On March 31, 2021 Nascent Biotech, Inc. (OTCQB:NBIO) ("Nascent Biotech," "Nascent," or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of monoclonal antibodies targeting treatment of various cancers and viral infections, reported that patients have been enrolled and initial dosing has begun in the Company’s landmark Phase I trial to evaluate Pritumumab ("PTB") as a treatment option for Brain Cancer, including Malignant Primary Brain Tumors and adult Brain Metastases (Press release, Nascent Biotech, MAR 31, 2021, View Source [SID1234577413]).

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Patient enrollment remains open, and the trial continues to recruit new patients for participation. Those interested may review trial requirements HERE.

"Dosing human cancer patients in our Phase 1 clinical trial is a key milestone on the path toward determining the safety profile of Pritumumab under clinical conditions," noted Nascent CEO Sean Carrick. "This study will also provide fresh insight into PTB’s efficacy on primary brain tumors."

PTB is a natural human antibody that works by binding to cell surface Vimentin (also referred to as ectodomain vimentin, or EDV), a protein expressed on the surface of epithelial cancers. PTB is used as a targeted immunotherapy that, unlike chemotherapy, targets only cancer cells without damaging healthy ones. Because of this dynamic, the current clinical study may have implications for future research on PTB as a treatment option for a broad range of more common cancers, including breast, colon, and lung.

On March 31, 2021 mAbxience reported The European Commission (EC) has approved its MB02 biosimilar to Avastin (Bevacizumab), in Europe (Press release, mAbxience, MAR 31, 2021, View Source [SID1234577412]).

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MB02, to be commercialized as Alymsys and Oyavas, is highly similar to the reference medicinal product and data has shown a comparable quality, safety and efficacy to Avastin. MB02 is intended for the treatment of carcinoma of the colon or rectum, breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell cancer, epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer, and carcinoma of the cervix.

"We are currently witnessing a period of vital importance globally, with a key focus on the healthcare system and its sustainability" said Emmanuelle Lepine, General Manager at mAbxience.
"The launch of our Bevacizumab under the trademarks Alymsys and Oyavas in the European market will be a perfect example of how innovation and cutting-edge R&D technology can be applied to obtain a high quality, affordable medicine which, as well as providing alternatives for the healthcare system, will also improve patient access to costly treatments."

On March 31, 2021 Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, "Eisai") and MSD K.K. (Headquarters: Tokyo, President: Kyle Tattle, "MSD"), a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A., (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) reported that Eisai has submitted an application in Japan for the additional indication of its in-house discovered and developed multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, LENVIMA (generic name: lenvatinib mesylate), in combination with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.’s KEYTRUDA (generic name: pembrolizumab) as a treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (Press release, Eisai, MAR 31, 2021, View Source [SID1234577408]). This is the first application to be submitted in Japan for this combination therapy.

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This application is based on the results of the Phase 3 CLEAR study (Study 307/KEYNOTE-581) for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced RCC, which were presented at the 2021 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU), and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine in February 2021. In this trial, LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) as well as key secondary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and objective response rate (ORR) versus sunitinib. The safety profile of LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA was consistent with previously reported studies.

Worldwide, it is estimated that there were more than 430,000 new cases of kidney cancer diagnosed and nearly 180,000 deaths from the disease in 2020.1 In Japan, there were more than 25,000 new cases and 8,000 deaths in 2020.2 RCC is by far the most common type of kidney cancer; about nine out of 10 kidney cancers are RCC.3 Most cases of RCC are discovered incidentally during imaging tests for other abdominal diseases. Approximately 30% of patients with RCC will have metastatic disease at diagnosis, and as many as 40% will develop metastases after primary surgical treatment for localized RCC.4,5 Survival is highly dependent on the stage at diagnosis, and with a five-year survival rate of 12% for metastatic disease, the prognosis for these patients is poor.6

Eisai and MSD have been collaborating through the provision of information on LENVIMA in Japan since October 2018, and will work together to expedite the maximization of contribution by LENVIMA and KEYTRUDA to patients with cancer.

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1. About LENVIMA (generic name: lenvatinib mesylate)
LENVIMA, discovered and developed by Eisai, is an orally available kinase inhibitor that inhibits the kinase activities of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors VEGFR1 (FLT1), VEGFR2 (KDR), and VEGFR3 (FLT4). LENVIMA inhibits other kinases that have been implicated in pathogenic angiogenesis, tumor growth, and cancer progression in addition to their normal cellular functions, including fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors FGFR1-4, the platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα), KIT, and RET. In syngeneic mouse tumor models, lenvatinib decreased tumor-associated macrophages, increased activated cytotoxic T cells, and demonstrated greater antitumor activity in combination with an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody compared to either treatment alone. Currently, LENVIMA has been approved for monotherapy as a treatment for thyroid cancer in over 70 countries including Japan, in Europe, China and in Asia, and in the United States for radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. In addition, Lenvima has been approved for monotherapy as a treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in over 65 countries including Japan, the United States, in Europe, China and in Asia. It is also approved in combination with everolimus as a treatment for renal cell carcinoma following prior antiangiogenic therapy in over 60 countries, including the United States, in Europe and Asia. In Europe, the agent was launched under the brand name Kisplyx for renal cell carcinoma. In addition, it is approved in combination with KEYTRUDA (generic name: pembrolizumab) as a treatment for advanced endometrial cancer that is not microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation in over 10 countries including the United States, Canada and Australia. Continued approval for this indication is contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in the confirmatory trials. Lenvima has also been approved for monotherapy as a treatment for unresectable thymic carcinoma in Japan.

2. About KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab)
KEYTRUDA is an anti-PD-1 therapy that works by increasing the ability of the body’s immune system to help detect and fight tumor cells. KEYTRUDA is a humanized monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between PD-1 and its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, thereby activating T lymphocytes which may affect both tumor cells and healthy cells.

Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) has the industry’s largest immuno-oncology clinical research program. There are currently more than 1,400 trials studying KEYTRUDA across a wide variety of cancers and treatment settings. The KEYTRUDA clinical program seeks to understand the role of KEYTRUDA across cancers and the factors that may predict a patient’s likelihood of benefitting from treatment with KEYTRUDA, including exploring several different biomarkers.

In Japan, KEYTRUDA has been approved for the treatment of melanoma, unresectable advanced/recurrent non-small cell lung cancer, relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma, radically unresectable urothelial carcinoma that have progressed after chemotherapy, advanced/recurrent microsatellite instability-high (MSI-High) solid tumors that have progressed after chemotherapy (limited to use when difficult to treat with standard of care), radically unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma, recurrent or distant metastatic head and neck cancer, and PD-L1-positive radically unresectable advanced/recurrent esophageal squamous cell carcinoma that have progressed after chemotherapy.

3. About Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)
Worldwide, it is estimated there were more than 430,000 new cases of kidney cancer diagnosed and nearly 180,000 deaths from the disease in 2020.1 In Japan, there were more than 25,000 new cases and 8,000 deaths in 2020.2 In the U.S. alone, it is estimated there will be more than 76,000 new cases of kidney cancer diagnosed and nearly 14,000 deaths from the disease in 2021.3 RCC is by far the most common type of kidney cancer; about nine out of 10 kidney cancers are RCCs.3 RCC is about twice as common in men as in women.3 Most cases of RCC are discovered incidentally during imaging tests for other abdominal diseases. Approximately 30% of patients with RCC will have metastatic disease at diagnosis, and as many as 40% will develop metastases after primary surgical treatment for localized RCC.4,5 Survival is highly dependent on the stage at diagnosis, and with a five-year survival rate of 12% for metastatic disease, the prognosis for these patients is poor.6

4. About the CLEAR Study (Study 307/KEYNOTE-581)
The CLEAR Study (Study 307/KEYNOTE-581) is a Phase 3, multi-center, randomized, open-label trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02811861) evaluating LENVIMA in combination with KEYTRUDA or in combination with everolimus versus sunitinib for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced RCC. The primary endpoint is PFS by independent review per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v1.1. Key secondary endpoints include OS, ORR and safety. A total of 1,069 patients were randomized to one of three treatment arms to receive LENVIMA (20 mg orally once daily) in combination with KEYTRUDA (200 mg intravenously every three weeks); or LENVIMA (18 mg orally once daily) in combination with everolimus (5 mg orally once daily); or sunitinib (50 mg orally once daily for four weeks on treatment, followed by two weeks off treatment).

In the trial’s primary endpoint of PFS, as assessed by independent review per RECIST v1.1, LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 61% (HR=0.39 [95% CI: 0.32-0.49]; p<0.001), with a median PFS of 23.9 months (95% CI: 20.8-27.7) versus 9.2 months (95% CI: 6.0-11.0) for patients who received sunitinib. In the trial’s key secondary endpoints, LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA reduced the risk of death by 34% (HR=0.66 [95% CI: 0.49-0.88]; p=0.005) versus patients who received sunitinib. Median OS was not reached in either treatment arm after a median follow-up of 27 months. Treatment with LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA resulted in an ORR of 71.0% (95% CI: 66.3-75.7), with a complete response (CR) rate of 16.1% and a partial response (PR) rate of 54.9%, versus an ORR of 36.1% (95% CI: 31.2-41.1), with a CR rate of 4.2% and a PR rate of 31.9%, for patients who received sunitinib (relative risk=1.97 [95% CI: 1.69-2.29]). Median duration of response (DOR) for patients who received LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA was 25.8 months (95% CI: 22.1-27.9) versus 14.6 months (95% CI: 9.4-16.7) for patients who received sunitinib.

In the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA arm, treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) led to discontinuation of LENVIMA in 18.5% of patients, of KEYTRUDA in 25.0% of patients, and of both in 9.7% of patients. In the sunitinib arm, TRAEs led to discontinuation of sunitinib in 10.0% of patients. Grade 5 TRAEs occurred in 1.1% of patients in the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA arm versus 0.3% of patients in the sunitinib arm. Grade ≥3 TRAEs occurred in 71.6% of patients in the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA arm versus 58.8% of patients in the sunitinib arm. The most common TRAEs of any grade occurring in at least 20% of patients in the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA arm were diarrhea (54.5%), hypertension (52.3%), hypothyroidism (42.6%), decreased appetite (34.9%), fatigue (32.1%) and stomatitis (32.1%). In the sunitinib arm, the most common TRAEs of any grade occurring in at least 20% of patients were diarrhea (44.4%), hypertension (39.1%), stomatitis (37.4%), hand-foot syndrome (35.9%), fatigue (32.1%) and nausea (27.6%).

5. About the Eisai and and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A. Strategic Collaboration
In March 2018, Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A., through an affiliate, entered into a strategic collaboration for the worldwide co-development and co-commercialization of LENVIMA. Under the agreement, the companies will jointly develop, manufacture and commercialize LENVIMA, both as a monotherapy and in combination with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., U.S.A.’s anti-PD-1 therapy KEYTRUDA.

In addition to ongoing clinical studies evaluating the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA combination across several different tumor types, the companies have jointly initiated new clinical studies through the LEAP (LEnvatinib And Pembrolizumab) clinical program and are evaluating the combination in 14 different tumor types (endometrial carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, renal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, urothelial cancer, biliary tract cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, glioblastoma, ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer and triple-negative breast cancer) across more than 20 clinical trials.

On March 31, 2021 Zai Lab (NASDAQ: ZLAB; HKEX: 9688), an innovative commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company, and Deciphera Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: DCPH), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative medicines to improve the lives of people with cancer, reported that the China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved its New Drug Application (NDA) for QINLOCK (ripretinib) for the treatment of adult patients with advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) who have received prior treatment with three or more kinase inhibitors, including imatinib (Press release, Deciphera Pharmaceuticals, MAR 31, 2021, View Source [SID1234577407]). QINLOCK targets the broad spectrum of KIT and PDGFRα mutations known to drive GIST.

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"Treatment of GIST remains an important unmet medical need in China," said Dr. Samantha Du, Founder, Chairperson, and Chief Executive Officer of Zai Lab. "Approximately 30,000 GIST patients are newly diagnosed each year in China, twice as many as in the U.S. and Europe combined. NMPA’s approval of QINLOCK establishes a new standard of care for treating patients with fourth-line GIST in China. We appreciate the NMPA’s rapid and thorough assessment of QINLOCK. We look forward to working closely with our partner, Deciphera, to introduce this new treatment option to benefit many more patients who are suffering from advanced GIST in Greater China."

"We congratulate Zai on gaining this important approval," said Steve Hoerter, President and Chief Executive Officer of Deciphera. "QINLOCK is a new standard of care for patients with fourth-line GIST, and we’re excited to work with our partner Zai as they deliver this innovative medicine to patients in China."

"The approval of QINLOCK in China is a significant milestone for the GIST community," said Dr. Shukui Qin, Chief Physician of Cancer Center, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Senior Vice President of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology. "Many GIST patients, who initially responded to traditional tyrosine kinase inhibitors, ultimately developed tumor progression due to secondary mutations. QINLOCK may potentially alter the treatment landscape for patients in China with GIST."

"Based on the pivotal Phase 3 INVICTUS study, QINLOCK demonstrated compelling clinical benefit in progression-free and overall survival, and was shown to have a favorable safety profile in treating advanced GIST patients," said Dr. Lin Shen, Vice President of Clinical Oncology at Beijing Cancer Hospital. "We look forward to making this innovative therapy available to patients as soon as possible."

Deciphera and Zai Lab are also exploring the use of QINLOCK to treat patients with second-line GIST. Deciphera has completed target enrollment in the Phase 3 INTRIGUE study of QINLOCK in patients with second-line GIST, with top-line results anticipated in the second half of 2021.

About QINLOCK (ripretinib)

QINLOCK is a switch-control tyrosine kinase inhibitor that was engineered to broadly inhibit KIT and PDGFRα mutated kinases by using a dual mechanism of action that regulates the kinase switch pocket and activation loop. QINLOCK inhibits primary and secondary KIT mutations in exons 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, and 18 involved in GIST, as well as the primary exon 17 D816V mutation. QINLOCK also inhibits primary PDGFRα mutations in exons 12, 14, and 18, including the exon 18 D842V mutation, involved in a subset of GIST.

In March 2021, the NMPA approved QINLOCK for the treatment of adult patients with advanced GIST who have received prior treatment with three or more kinase inhibitors, including imatinib. In March 2021, the Hong Kong Department of Health approved QINLOCK in Hong Kong for the treatment of adult patients with advanced GIST who have received prior treatment with imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib. In May 2020, the U.S. FDA approved QINLOCK for the treatment of adult patients with advanced GIST who received prior treatment with three or more kinase inhibitors, including imatinib. It is also approved by Health Canada for the treatment of adult patients with advanced GIST who have received prior treatment with imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib and by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration for the treatment of adult patients with advanced GIST who have received prior treatment with three or more kinase inhibitors, including imatinib.

Zai Lab has an exclusive license agreement with Deciphera for the development and commercialization of ripretinib in Greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan).

About the INVICTUS Phase 3 Study

INVICTUS is a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, international, multicenter clinical study evaluating the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of QINLOCK compared to placebo in patients with advanced GIST whose previous therapies have included imatinib, sunitinib, and regorafenib. Patients were randomized 2:1 to either 150 mg of QINLOCK or placebo once daily. The primary efficacy endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) as determined by independent radiologic review using modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). The median PFS in the study was 6.3 months compared to 1.0 month in the placebo arm and significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 85% (hazard ratio of 0.15, p<0.0001). Secondary endpoints as determined by independent radiologic review using modified RECIST include Objective Response Rate (ORR) and Overall Survival (OS). QINLOCK demonstrated an ORR of 9.4% compared with 0% for placebo (p =0.0504). QINLOCK also demonstrated a median OS of 15.1 months compared to 6.6 months in the placebo arm and reduced the risk of death by 64% (hazard ratio of 0.36).

Important Safety Information

There are no contraindications for QINLOCK. The most common adverse reactions (≥20%) were alopecia, fatigue, nausea, abdominal pain, constipation, myalgia, diarrhea, decreased appetite, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (PPES), and vomiting. The most common Grade 3 or 4 laboratory abnormalities (≥4%) were increased lipase and decreased phosphate.

On March 31, 2021 CTI BioPharma Corp. (Nasdaq: CTIC) reported that it has completed a rolling New Drug Application ("NDA") submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") seeking approval of pacritinib as a treatment for myelofibrosis patients with severe thrombocytopenia (platelet counts less than 50 x 109/L) (Press release, CTI BioPharma, MAR 31, 2021, View Source [SID1234577406]). CTI had previously announced the results of a pre-NDA meeting with FDA where agreement was reached on an NDA submission package based upon available data from the completed Phase 3 PERSIST-1 and PERSIST-2 trials and the Phase 2 PAC203 trials.

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"The completion of the pacritinib NDA submission is the result of many years of clinical research and a collaborative and constructive dialogue with the FDA on how pacritinib could address the unmet medical need of myelofibrosis ("MF") patients with severe thrombocytopenia. MF patients with severe thrombocytopenia experience poor treatment outcomes, primarily due to their severely cytopenic disease and the significant limitations of approved therapies," said Adam R. Craig, M.D., Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of CTI BioPharma. "CTI has initiated pre-commercialization activities and has completed the hiring of a commercial leadership team. Assuming a successful priority review of the NDA, we are preparing for a commercial launch of pacritinib before the end of 2021. We look forward to providing updates on the NDA and our commercialization plans over the coming months."

About Myelofibrosis and Severe Thrombocytopenia
Myelofibrosis is a type of bone marrow cancer that results in formation of fibrous scar tissue and can lead to severe cytopenias, including thrombocytopenia and anemia, as well as weakness, fatigue and an enlarged spleen and liver. Patients with severe thrombocytopenia are estimated to make up more than one-third of patients treated for myelofibrosis, or approximately 17,000 people in the United States and Europe. Severe thrombocytopenia, defined as blood platelet counts of less than 50,000 per microliter, has been shown to result in overall survival rates of just 15 months. Thrombocytopenia in patients with myelofibrosis is associated with the underlying disease but has also been shown to correlate with treatment with ruxolitinib, which can lead to dose reductions, and as a result, may potentially reduce clinical benefit. Survival in patients who have discontinued ruxolitinib therapy is further compromised, with an average overall survival of seven to 14 months. Myelofibrosis patients with severe thrombocytopenia have limited treatment options, creating a significant area of unmet medical need.

About Pacritinib
Pacritinib is an investigational oral kinase inhibitor with specificity for JAK2, IRAK1, and CSF1R. The JAK family of enzymes is a central component in signal transduction pathways, which are critical to normal blood cell growth and development, as well as inflammatory cytokine expression and immune responses. Mutations in these kinases have been shown to be directly related to the development of a variety of blood-related cancers, including myeloproliferative neoplasms, leukemia, and lymphoma. In addition to myelofibrosis, the kinase profile of pacritinib suggests its potential therapeutic utility in conditions such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), due to its inhibition of c-fms, IRAK1, JAK2 and FLT3.