Curis to Host Virtual Event to Discuss Updated Clinical Data for CA-4948 in AML/MDS Presented at EHA

On June 4, 2021 Curis, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRIS), a biotechnology company focused on the development of innovative therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, reported that it will host a virtual KOL event to discuss progress to date for CA-4948, a first-in-class IRAK4 kinase inhibitor, including updated data presented at the European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) 2021 Virtual Congress from the Phase 1/2 study of CA-4948 in patients with AML or high-risk MDS (Press release, Curis, JUN 4, 2021, View Source [SID1234583523]). The event will be held on Friday, June 11, 2021 at 8:00 am ET.

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!

The event will be led by James Dentzer, President and CEO, and will include a presentation by Dr. Guillermo Garcia-Manero, M.D., Chief of the Section of Myelodysplastic Syndromes within the Department of Leukemia at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The speakers and additional members of Curis leadership will be available to answer questions at the end of the event.

A live webcast of the presentation will be available under "Events & Presentations" in the Investors section of the Company’s website at www.curis.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Curis website for approximately 90 days following the event.

Roche presents latest advances with immunotherapies in non-Hodgkin lymphoma

On June 4, 2021 Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) reported that new data on its investigational CD20xCD3 T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies, mosunetuzumab and glofitamab, and its first-in-class anti-CD79b antibody-drug conjugate, Polivy (polatuzumab vedotin), in non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) will be presented at the 2021 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting from 4-8 June 2021 (Press release, Hoffmann-La Roche, JUN 4, 2021, View Source [SID1234583522]).

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!

"People with difficult-to-treat blood cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma still need more options to help improve outcomes," said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., Roche’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development. "We are encouraged by promising data from our emerging T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies, mosunetuzumab and glofitamab, and the antibody-drug conjugate, Polivy, that demonstrate the potential of these novel immunotherapeutic approaches for various groups of patients."

While approximately 500,000 people worldwide are diagnosed with NHL each year, treatment options are currently limited and resistance to existing therapies or relapse following treatment is common.1 The most prevalent form of NHL, accounting for about 40% of newly diagnosed NHL cases, is an aggressive form called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), that comes with a life expectancy of weeks or months if left untreated.2,3

In clinical trials to date, the investigational CD20xCD3 T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies, mosunetuzumab and glofitamab, have shown promising responses across multiple types of NHL, including relapsed or refractory (R/R) DLBCL and follicular lymphoma (FL). Pivotal data for these medicines are expected this year and Roche is targeting a regulatory filing for mosunetuzumab in FL by the end of 2021, following its U.S. Food and Drug Administration Breakthrough Therapy Designation granted in June 2020. Key data on mosunetuzumab and glofitamab to be presented at the meeting include:

Phase I NP30179 study investigating step-up dosing of glofitamab in heavily pre-treated R/R NHL, showed high, ongoing complete responses (CRs) and an acceptable safety profile. After a median follow-up of 6.3 months, results showed that glofitamab achieved a complete metabolic response rate, defined as the disappearance of metabolic tumour activity, of 71.4% in patients with aggressive (fast-growing) NHL. The most common adverse events (AEs) were cytokine release syndrome (CRS) (63.5%), neutropenia (38.5%), and pyrexia (32.7%); CRS events were mostly low grade and confined to the first cycle of treatment.4
Phase I/II GO40516 study of mosunetuzumab in combination with Polivy in R/R NHL showed promising efficacy and an acceptable safety profile. The regimen achieved a CR of 54.5% in all patients. Eighty six percent of patients evaluated had aggressive NHL, and these patients achieved a CR rate of 47.4%. The most frequent treatment-related AEs were neutropenia (45.4%), fatigue, nausea, and diarrhoea (all 36.4%) and CRS (9.1%; all Grade 1).5
Broad development programmes are ongoing for mosunetuzumab and glofitamab, including the phase III GO42909 trial investigating mosunetuzumab plus lenalidomide versus MabThera/Rituxan (rituximab) plus lenalidomide in R/R FL, which will soon be enrolling patients. For glofitamab, the phase III GO41944 open-label, randomised trial designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of glofitamab plus gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (glofit-GemOx) versus MabThera/Rituxan plus GemOx in patients with R/R DLBCL, is also ongoing.

Roche is committed to pursuing treatment solutions that can be tailored to meet the various needs of both people living with NHL and healthcare professionals. Polivy is already a treatment option for people with R/R DLBCL and continues to show potential in multiple combinations. Key data at the meeting include:

New triplet combination of Polivy with MabThera/Rituxan and lenalidomide, which demonstrated promising activity in difficult-to-treat R/R DLBCL, based on results from the phase Ib/II GO29834 study. With a median follow-up of 9.7 months, median overall survival was 10.9 months (95% CI: 7.4–NE) and median progression-free survival was 6.3 months (95% CI: 4.5–9.7) in patients treated with the triplet. The most commonly reported Grade 3-4 AEs were neutropenia (58.0%), thrombocytopenia (14.0%), infections (14.0%) and anaemia (11.0%).6

As a leader in haematology development, Roche will continue to follow the science to expand and improve upon treatment options for healthcare providers and people with difficult-to-treat blood cancers.

Keep up to date with ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) news and updates by using the hashtag #ASCO21 and follow Roche on Twitter via @Roche and on LinkedIn.

About Roche’s investigational bispecifics in haematology
Roche is currently developing two T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies, mosunetuzumab and glofitamab, designed to target CD20 on the surface of B-cells and CD3 on the surface of T-cells. This dual targeting activates and redirects a patient’s existing T-cells to engage and eliminate target B-cells by releasing cytotoxic proteins into the B-cells. Mosunetuzumab and glofitamab differ in their structures, and both are being developed by Roche as part of our ongoing strategy to explore multiple bispecific formats, to identify those that maximise potential clinical benefits for patients. Mosunetuzumab has a structure similar to that of a natural human antibody in that it has two ‘Fab’ regions, but is different from naturally-occurring antibodies in that one ‘Fab’ region targets CD20 and the other ‘Fab’ region targets CD3. Glofitamab is based on a novel structural format called ‘2:1’, which refers to the structure of the antibody. It is engineered to have two ‘Fab’ regions which bind to CD20, and one ‘Fab’ region which binds to CD3. The clinical development programmes for mosunetuzumab and glofitamab include ongoing investigations of these molecules as monotherapies and in combination with other medicines, for the treatment of people with CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL).

About Polivy (polatuzumab vedotin)
Polivy is a first-in-class anti-CD79b antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). The CD79b protein is expressed specifically in the majority of B-cells, an immune cell impacted in some types of NHL, making it a promising target for the development of new therapies.7,8 Polivy binds to CD79b and destroys these B-cells through the delivery of an anti-cancer agent, which is thought to minimise the effects on normal cells.9,10 Polivy is being developed by Roche using Seagen ADC technology and is currently being investigated for the treatment of several types of NHL. Polivy is marketed in the US by Genentech as Polivy (polatuzumab vedotin-piiq), with piiq as the suffix designated in accordance with Nonproprietary Naming of Biological Products Guidance for Industry issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

About the NP30179 study
The NP30179 study [NCT03075696] is a phase I/Ib, multicentre, open-label, dose-escalation study, evaluating the efficacy, safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of glofitamab. In this study, glofitamab is assessed as a single-agent and in combination with Gazyva/Gazyvaro (obinutuzumab), following pre-treatment with a one-time, fixed-dose of Gazyva/Gazyvaro, in people with relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell NHL. Outcome measures include overall response rate, complete response rate per Lugano 2014 criteria, maximum tolerated dose and tolerability.

About the GO40516 study
The GO40516 study [NCT03671018] is a phase I/II, multicentre, open-label study, evaluating the efficacy, safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of mosunetuzumab in combination with Polivy in people with B-cell NHL. It consists of a dose finding portion followed by an expansion phase for second line or later (2L+) participants with R/R DLBCL and 2L+ R/R FL. Outcome measures include best overall response rate, maximum tolerated dose and tolerability.

About the GO29834 study
The GO29834 study [NCT02600897] is a phase Ib/II, multicentre, open-label study, evaluating the efficacy and safety of Polivy with MabThera /Rituxan (rituximab) and lenalidomide in R/R DLBCL. Outcome measures include complete response and tolerability.

About Roche in haematology
Roche has been developing medicines for people with malignant and non-malignant blood diseases for over 20 years; our experience and knowledge in this therapeutic area runs deep. Today, we are investing more than ever in our effort to bring innovative treatment options to patients across a wide range of haematologic diseases. Our approved medicines include MabThera/Rituxan, Gazyva/Gazyvaro, Polivy, Venclexta/Venclyxto (venetoclax) in collaboration with AbbVie, and Hemlibra (emicizumab). Our pipeline of investigational haematology medicines includes T-cell engaging bispecific antibodies, glofitamab and mosunetuzumab, targeting both CD20 and CD3, and cevostamab, targeting FcRH5 and CD3; Tecentriq (atezolizumab), a monoclonal antibody designed to bind with PD-L1; and crovalimab, an anti-C5 antibody engineered to optimise complement inhibition. Our scientific expertise, combined with the breadth of our portfolio and pipeline, also provides a unique opportunity to develop combination regimens that aim to improve the lives of patients even further.

Precision BioSciences Reports Progress on Two Strategies Designed to Optimize Durability of Allogeneic CAR T Therapy in R/R Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

On June 4, 2021 Precision BioSciences Inc. (Nasdaq: DTIL), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing allogeneic CAR T and in vivo gene correction therapies with its ARCUS genome editing platform, reported encouraging progress on two strategies designed to optimize the durability of allogeneic CAR T therapy in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) (Press release, Precision Biosciences, JUN 4, 2021, View Source [SID1234583521]). The Company reported updated interim results from its Phase 1/2a study of PBCAR0191, the Company’s investigational, off-the-shelf, allogeneic CAR T cell therapy targeting CD19. As of May 21, 2021, 12 patients with R/R NHL were enrolled and evaluated for response to PBCAR0191 with enhanced lymphodepletion (eLD). The Company also reported preclinical data demonstrating the potential mechanism by which its investigational immune evading stealth cell, PBCAR19B, may avoid rejection by T cells and natural killer (NK) cells.

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 interim results in heavily pretreated R/R NHL patients illustrate the potential for PBCAR0191 to recognize and target CD19 positive cancer cells and suggest that enhanced lymphodepletion may be a strategy to help suppress host immune rejection. We’re encouraged by the high initial response rates and look forward to monitoring the responses for evidence of long-term durability," said Alan List, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Precision BioSciences. "In addition, our PBCAR19B Phase 1 study is open for enrollment, and we believe this candidate has the potential to build on the encouraging clinical responses we’ve seen with PBCAR0191 to date and reduce the need for prolonged immunosuppression."

As of May 21, 2021, 18 subjects in the Phase 1/2a study of PBCAR0191 with R/R NHL completed Day 28 evaluation and received either eLD1 (n=12) or standard lymphodepletion2 (sLD; n=6) with Dose Level 33 of PBCAR0191.

Efficacy

Use of eLD mitigated PBCAR0191 rejection and markedly increased peak cell expansion (~72x) and area under the curve (AUC) (~59x), each as compared to sLD.
A single dose of PBCAR0191 cells following eLD yielded clinical responses in the majority of patients, with overall response rates (ORR) and complete response (CR) rates of 75% and 50%, respectively at Day ≥ 28.
Five of nine responding patients (56%) who received PBCAR0191 cells following eLD remained progression-free, including 4/9 evaluable subjects with responses lasting > 4 months. Assessment of duration of response is on-going.
Median interval from confirmation of eligibility to start of LD was 1 day, reinforcing the potential feasibility for rapid delivery of off-the-shelf, allogeneic, cellular therapy for high-risk patients.
Day ≥ 28 Evaluation

* Three of four responding patients had prior auto-SCT and auto CD19 CAR treatment.

Safety and Tolerability

As of May 21, 2021, PBCAR0191 with eLD continued to show acceptable tolerability without evidence of graft versus host disease (GvHD) and with a similar frequency of immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) and cytokine release syndrome (CRS) compared to patients who received sLD. Infections occurred more frequently when PBCAR0191 was dosed following eLD.

Adverse Event Max Grade

(Graft versus host disease)

Three treatment emergent deaths without disease progression occurred, including two cases of infection and one case of cardiac arrest after a choking incident. Two of these patients were in ongoing complete responses at time of death. Only one death, as previously reported on December 4, 2020 was assessed by the investigator as possibly related to study treatment.

Demographics for Enrolled R/R NHL Patients (PBCAR0191 with eLD)

Over 80% of subjects had advanced and aggressive lymphomas.
75% had stage III/IV disease.
Subjects had received a median of seven lines of therapy prior to study enrollment.
33% of subjects had prior CD19-directed CAR therapy.
PBCAR19B Immune Evading Stealth Cell

PBCAR19B is designed to extend persistence of allogeneic CAR T cells by evading rejection by the immune system of the patient. In preclinical studies, the anti-CD19 PBCAR19B stealth cell exhibited substantial resistance to rejection mediated by both allo-reactive T cell and NK cells, suggesting the potential utility of this approach.

In January 2021, Precision announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted its investigational new drug application to evaluate the safety and clinical activity of PBCAR19B in patients with R/R NHL. Initial clinical trial sites have been selected for the Phase 1 study that is now open for enrollment. PBCAR19B will be evaluated at increasing flat dose levels beginning at 2.7 x 108 cells using sLD with the ability to dose up to 8.1 x 108 cells. Of note, the first dose level is approximately equivalent to Dose Level 3 in the PBCAR0191 trial.

Company-Hosted Conference Call and Web Cast Information

Precision will host a conference call and webcast today, Friday, June 4, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. ET to discuss the most recent interim clinical data for PBCAR0191 and preclinical data for PBCAR19B. The dial-in conference call numbers for domestic and international callers are (866) 996-7202 and (270) 215-9609, respectively. The conference ID number for the call is 5647916. Participants may access the live webcast and the accompanying presentation materials on Precision’s website www.precisionbiosciences.com in the Investors and Media section under Events and Presentations. An archived replay of the webcast will be available on Precision’s website.

About PBCAR0191 and Study Design (Clinical Trials Study Identifier: NCT03666000)

PBCAR0191 is an investigational allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR T) in a Phase 1/2a trial for the treatment of patients with R/R NHL and R/R B-ALL. PBCAR0191 was designed using Precision BioSciences novel and proprietary ARCUS genome editing platform. It has been granted Fast Track Designation by the FDA for B-ALL. Precision also holds Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for this program in mantle cell lymphoma, an aggressive subtype of NHL.

About PBCAR19B (Clinical Trials Study Identifier: NCT04649112)

PBCAR19B is a next-generation, stealth cell candidate for patients with CD19-positive malignancies such as R/R NHL. PBCAR19B is designed to improve the persistence of allogeneic CAR T cells following infusion by reducing rejection by T cells and NK cells. In addition to the CAR gene, the PBCAR19B stealth cell vector carries a short hairpin RNA that suppresses expression of beta-2 microglobulin, a component of Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) Class I molecules found on the cell surface. Reducing or knocking-down Class I MHC expression on allogeneic CAR T cells has been shown to reduce CAR T cell killing by cytotoxic allo-reactive T cells. Additionally, in an effort to attenuate NK cell-mediated elimination due to MHC class I knockdown, the PBCAR19B vector also carries an HLA-E gene designed to inactivate NK cells.

Imfinzi demonstrated unprecedented survival in unresectable, Stage III lung cancer with 43% of patients surviving five years

On June 4, 2021 AstraZeneca reported that Updated results from the positive PACIFIC Phase III trial showed its Imfinzi (durvalumab) demonstrated a sustained, clinically meaningful overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) benefit at five years in patients with unresectable, Stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had not progressed following concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CRT) (Press release, AstraZeneca, JUN 4, 2021, View Source [SID1234583519]).

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!

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death accounting for about one-fifth of all cancer deaths, and 80-85% of patients with lung cancer have NSCLC.1-3 One in four patients with NSCLC are diagnosed at Stage III, where the majority of tumours are unresectable (cannot be removed with surgery).4,5 The approval of Imfinzi in this setting based on the results of this trial was the first new treatment to be available to these patients in decades.2,6,7

Results from the updated post-hoc analyses showed an estimated five-year OS rate of 42.9% for patients treated with Imfinzi versus 33.4% for those on placebo after CRT. Median OS was 47.5 months for Imfinzi versus 29.1 for placebo. Following a maximum treatment course of one year, an estimated 33.1% of patients treated with Imfinzi had not progressed five years after enrolment versus 19% for placebo. These results build on the primary PFS and OS analyses published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2017 and 2018, which demonstrated a sustained, significant benefit with Imfinzi for these primary endpoints.8,9

David Spigel, MD, Chief Scientific Officer at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute, and investigator in the PACIFIC trial, said: "This trial has once again set a new precedent in the treatment of patients with unresectable, Stage III non-small cell lung cancer. Historically, only 15-30% of these patients survived five years but these results show that with up to one year of treatment with Imfinzi, an estimated 43% of patients are still alive at five years. Moreover, three quarters of these patients had also not progressed in that time. This is a momentous achievement at the five-year landmark in this curative-intent setting."

Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Oncology Business Unit, said: "Five-year survival is a clinically significant and emotionally meaningful milestone for people with cancer and their families, and it’s incredible to see the majority of patients surviving that long have not progressed four years after completing treatment. These results – the first of their kind in Stage III unresectable lung cancer – reinforce the long-term benefit of Imfinzi as the established standard of care in this curative-intent setting. With trials like PACIFIC and our comprehensive development programme in early-stage disease across cancer settings, our strategy is to improve cancer outcomes by treating patients as early as possible, aiming to deliver life-changing treatments that increase the potential for cure."

In the primary OS analysis of the PACIFIC Phase III trial, the most common adverse events (AEs) (greater than or equal to 20%) among patients treated with Imfinzi versus placebo were cough (35.2% versus 25.2%), fatigue (24.0% versus 20.5%), dyspnoea (22.3% versus 23.9%) and radiation pneumonitis (20.2% versus 15.8%). A grade 3 or 4 AE was experienced by 30.5% of patients treated with Imfinzi versus 26.1% for placebo, and 15.4% of patients discontinued treatment due to AEs with Imfinzi versus 9.8% for placebo.9

These results were presented on 4 June during the 2021 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.

Imfinzi is approved in the curative-intent setting of unresectable, Stage III NSCLC after CRT in the US, Japan, China, across the EU and in many other countries. Since the first approval in February 2018, more than 80,000 patients in this setting have been treated with Imfinzi.

AstraZeneca has several ongoing registrational trials focused on testing Imfinzi in earlier stages of lung cancer, including in potentially curative settings (PACIFIC-2, 4 and 5, MERMAID-1 and 2, AEGEAN, ADJUVANT BR.31, and ADRIATIC Phase III trials). The Company is also testing novel combinations with Imfinzi in two Phase II platform trials in the Stage III unresectable setting (COAST) and neoadjuvant early-stage setting (NeoCOAST).

Stage III NSCLC
In 2020, an estimated 2.2 million people were diagnosed with lung cancer worldwide.1 Lung cancer is broadly split into NSCLC and small cell lung cancer, with 80-85% classified as NSCLC.2,3,5 Stage III NSCLC represents approximately one quarter of NSCLC incidence.4

Stage III (locally advanced) NSCLC is divided into three subcategories (IIIA, IIIB and IIIC), defined by how much the cancer has spread locally. In contrast to Stage IV, when cancer has spread (metastasised), the majority of Stage III patients are currently treated with curative intent.5,10

PACIFIC
The PACIFIC trial was a Phase III, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multi-centre trial of Imfinzi as treatment in ‘all-comer’ patients (regardless of PD-L1 status) with unresectable, Stage III NSCLC whose disease had not progressed following concurrent platinum-based CRT.

The trial was conducted at 235 centres across 26 countries involving 713 patients. The primary endpoints of the trial were PFS and OS, and secondary endpoints included landmark PFS and OS, objective response rate and duration of response.

Imfinzi
Imfinzi (durvalumab) is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to PD-L1 and blocks the interaction of PD-L1 with PD-1 and CD80, countering the tumour’s immune-evading tactics and releasing the inhibition of immune responses.

In addition to approvals in the unresectable, Stage III NSCLC setting, Imfinzi is approved for the treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) based on the CASPIAN Phase III trial in the EU, US, Japan and many other countries around the world. Imfinzi is also approved for previously treated patients with advanced bladder cancer in several countries.

As part of a broad development programme, Imfinzi is being tested as a single treatment and in combinations with other anti-cancer treatments for patients with NSCLC, SCLC, bladder cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, biliary tract cancer (a form of liver cancer), oesophageal cancer, gastric and gastroesophageal cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer and other solid tumours.

AstraZeneca in lung cancer
AstraZeneca is working to bring patients with lung cancer closer to cure through the detection and treatment of early-stage disease, while also pushing the boundaries of science to improve outcomes in resistant and advanced settings. By defining new therapeutic targets and investigating innovative approaches, the Company aims to match medicines to the patients who can benefit most.

The Company’s comprehensive portfolio includes leading lung cancer medicines and the next wave of innovations including Tagrisso (osimertinib) and Iressa (gefitinib); Imfinzi (durvalumab) and tremelimumab; Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) and datopotamab deruxtecan in collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo; and savolitinib in collaboration with HUTCHMED; as well as a pipeline of new medicines and combinations across diverse mechanisms of action.

AstraZeneca is a founding member of the Lung Ambition Alliance, a global coalition working to accelerate innovation and deliver meaningful improvements for people with lung cancer including and beyond treatment.

AstraZeneca in immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is a therapeutic approach designed to stimulate the body’s immune system to attack tumours. The Company’s IO portfolio is anchored in immunotherapies that have been designed to overcome anti-tumour immune suppression. AstraZeneca is invested in using IO approaches that deliver long-term survival for new groups of patients across tumour types.

The Company is pursuing a comprehensive clinical-trial programme that includes Imfinzi as a single treatment and in combination with tremelimumab and other novel antibodies in multiple tumour types, stages of disease, and lines of treatment, and where relevant using the PD-L1 biomarker as a decision-making tool to define the best potential treatment path for a patient. In addition, the ability to combine the IO portfolio with radiation, chemotherapy, small, targeted molecules from across AstraZeneca’s oncology pipeline, and from research partners, may provide new treatment options across a broad range of tumours.

AstraZeneca in oncology
AstraZeneca is leading a revolution in oncology with the ambition to provide cures for cancer in every form, following the science to understand cancer and all its complexities to discover, develop and deliver life-changing medicines to patients.

The Company’s focus is on some of the most challenging cancers. It is through persistent innovation that AstraZeneca has built one of the most diverse portfolios and pipelines in the industry, with the potential to catalyse changes in the practice of medicine and transform the patient experience.

AstraZeneca has the vision to redefine cancer care and, one day, eliminate cancer as a cause of death.

Y-mAbs Announces Frontline Data for DANYELZA® (naxitamab-gqgk) in High-Risk Neuroblastoma

On June 4, 2021 Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company" or "Y-mAbs") (Nasdaq: YMAB) a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, antibody-based therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer, reported that Dr. Jaume Mora, M.D., Ph.D. from SJD Barcelona Children’s Hospital will present frontline data for DANYELZA and GM-CSF for consolidation of high-risk neuroblastoma ("HR-NB") patients in complete remission at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) ("ASCO") Virtual Annual Meeting on June 4, 2021 (Press release, Y-mAbs Therapeutics, JUN 4, 2021, View Source [SID1234583517])

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!

Patients received five cycles of DANYELZA and GM-CSF in a compassionate use setting for consolidation of HR-NB in first or subsequent complete remission ("CR"). DANYELZA was administered in an outpatient setting on days 1, 3 and 5 at 9.0 mg/kg/cycle in combination with GM-CSF, and treatment cycles were repeated every four weeks. From June 2017 to November 2020, a total of 73 patients were treated: 55 patients (75%) in first CR and 18 patients (25%) in second or more CR. The three-year event free survival ("EFS") for patients in first CR was 74% and 19% for second or later CR. The three-year overall survival ("OS") for the patients in first CR was 92% and 66% for second or later CR patients. Dr. Mora reported two-year EFS and OR at the Company’s R&D Day in December 2020 and those data have been maintained for the three-year follow up.

"We are very pleased to report such encouraging three-year follow-up data in frontline high-risk neuroblastoma for DANYELZA in patients that are in full remission after the induction regiment," stated Thomas Gad, founder, Chairman and President.

Dr. Claus Moller, Chief Executive Officer, continued, "We are excited to see the three-year data holding up so well for the frontline patients and, if approved, we believe this could potentially significantly differentiate DANYELZA from other existing therapies."

Researchers at MSK developed DANYELZA, which is exclusively licensed by MSK to Y-mAbs. As a result of this licensing arrangement, MSK has institutional financial interests in the product.

About DANYELZA (naxitamab-gqgk)

DANYELZA (naxitamab-gqgk) is indicated, in combination with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor ("GM-CSF"), for the treatment of pediatric patients 1 year of age and older and adult patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk neuroblastoma in the bone or bone marrow who have demonstrated a partial response, minor response, or stable disease to prior therapy. This indication was approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate and duration of response. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefits in a confirmatory trial. DANYELZA includes a Boxed Warning for serious infusion-related reactions, such as cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis, and neurotoxicity, such as severe neuropathic pain and transverse myelitis. See full Prescribing Information for complete Boxed Warning and other important safety information.