysis (Abstract #329P: Comparative effectiveness of palbociclib plus letrozole vs. letrozole for metastatic breast cancer in U.S. real-world clinical practices), treatment with IBRANCE plus letrozole demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) compared to letrozole alone: 24.5 months (95% CI = 20.7 – 32.7) versus 17.1 months (95% CI = 13.7 – 19.8) (HR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.56 – 0.84, p = 0.0003).

"To help deliver the best care to our patients, it is critical that physicians have compelling evidence of a medicine’s benefit on patients who resemble those who they treat every day," said Rachel Layman, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "The real-world evidence presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) provides a more robust understanding of the effectiveness of IBRANCE in patients who may not be reflected in the randomized trials."

The analysis compared 906 matched patients with HR+, HER2- MBC who started IBRANCE plus letrozole as initial endocrine-based therapy in the metastatic setting (n=453) or letrozole alone (n=453) from February 2015 to August 2018. rwPFS was measured by the treating physician’s clinical assessment of source evidence, such as radiographic scans or pathology from the Flatiron Health longitudinal database. The most recent update for this database includes de-identified electronic health records from more than 280 cancer clinics representing more than 2.2 million cancer patients in the U.S.

The additional real-world posters at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) examining the use of IBRANCE in patients with HR+, HER2- MBC are:

Abstract #327P: Palbociclib plus an aromatase inhibitor as first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer in U.S. clinical practices: Real-world progression-free survival analysis
This single-arm analysis of real-world disease progression and overall survival rates in patients treated with IBRANCE plus an aromatase inhibitor (AI), also from the Flatiron database, examined the use of IBRANCE combination therapy as initial treatment for patients with HR+, HER2- MBC.
Abstract #338P: Real-world effectiveness of first-line palbociclib + letrozole for metastatic breast cancer 4 years post approval in the U.S.
An analysis of clinical effectiveness of IBRANCE plus letrozole in patients who began treatment on or after February 2015, using the Cardinal Health Oncology Provider Extended Network.
Abstract #365P: Measures of functional status in adults aged >70 years with advanced breast cancer receiving palbociclib combination therapy in POLARIS
A subgroup analysis from the ongoing prospective, observational POLARIS study provides insights into the use of IBRANCE in geriatric patients (age 70 or older) treated in everyday clinical practice – a population for which limited data are available.
To further educate the global oncology community about the importance of real-world data at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper), Pfizer is sponsoring a satellite symposium, Real World Data in Oncology: Its Growing Role in Research and Patient Care. The symposium will take place on Friday, September 27, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm CEST at Fira Gran Via in the Alicante Auditorium (Hall 3).

About IBRANCE (palbociclib) 125 mg capsules

IBRANCE is an oral inhibitor of CDKs 4 and 6,1 which are key regulators of the cell cycle that trigger cellular progression.2,3 In the U.S., IBRANCE is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-)advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine based therapy in postmenopausal women or in men; or with fulvestrant in patients with disease progression following endocrine therapy.

The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥10%) associated with IBRANCE are neutropenia, infections, leukopenia, fatigue, nausea, stomatitis, anemia, alopecia, diarrhea, thrombocytopenia, rash, vomiting, decreased appetite, asthenia, and pyrexia. Today in the U.S., IBRANCE is the most prescribed FDA-approved oral combination treatment for HR+, HER2- metastatic breast cancer.

IBRANCE currently is approved in more than 90 countries and has been prescribed to more than 230,000 patients globally.

The full U.S. Prescribing Information for IBRANCE can be found here.

IMPORTANT IBRANCE (palbociclib) SAFETY INFORMATION FROM THE U.S. PRESCRIBING INFORMATION

Neutropenia was the most frequently reported adverse reaction in PALOMA-2 (80%) and PALOMA-3 (83%). In PALOMA-2, Grade 3 (56%) or 4 (10%) decreased neutrophil counts were reported in patients receiving IBRANCE plus letrozole. In PALOMA-3, Grade 3 (55%) or Grade 4 (11%) decreased neutrophil counts were reported in patients receiving IBRANCE plus fulvestrant. Febrile neutropenia has been reported in 1.8% of patients exposed to IBRANCE across PALOMA-2 and PALOMA-3. One death due to neutropenic sepsis was observed in PALOMA-3. Inform patients to promptly report any fever.

Monitor complete blood count prior to starting IBRANCE, at the beginning of each cycle, on Day 15 of first 2 cycles and as clinically indicated. Dose interruption, dose reduction, or delay in starting treatment cycles is recommended for patients who develop Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia.

Severe, life-threatening, or fatal interstitial lung disease (ILD) and/or pneumonitis can occur in patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors, including IBRANCE when taken in combination with endocrine therapy. Across clinical trials (PALOMA-1, PALOMA-2, PALOMA-3), 1.0% of IBRANCE-treated patients had ILD/pneumonitis of any grade, 0.1% had Grade 3 or 4, and no fatal cases were reported. Additional cases of ILD/pneumonitis have been observed in the post-marketing setting, with fatalities reported.

Monitor patients for pulmonary symptoms indicative of ILD/pneumonitis (e.g. hypoxia, cough, dyspnea). In patients who have new or worsening respiratory symptoms and are suspected to have developed pneumonitis, interrupt IBRANCE immediately and evaluate the patient. Permanently discontinue IBRANCE in patients with severe ILD or pneumonitis.

Based on the mechanism of action, IBRANCE can cause fetal harm. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during IBRANCE treatment and for at least 3 weeks after the last dose. IBRANCE may impair fertility in males and has the potential to cause genotoxicity. Advise male patients to consider sperm preservation before taking IBRANCE. Advise male patients with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during IBRANCE treatment and for 3 months after the last dose. Advise females to inform their healthcare provider of a known or suspected pregnancy. Advise women not to breastfeed during IBRANCE treatment and for 3 weeks after the last dose because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants.

The most common adverse reactions (≥10%) of any grade reported in PALOMA-2 for IBRANCE plus letrozole vs placebo plus letrozole were neutropenia (80% vs 6%), infections (60% vs 42%), leukopenia (39% vs 2%), fatigue (37% vs 28%), nausea (35% vs 26%), alopecia (33% vs 16%), stomatitis (30% vs 14%), diarrhea (26% vs 19%), anemia (24% vs 9%), rash (18% vs 12%), asthenia (17% vs 12%), thrombocytopenia (16% vs 1%), vomiting (16% vs 17%), decreased appetite (15% vs 9%), dry skin (12% vs 6%), pyrexia (12% vs 9%), and dysgeusia (10% vs 5%).

The most frequently reported Grade ≥3 adverse reactions (≥5%) in PALOMA-2 for IBRANCE plus letrozole vs placebo plus letrozole were neutropenia (66% vs 2%), leukopenia (25% vs 0%), infections (7% vs 3%), and anemia (5% vs 2%).

Lab abnormalities of any grade occurring in PALOMA-2 for IBRANCE plus letrozole vs placebo plus letrozole were decreased WBC (97% vs 25%), decreased neutrophils (95% vs 20%), anemia (78% vs 42%), decreased platelets (63% vs 14%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (52% vs 34%), and increased alanine aminotransferase (43% vs 30%).

The most common adverse reactions (≥10%) of any grade reported in PALOMA-3 for IBRANCE plus fulvestrant vs placebo plus fulvestrant were neutropenia (83% vs 4%), leukopenia (53% vs 5%), infections (47% vs 31%), fatigue (41% vs 29%), nausea (34% vs 28%), anemia (30% vs 13%), stomatitis (28% vs 13%), diarrhea (24% vs 19%), thrombocytopenia (23% vs 0%), vomiting (19% vs 15%), alopecia (18% vs 6%), rash (17% vs 6%), decreased appetite (16% vs 8%), and pyrexia (13% vs 5%).

The most frequently reported Grade ≥3 adverse reactions (≥5%) in PALOMA-3 for IBRANCE plus fulvestrant vs placebo plus fulvestrant were neutropenia (66% vs 1%) and leukopenia (31% vs 2%).

Lab abnormalities of any grade occurring in PALOMA-3 for IBRANCE plus fulvestrant vs placebo plus fulvestrant were decreased WBC (99% vs 26%), decreased neutrophils (96% vs 14%), anemia (78% vs 40%), decreased platelets (62% vs 10%), increased aspartate aminotransferase (43% vs 48%), and increased alanine aminotransferase (36% vs 34%).

Avoid concurrent use of strong CYP3A inhibitors. If patients must be administered a strong CYP3A inhibitor, reduce the IBRANCE dose to 75 mg. If the strong inhibitor is discontinued, increase the IBRANCE dose (after 3-5 half-lives of the inhibitor) to the dose used prior to the initiation of the strong CYP3A inhibitor. Grapefruit or grapefruit juice may increase plasma concentrations of IBRANCE and should be avoided. Avoid concomitant use of strong CYP3A inducers. The dose of sensitive CYP3A substrates with a narrow therapeutic index may need to be reduced as IBRANCE may increase their exposure.

For patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh class C), the recommended dose of IBRANCE is 75 mg. The pharmacokinetics of IBRANCE have not been studied in patients requiring hemodialysis.

AIM ImmunoTech Inc. Announces a Second DoD Award, This One of $8.3 Million, to Fund Phase 2 Clinical Trial to Study Ampligen as Part of a New Treatment for Brain-Metastatic Breast Cancer at the Moffitt Cancer Center

On September 24, 2019 AIM ImmunoTech (NYSE American: AIM), an immuno-pharma company focused on the research and development of therapeutics to treat multiple types of cancers, reported the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has granted $8.32 million in funding in another "Breakthrough Award (Press release, AIM ImmunoTech, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539736])". This award is to Moffitt Cancer Center for a Phase 2 clinical study of a combination of therapies, including the Company’s drug Ampligen, in patients with brain-metastatic breast cancer (BMBC).

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The funding is through the DoD’s Breast Cancer Research Program, which started the Breakthrough Awards to support research that has the potential for a major impact and to accelerate progress toward ending breast cancer. As recently announced, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Roswell Park) reported receipt of its own DoD-funded Breakthrough Award of $6.42 million to study Ampligen in the treatment of BMBC. Together, these separate but parallel proposed clinical trials are receiving approximately $15 million in DoD funding to study Ampligen as a tumor microenvironment modulating agent component of a dendritic cell vaccine approach in the treatment of brain-metastatic breast cancer, which include both brain parenchyma and leptomeningeal sites of metastasis.

The grant to Moffitt Cancer Center was made possible by the unique complementary preclinical and clinical expertise of the teams of Dr. Brian Czerniecki of Moffitt Cancer Center and Dr. Pawel Kalinski of Roswell Park. The researchers hypothesize that vaccination with HER2/HER3-loaded dendritic cells (alpha-DC1s) combined with tumor-selective chemokine modulation (CKM) will be clinically effective and may enhance antitumor efficacy of PD-1 blockade when treating BMBC. Ampligen is a component of CKM therapy.

"Treatment of brain metastasis to the central nervous system is a large need for women with metastatic breast cancer and this novel immunotherapy offers promise to this group of patients," said Dr. Czerniecki, chair of the Department of Breast Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center.

The researchers’ submitted impact statement highlights this need: "The current treatments, such as surgery or radiotherapy (whole-brain radiation or stereotactic radio-surgery), or intrathecal (I.T.) chemotherapy, constitute a significant burden for patients and do not prevent recurrence and death. The proposed immune therapy will provide new treatment options for these patients who currently face a very grim prognosis."

"These combination therapies are designed to convert ‘cold’ tumors that don’t respond well to existing immune therapies into ‘hot’ tumors that are more susceptible to targeting by immune therapies," said Equels. "We are honored to have Ampligen evaluated as part of a combination therapy in brain-metastatic breast cancer in this DoD-funded comprehensive clinical trial at Central Florida-based Moffitt Cancer Center, one of the world’s premier breast cancer research centers. Brain-metastatic breast cancer is a devastating illness with very poor prognosis, and we are hopeful that Ampligen will play a major role in providing hope to these patients."

Foundation Medicine and Natera Partner to Advance Personalized Cancer Monitoring

On September 24, 2019 Foundation Medicine, Inc. and Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTRA) reported a partnership to develop and commercialize personalized circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) monitoring assays, for use by biopharmaceutical and clinical customers who order FoundationOneCDx (Press release, Foundation Medicine, SEP 24, 2019, View Source [SID1234539735]). The initial focus of the partnership will be to enable ctDNA monitoring in biopharmaceutical trials in 2020 to establish the clinical utility for these novel assays. Following these studies, a monitoring product will be made available to clinical customers.

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"We are excited to develop monitoring products based on Foundation Medicine’s genomic insights, and we believe that partnering with Natera, a leader in personalized ctDNA monitoring, offers the potential to significantly advance personalized medicine," said Cindy Perettie, Chief Executive Officer of Foundation Medicine. "Cancer monitoring is an important part of patient care and developing innovative and more efficient diagnostics for physicians to identify disease progression and therapy resistance earlier is critical."

The companies will leverage Foundation Medicine’s FoundationOne CDx as the baseline test to define a set of unique variants that will subsequently be monitored utilizing a co-developed assay that includes components of Natera’s Signatera platform. While the initial focus is to develop personalized cancer monitoring assays that are compatible with FoundationOne CDx as the baseline test, Foundation Medicine may also elect to expand the scope of the partnership to develop monitoring assays that utilize genomic data generated from Foundation Medicine’s FoundationOneLiquid test for solid tumors utilizing ctDNA and/or FoundationOneHeme test for hematologic malignancies and sarcomas.

Foundation Medicine has the exclusive right to commercialize the co-developed monitoring assays. Natera will continue to exclusively offer Signatera testing based on whole exome sequencing of tumor and matched normal DNA.

"We are thrilled to partner with Foundation Medicine on this landmark opportunity," said Steve Chapman, Natera’s Chief Executive Officer. "This partnership accelerates Natera’s progress towards making personalized ctDNA monitoring the global standard of care for evaluating patient response to cancer therapy."

Foundation Medicine’s tests are ordered by physicians for more than 100,000 patients per year, and the company has more than 50 active biopharma partnerships.