On May 29, 2020 Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) reported updated results from a single-arm, open-label Phase 1b trial of magrolimab, an investigational anti-CD47 monoclonal antibody, in combination with azacitidine in previously untreated patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and previously untreated patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are ineligible for intensive chemotherapy, including patients with TP53-mutant AML, a high unmet need population (Press release, Gilead Sciences, MAY 29, 2020, View Source [SID1234558703]). Results continue to support the clinical activity of magrolimab and azacitidine. The data were presented during an oral session at the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting held from May 29-31 (Abstract #7057).

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At the time of the data cut-off, 68 patients had been treated with magrolimab plus azacitidine, including 39 patients with previously untreated higher-risk MDS and 29 patients with previously untreated AML. Of 33 MDS patients who were evaluable for efficacy, 91 percent (n=30/33) achieved an objective response (response assessments per 2006 IWG MDS criteria) including 42 percent (n=14/33) with a complete response (CR). Responses to magrolimab and azacitidine also deepened over time, as the CR rate with at least six months of follow-up was 56 percent in MDS patients.

In AML, 64 percent (n=16/25) of patients evaluable for efficacy achieved an objective response (response assessments per 2017 AML ELN criteria), including 56 percent (n=14/25) with a CR or a CR with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi). Notably in TP53-mutant AML (n=12), a treatment refractory and poor prognosis population, 75 percent achieved a CR or CRi.

Median duration of response and median overall survival have not yet been reached in MDS, AML or TP53-mutant AML, with a median follow-up of 5.8 (range: 2.0-15.0 months), 9.4 (range: 1.9-16.9 months) and 8.8 months (range: 1.9-16.9 months), respectively.

The safety profile of the combination of magrolimab plus azacitidine was generally consistent with prior reports with no maximum tolerated dose reached. Common all-grade treatment-related adverse events (AEs) among 68 patients with MDS or AML were anemia (38 percent), fatigue (21 percent), neutropenia (19 percent), thrombocytopenia (18 percent) and infusion reaction (16 percent). Treatment-related febrile neutropenia occurred in 1.5 percent of patients. Only one patient (1.5 percent) discontinued the trial due to a treatment-related AE.

"We continue to be encouraged by the response rates observed with magrolimab and azacitidine in first-line, high-risk MDS and AML," said David Sallman, MD, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, an investigator for the clinical trial. "Particularly impressive are the responses in some of the most difficult-to-treat patients, including AML patients with a TP53 mutation. This patient group suffers from a lack of effective treatment options. These results support further study in these patients and provide hope for a potentially meaningful clinical advance."

"Results presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) reinforce the clinical potential of CD47 inhibition with magrolimab in high risk, difficult-to-treat hematologic malignancies," said Merdad Parsey, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Gilead Sciences. "We look forward to initiating additional trials in MDS and TP53-mutant AML, which will be a significant step forward for this exciting next-generation cancer immunotherapy."

Magrolimab is investigational and not approved anywhere globally. Its efficacy and safety have not been established. More information about clinical trials with magrolimab is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03248479).

About Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a type of cancer caused by poorly formed or dysfunctional blood cells in the bone marrow. Approximately 15,000 people are diagnosed with MDS in the U.S. each year, and no new treatments have been approved in 14 years.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a type of cancer which begins in the bone marrow and can quickly move to the blood and other parts of the body. AML most often develops from cells that would turn into white blood cells, but can also develop from other types of blood-forming cells. Cancers such as MDS can also develop into AML. Approximately 20,000 Americans will be diagnosed with AML each year.

About the Phase 1b Trial

The Phase 1b trial, which is being funded in part by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), is designed to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of magrolimab in combination with azacitidine in untreated patients with higher-risk MDS or with AML who are ineligible for induction chemotherapy. All patients in the trial received a 1 mg/kg priming dose of magrolimab, coupled with intrapatient dose escalation, to mitigate on-target anemia. Patients were then treated with full doses of azacitidine and a magrolimab maintenance dose of 30 mg/kg once weekly (QW) or every two weeks (Q2W). Based on pharmacokinetics and CD47 receptor occupancy data in the bone marrow from the ongoing trial, Q2W dosing has been selected to optimize patient convenience.

This trial, which is ongoing, aims to enroll up to a total of 257 patients.

About Magrolimab

Magrolimab is an investigational monoclonal antibody against CD47 that is designed to interfere with recognition of CD47 by the SIRPα receptor on macrophages, thus blocking the "don’t eat me" signal used by cancer cells to avoid being ingested by macrophages. Forty Seven, Inc. developed magrolimab and was recently acquired by Gilead. Magrolimab is initially being studied in patients with MDS and AML, and additional studies are ongoing in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and solid tumors. Magrolimab has been granted Fast Track designation by the FDA for the treatment of MDS and AML, and for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma, two forms of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Magrolimab has also been granted Orphan Drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for AML and MDS and by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of AML.

On May 29, 2020 Seattle Genetics, Inc. reported positive results from exploratory analyses of intracranial efficacy, including survival, in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who had stable or active brain metastases in the HER2CLIMB pivotal trial of TUKYSA (tucatinib) (Press release, Seattle Genetics, MAY 29, 2020, View Source [SID1234558702]). HER2CLIMB compared TUKYSA in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine to trastuzumab and capecitabine alone in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer with or without brain metastases. Of the patients enrolled in the trial, 48 percent had a presence or history of brain metastases. Results demonstrated that the addition of TUKYSA to trastuzumab and capecitabine in patients with brain metastases delayed progression in the brain, doubled the intracranial response rate (tumor shrinkage in the brain) and reduced the overall risk of death by nearly half. The data were consistent across patients who had either stable or active brain metastases. Results were presented in an oral presentation in the virtual scientific program of the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and simultaneously published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

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TUKYSA in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2020 for adult patients with advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, including patients with brain metastases, who have received one or more prior anti-HER2-based regimens in the metastatic setting. Primary results from HER2CLIMB were first presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December 2019 and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"It is immensely gratifying to see for the first time, results for patients with stable or active brain metastases who are not typically included in clinical trials, especially when you consider that nearly half of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer experience disease progression to the brain," said Nancy U. Lin, M.D., director of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Program in the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers at Dana-Farber in Boston, MA. "These additional analyses provide further evidence that TUKYSA improves survival and delays cancer progression in the brain for patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have brain metastases."

"These additional analyses, together with the primary analysis of HER2CLIMB, show TUKYSA is active for patients with and without disease that has spread to the brain," said Roger Dansey, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Seattle Genetics. "We continue to be encouraged by the remarkable clinical activity of TUKYSA in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine and look forward to evaluating its potential in additional treatment settings and tumor types through our ongoing clinical program."

The new data that further examine TUKYSA’s effect in the brain include exploratory analyses for central nervous system progression-free survival (CNS-PFS), overall survival (OS), intracranial objective response rate (ORR-IC) and duration of response in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients whose disease had spread to the brain.

The exploratory analyses demonstrated that patients with brain metastases who received the TUKYSA combination versus trastuzumab and capecitabine alone had:

a 42 percent reduction in the risk of death
a 68 percent reduction in the risk of CNS disease progression (a delay in progression in the brain) or death
a more than doubling of intracranial response rate (47 percent vs. 20 percent) for patients who had active measurable intracranial lesions at baseline
Endpoint

TUKYSA Arm (TUKYSA + trastuzumab + capecitabine)

Control Arm (Placebo + trastuzumab + capecitabine)

OS Benefit in All Patients with Brain Metastases

N=198

N=93

Risk Reduction

42% (Hazard Ratio [HR]=0.58 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.40, 0.85]; p=0.005)

One-Year OS

70.1% (95% CI: 62.1, 76.7)

46.7% (95% CI: 33.9, 58.4)

Median OS

18.1 months (95% CI: 15.5, not estimable)

12 months (95% CI: 11.2, 15.2)

CNS-PFS Benefit in All Patients with Brain Metastases

N=198

N=93

Risk Reduction

68% (HR=0.32 [95% CI: 0.22, 0.48]; p<0.0001)

One-year CNS-PFS

40.2% (95% CI: 29.5, 50.6)

0%

Median CNS-PFS

9.9 months (95% CI: 8.0, 13.9)

4.2 months (95% CI: 3.6, 5.7)

Intracranial Objective Response Rate (ORR-IC) in Patients with Active Brain Metastases and Measurable Intracranial Lesions at Baseline

N=55

N=20

Complete Response (CR)

3 (5.5%)

1 (5.0%)

Partial Response (PR)

23 (41.8%)

3 (15.0%)

Stable Disease

24 (43.6%)

16 (80.0%)

Progressive Disease

2 (3.6%)

0

Not Available

3 (5.5%)

0

ORR-IC (CR+PR)

26 (47%) (95% CI: 34, 61)

4 (20%) (95% CI: 6, 44)

Duration of Response-IC

6.8 months (95% CI: 5.5, 16.4)

3 months (95% CI: 3.0, 10.3)

About HER2CLIMB

HER2CLIMB is a multinational randomized (2:1), double-blind, placebo-controlled, active comparator, pivotal clinical trial comparing TUKYSA in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine compared with trastuzumab and capecitabine alone in patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who were previously treated with trastuzumab, pertuzumab and T-DM1. The primary endpoint of the trial was PFS per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1 as determined by blinded independent central review (BICR) in the first 480 patients enrolled in the trial. HER2CLIMB enrolled a total of 612 patients to support the analyses of key secondary endpoints, including OS, PFS per BICR in patients with brain metastases at baseline and confirmed ORR.1

Results of Primary Analysis of HER2CLIMB

Endpoint TUKYSA Arm (TUKYSA + trastuzumab + capecitabine)
Control Arm (Placebo + trastuzumab + capecitabine)

PFS by BICR in the first 480 patients

46% reduction in risk of progression or death (HR=0.54 [95% CI: 0.42, 0.71]; p<0.00001; N=480)

OS

34% reduction in risk of death (HR=0.66 [95% CI: 0.50, 0.87]; p=0.0048; N=612)

PFS* by BICR in patients with brain metastases

52% reduction in risk of progression or death (HR=0.48 [95% CI: 0.34, 0.69]; p<.0.00001; N=291)

One-Year PFS

25% (95% CI: 17, 34)

0%

Median PFS

7.6 months (95% CI: 6.2, 9.5)

5.4 months (95% CI: 4.1, 5.7)

*standard RECIST, includes brain and body

In HER2CLIMB, serious adverse reactions occurred in 26 percent of patients who received TUKYSA. Serious adverse reactions occurring in 2 percent or more of patients who received TUKYSA were diarrhea (4%), vomiting (2.5%), nausea, abdominal pain, and seizure (2% each). The most common adverse reactions occurring in 20 percent or more of patients who received TUKYSA were diarrhea, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, nausea, fatigue, hepatotoxicity, vomiting, stomatitis, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, headache, anemia, and rash. Adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation occurred in 6 percent of patients who received TUKYSA; adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation of TUKYSA (in 1 percent or more of patients) were hepatotoxicity (1.5%) and diarrhea (1%).1

About HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Patients with HER2-positive breast cancer have tumors with high levels of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which promotes the growth of cancer cells. An estimated 279,100 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2020.2 Between 15 and 20 percent of breast cancer cases are HER2-positive.3 Historically, HER2-positive breast cancer tends to be more aggressive and more likely to recur than HER2-negative breast cancer.3,4,5 Up to 50 percent of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer patients develop brain metastases over time. 6,7,8

About TUKYSA (tucatinib)

TUKYSA is an oral, small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of HER2, a protein that contributes to cancer cell growth.1,9 In vitro (in lab studies), TUKYSA inhibited phosphorylation of HER2 and HER3, resulting in inhibition of downstream MAPK and AKT signaling and cell growth (proliferation), and showed anti-tumor activity in HER2-expressing tumor cells. In vivo (in living organisms), TUKYSA inhibited the growth of HER2-expressing tumors. The combination of TUKYSA and the anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab showed increased anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo compared to either medicine alone.1

Important Safety Information

Warnings and Precautions

Diarrhea – TUKYSA can cause severe diarrhea including dehydration, hypotension, acute kidney injury, and death. In HER2CLIMB, 81% of patients who received TUKYSA experienced diarrhea, including 12% with Grade 3 diarrhea and 0.5% with Grade 4 diarrhea. Both patients who developed Grade 4 diarrhea subsequently died, with diarrhea as a contributor to death. The median time to onset of the first episode of diarrhea was 12 days and the median time to resolution was 8 days. Diarrhea led to dose reductions of TUKYSA in 6% of patients and discontinuation of TUKYSA in 1% of patients. Prophylactic use of antidiarrheal treatment was not required on HER2CLIMB.

If diarrhea occurs, administer antidiarrheal treatment as clinically indicated. Perform diagnostic tests as clinically indicated to exclude other causes of diarrhea. Based on the severity of the diarrhea, interrupt dose, then dose reduce or permanently discontinue TUKYSA.
Hepatotoxicity – TUKYSA can cause severe hepatotoxicity. In HER2CLIMB, 8% of patients who received TUKYSA had an ALT increase >5 × ULN, 5% had an AST increase >5 × ULN, and 1.5% had a bilirubin increase >3 × ULN (Grade ≥3). Hepatotoxicity led to dose reduction of TUKYSA in 8% of patients and discontinuation of TUKYSA in 1.5% of patients.

Monitor ALT, AST, and bilirubin prior to starting TUKYSA, every 3 weeks during treatment, and as clinically indicated. Based on the severity of hepatoxicity, interrupt dose, then dose reduce or permanently discontinue TUKYSA.
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity – TUKYSA can cause fetal harm. Advise pregnant women and females of reproductive potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential, and male patients with female partners of reproductive potential, to use effective contraception during TUKYSA treatment and for at least 1 week after the last dose.
Adverse Reactions

Serious adverse reactions occurred in 26% of patients who received TUKYSA. Serious adverse reactions in ≥2% of patients who received TUKYSA were diarrhea (4%), vomiting (2.5%), nausea (2%), abdominal pain (2%), and seizure (2%). Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 2% of patients who received TUKYSA including sudden death, sepsis, dehydration, and cardiogenic shock.

Adverse reactions led to treatment discontinuation in 6% of patients who received TUKYSA; those occurring in ≥1% of patients were hepatotoxicity (1.5%) and diarrhea (1%). Adverse reactions led to dose reduction in 21% of patients who received TUKYSA; those occurring in ≥2% of patients were hepatotoxicity (8%) and diarrhea (6%).

The most common adverse reactions in patients who received TUKYSA (≥20%) were diarrhea, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, nausea, fatigue, hepatotoxicity, vomiting, stomatitis, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, headache, anemia, and rash.

Lab Abnormalities

In HER2CLIMB, Grade ≥3 laboratory abnormalities reported in ≥5% of patients who received TUKYSA were: decreased phosphate, increased ALT, decreased potassium, and increased AST. The mean increase in serum creatinine was 32% within the first 21 days of treatment with TUKYSA. The serum creatinine increases persisted throughout treatment and were reversible upon treatment completion. Consider alternative markers of renal function if persistent elevations in serum creatinine are observed.

Drug Interactions

Strong CYP3A or Moderate CYP2C8 Inducers: Concomitant use may decrease TUKYSA activity. Avoid concomitant use of TUKYSA.
Strong or Moderate CYP2C8 Inhibitors: Concomitant use of TUKYSA with a strong CYP2C8 inhibitor may increase the risk of TUKYSA toxicity; avoid concomitant use. Increase monitoring for TUKYSA toxicity with moderate CYP2C8 inhibitors.
CYP3A Substrates: Concomitant use may increase the toxicity associated with a CYP3A substrate. Avoid concomitant use of TUKYSA where minimal concentration changes may lead to serious or life-threatening toxicities. If concomitant use is unavoidable, decrease the CYP3A substrate dosage.
P-gp Substrates: Concomitant use may increase the toxicity associated with a P-gp substrate. Consider reducing the dosage of P-gp substrates where minimal concentration changes may lead to serious or life-threatening toxicity.
Use in Specific Populations

Lactation: Advise women not to breastfeed while taking TUKYSA and for at least 1 week after the last dose.
Renal Impairment: Use of TUKYSA in combination with capecitabine and trastuzumab is not recommended in patients with severe renal impairment (CLcr < 30 mL/min), because capecitabine is contraindicated in patients with severe renal impairment.
Hepatic Impairment: Reduce the dose of TUKYSA for patients with severe (Child-Pugh C) hepatic impairment.

On May 29, 2020 Autolus Therapeutics plc (Nasdaq: AUTL), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing next-generation programmed T cell therapies, reported new data highlighting progress on AUTO3, the company’s CAR T cell therapy being investigated in the ALEXANDER study, a Phase 1/2 study in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), during the Annual Society of Clinical Oncology 2020 (ASCO20) Virtual Scientific Program beginning May 29 (Press release, Autolus, MAY 29, 2020, View Source [SID1234558701]).

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"Data from the ALEXANDER trial of AUTO3, a CD19/CD22 dual-targeting CAR T product candidate in DLBCL have shown a complete response rate of 63% at the recommended Phase 2 dose range with an excellent safety profile," said Dr. Aravind Ramakrishnan, Medical Director, Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program, Sarah Cannon Blood Cancer Center at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center. "We are encouraged by the current study results and have begun enrollment in an outpatient cohort to assess how this approach may benefit a greater population of DLBCL patients."

As of the data cut-off date of April 27, 2020, 23 patients in the ALEXANDER Phase 1/2 clinical trial of AUTO3 were evaluable for safety and efficacy with a minimum of 28-days follow-up. AUTO3 was well tolerated, with no patients experiencing dose limiting toxicity, and there were no treatment-related deaths. At a dose of ≥ 150 x 106 cells across the 2 dosing regimens for pembrolizumab, a single dose of pembrolizumab on day minus 1 (D-1) or three doses of pembrolizumab starting on day 14 (D14), no patient experienced Grade 3 or higher Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS) and no patient experienced neurotoxicity of any grade. At these doses, 11 out of 16 patients achieved a complete or partial response (ORR=69%), and 9 out of 16 achieved a complete response (CRR=56%) with all 9 complete responses ongoing at a median follow-up of 3 months (range 1-12 months). Additionally, at the recommended Phase 2 dose range of 150 – 450 x 106 cells with pembrolizumab D-1, 6 out of 8 patients achieved a complete response or partial response (ORR=75%), and 5 out of 8 patients achieved a complete response (CRR=63%).

"We are very pleased with the progression of AUTO3 in DLBCL, combining a high level of complete remissions with a safety profile supportive of outpatient use. We have not seen early relapses from complete remissions and are in the process of confirming the profile at the recommended Phase 2 regimen. Our 20 patient outpatient cohort has started, and the results are expected for the second half of 2020 and will further inform the design of the Phase 2 study," said Dr. Christian Itin, chairman and chief executive officer of Autolus.

Investor call on Monday June 1, 2020
Management will host a conference call and webcast at 8:30 am EDT/1:30 pm BST to discuss the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) data. To listen to the webcast and view the accompanying slide presentation, please go to: View Source

The call may also be accessed by dialing (866) 679-5407 for U.S. and Canada callers or (409) 217-8320 for international callers. Please reference conference ID 4880556. After the conference call, a replay will be available for one week. To access the replay, please dial (855) 859-2056 for U.S. and Canada callers or (404) 537-3406 for international callers. Please reference conference ID 4880556.

On May 29, 2020 Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:DCPH) reported the presentation of data from the endometrial cancer cohort of Part 2 of its ongoing Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of rebastinib, the Company’s investigational orally administered, potent and selective inhibitor of the TIE-2 kinase, in combination with paclitaxel (Press release, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, MAY 29, 2020, View Source [SID1234558700]). The presentation, titled "An open-label, multicenter, phase 1b/2 study of rebastinib in combination with paclitaxel in a dose expansion cohort to assess safety and preliminary efficacy in patients with advanced or metastatic endometrial cancer" (abstract 6085; poster 256), will be featured during a poster session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2020 Virtual Scientific Program.

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"We are very encouraged by the preliminary data from the endometrial cancer cohort," said Matthew L. Sherman, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Deciphera. "Of the 18 patients included in the modified intent-to-treat population, there were seven partial responses observed, four of which were confirmed, and six patients had stable disease, for an objective response rate of 39% and a clinical benefit rate of 72% at eight weeks. These findings continue to support the potential of TIE-2 inhibition with rebastinib in combination with paclitaxel, including in patients with prior exposure to paclitaxel."

The Phase 1b/2 study of rebastinib in combination with paclitaxel is a two-part, open-label, multicenter study assessing the safety, tolerability, anti-tumor activity and pharmacokinetics of rebastinib in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Data previously presented from Part 1 of the study demonstrated encouraging preliminary anti-tumor activity, with objective responses seen across a heavily pre-treated patient population, including patients with prior exposure to paclitaxel. As previously announced, both the endometrial and ovarian cancer cohorts in Part 2 of the study advanced into the second stage of the Simon two-stage design based on demonstrating at least five responses in each cohort.

As of a February 22, 2020 data cutoff date, a total of 21 patients initiated treatment with rebastinib in the Part 2 cohort of endometrial cancer patients. Median duration of treatment was 3.7 months. Sixteen patients were treated at a starting dose of 100 mg of rebastinib twice daily (BID) + weekly paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 and five patients at a starting dose of 50 mg of rebastinib BID + weekly paclitaxel 80 mg/m2. Three of the 21 patients withdrew consent early, resulting in 18 patients in the modified intent-to-treat (mITT) population.

Preliminary results included:

Encouraging anti-tumor activity of rebastinib in combination with paclitaxel in the heavily pre-treated endometrial cancer patient population.
Of the 21 patients treated with the combination, all received one or more prior lines of the combination of paclitaxel/carboplatin, and 20 of 21 received two or more prior anti-cancer regimens.
Of the 18 patients included in the mITT population, seven partial responses were observed (four confirmed) and six patients had stable disease, for an objective response rate of 39% and a clinical benefit rate of 72% at eight weeks.
Treatment with rebastinib 50 mg BID in combination with paclitaxel was well-tolerated, with treatment-emergent adverse events consistent with findings from Part 1 of the study and consistent with first-in-human studies of rebastinib, or known to be associated with treatment with paclitaxel.
Enrollment in Stage 2 of the endometrial cohort at the rebastinib 50 mg BID dose is nearly complete and further efficacy and safety evaluation is ongoing.

A copy of the poster presentation is available at View Source

About Rebastinib

Rebastinib is an investigational, orally administered, potent and selective inhibitor of the TIE2 kinase, the receptor for angiopoietins, an important family of vascular growth factors in the tumor microenvironment that also activate pro-tumoral TIE2 expressing macrophages. In a Phase 1 clinical study, biomarker data have demonstrated rebastinib-induced increases in the TIE2 ligand angiopoietin 2, providing evidence of TIE2 inhibition. Rebastinib is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2 clinical study in combination with paclitaxel (NCT03601897) and in a Phase 1b/2 clinical study in combination with carboplatin (NCT03717415).

On May 29, 2020 Kura Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: KURA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to realizing the promise of precision medicines for the treatment of cancer, reported updated clinical outcome data from its RUN-HN study, a Phase 2 open-label, single-arm trial of tipifarnib in patients with HRAS mutant head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) whose disease had progressed after prior therapy (Press release, Kura Oncology, MAY 29, 2020, View Source [SID1234558699]). These data are being presented in an oral session at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Virtual Scientific Program, being held May 29-31, 2020. A copy of the presentation is available on Kura’s website at www.kuraoncology.com/pipeline/publications.

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At data cutoff, 21 patients with HRAS mutant HNSCC were enrolled1, of whom 18 were evaluable for efficacy. Nine of the 18 evaluable patients achieved a confirmed partial response (PR), for an objective response rate (ORR) of 50% (95% CI, 26.0 to 74.0), with a median duration of response of 14.7 months. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.9 months (95% CI, 3.5 to 19.2), compared to 2.8 months on the patients’ last prior therapy. Median overall survival (OS) was 15.4 months (95% CI, 7.0 to 46.4). Patients had a median of two prior lines of therapy (range 0-6). Robust activity was seen despite resistance to chemotherapy, immunotherapy and/or cetuximab.

ORR for three FDA-approved therapies for treatment of HNSCC in the second line range from 13-16%, with median PFS of 2-3 months and median OS of 5-8 months.

"It’s encouraging to see robust overall survival data for tipifarnib, which demonstrate a potentially meaningful development for HNSCC patients with HRAS mutations in the advanced setting," said Alan Ho, M.D., Ph.D., of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and principal investigator of the study. "These data add to the body of evidence emerging for tipifarnib in second line HNSCC patients, a patient population with very few treatment options and a high unmet need. These results also highlight the importance of tumor genomic profiling to identify patients with HRAS mutations who could potentially be suitable for tipifarnib treatment."

Patients in the RUN-HN trial received tipifarnib at a starting dose of 600 or 900 mg orally twice daily on days 1-7 and 15-21 of 28-day cycles. Tipifarnib was generally well-tolerated. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events (AEs) seen in at least 10% of patients were cytopenias and GI disturbances.

"We believe a median overall survival of 15 months is unprecedented in this patient population and represents a substantial improvement compared to historical benchmarks with current standard of care," said Troy Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Kura Oncology. "Taken together, these data support our enhanced focus on patients with HRAS mutant HNSCC, a population in desperate need of effective new treatments, and reinforce our confidence in the ongoing AIM-HN registration-directed trial."

The AIM-HN registration-directed trial of tipifarnib in patients with recurrent or metastatic HRAS mutant HNSCC is currently recruiting at approximately 90 clinical sites in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Patients interested in participating in this trial may talk to their doctor to have their tumor tested for the HRAS mutation for eligibility to enroll in this trial. Further details regarding the trial are available at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03719690).

Activity in HRAS Mutant Salivary Gland Cancer and Urothelial Carcinoma

In addition to updated clinical outcome data in patients with HRAS mutant HNSCC, Kura also reported compelling single-agent activity in tumors of the salivary gland and urothelial carcinoma with HRAS mutations.

Seven recurrent/metastatic salivary gland cancer patients were enrolled in the all "other" HRAS mutant squamous cell carcinoma cohort in the Phase 2 tipifarnib trial and six additional patients were treated off-protocol through an expanded access program, of whom a total of 12 were evaluable for efficacy. One patient achieved a confirmed PR and seven achieved disease stabilization. Median PFS was 7.0 months (95% CI, 5.9 to 10.1) and median OS was 18.0 months (95% CI, 9.6 to 22.4). Adverse events observed were consistent with the known safety profile of tipifarnib. Salivary gland cancer is a rare disease for which standard treatments do not exist. Sequencing efforts in salivary gland cancers have identified HRAS mutations in up to 20% of high-grade histologic subtypes2,3.

In addition, 21 patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma were treated in an investigator-sponsored trial conducted at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, South Korea, including 14 patients with HRAS missense mutations, one patient with an HRAS nonsense mutation and six patients with a polymorphism in the STK11 gene. A confirmed ORR of 24% (95% CI, 6 to 42) was achieved, with all five responses seen in patients with HRAS mutations. Median PFS was 4.7 months (95% CI, 2.5 to 5.6) and median OS was 6.1 months (95% CI, 5.0 to 7.2). The most frequently observed AEs in the study were consistent with the known safety profile of tipifarnib. Approximately 6% of urothelial carcinoma patients are estimated to carry an HRAS mutation4.

Disclosures

Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) has institutional financial interests related to the research in this release in the form of intellectual property rights and associated interests by virtue of licensing agreements between MSK and Kura.

About HNSCC

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) accounts for more than 885,000 new cancer cases each year worldwide with many cancers arising due to tobacco and/or alcohol use or human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Despite advances in immunotherapy, the prognosis for advanced HNSCC patients remains poor with an estimated median overall survival (OS) of 13-15 months in patients when stratified by PD-L1 expression. Although the anti-epidermal growth factor (EGFR) antibody, cetuximab, was approved more than a decade ago, development of biomarker-directed therapies in HNSCC has been stymied by the limited number of druggable targets in the genomic landscape and the challenge of managing drug refractory recurrent/metastatic HNSCC.

About Tipifarnib

Tipifarnib, is a potent, selective and orally bioavailable inhibitor of farnesyl transferase in-licensed from Janssen in December 2014. Previously, tipifarnib was studied in more than 5,000 cancer patients and showed compelling and durable anti-cancer activity in certain patient subsets; however, no molecular mechanism of action had been determined that could explain its clinical activity across a range of solid tumor and hematologic indications. Leveraging advances in next generation sequencing as well as emerging information about cancer genetics and tumor biology, the Company is seeking to identify those patients most likely to benefit from tipifarnib. Tipifarnib has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with HRAS mutant HNSCC. Kura has received multiple issued patents for tipifarnib, providing patent exclusivity in the U.S. and foreign countries.