On December 9, 2023 Nkarta, Inc. (Nasdaq: NKTX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered natural killer (NK) cell therapies, reported a poster presentation at the 2023 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition featuring follow-up data from its Phase 1 clinical trial that evaluates NKX101 in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML) (Press release, Nkarta, DEC 9, 2023, View Source [SID1234638329]). NKX101 is an allogeneic, off-the-shelf NK cell therapy candidate derived from healthy donors and engineered to target NKG2D ligands.

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As reported in June 2023, of those patients who received NKX101 after a disease-specific lymphodepletion (LD) regimen comprising fludarabine and cytarabine (Flu/Ara-C), four of six achieved CR/CRi. In the follow up presented today, three of those four patients remained in CR/CRi at 4 months from treatment with NKX101. No cases of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), or graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) of any grade were observed in these patients.

"While this data set is small, we’re encouraged to see responses and early durability in patients with high-risk features, including those who have relapsed after stem cell transplantation. Recent progress in therapy for r/r AML has been limited to targeted therapies, which only help a minority of patients. This all-comers study seeks to help patients without targetable mutations as well as those for whom these treatments are ineffective," noted David R. Shook, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Nkarta. "We continue to evaluate NKX101 following Flu/Ara-C in this high-need patient population."

Nkarta plans to provide an update from the NKX101 Flu/Ara-C LD cohort in the first half of 2024 that includes preliminary safety and response data from 12 to 20 additional patients.

Nkarta’s 2023 ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) poster will be available for download shortly after its scheduled presentation at View Source

About NKX101
NKX101 is an allogeneic, cryopreserved, off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapy candidate that uses natural killer (NK) cells derived from the peripheral blood of healthy donors. It is engineered with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) targeting NKG2D ligands on tumor cells. NKG2D, a key activating receptor found on naturally occurring NK cells, induces a cell-killing immune response through the detection of stress ligands that are widely expressed on cancer cells. NKX101 is also engineered with a membrane-bound form of interleukin-15 (IL15) for greater persistence and activity without exogenous cytokine support.

On December 9, 2023 Genmab A/S (Nasdaq: GMAB) and AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) reported new data from the ongoing phase 1/2 EPCORE NHL-1 clinical trial investigating epcoritamab (DuoBody CD3xCD20), a T-cell engaging bispecific antibody administered subcutaneously, demonstrated an overall response rate (ORR) of 82 percent, a complete response (CR) rate of 63 percent and minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity rate of 67 percent in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) follicular lymphoma (FL) (Press release, Genmab, DEC 9, 2023, View Source [SID1234638325]). The presentation included data from an optimized step-up dosing schedule for FL patients showing a reduction in risk and severity of Grade 2+ cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a common side effect of T-cell engaging cancer treatments. These results were presented today at the 2023 65th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper), being held in San Diego, California, December 9-12, 2023 (Abstract #1655).

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"Despite treatment advances for patients with follicular lymphoma whose disease has unfortunately progressed, treating relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma remains highly challenging, particularly in the third-line plus setting," said Catherine Thieblemont, M.D., Ph.D., head of the hemato-oncology department, Paris University, Hôpital Saint-Louis Assistance-Publique-Hopitaux de Paris (APHP) in Paris. "The patients in this trial represent a historically difficult-to-treat patient population. The data presented today are especially notable because they demonstrated high overall and complete response rates for this investigational follicular lymphoma therapy and a preview for its potential as an alternative treatment option."

Overall results from the pivotal cohort of 128 adult patients showed that:

At a median follow-up of 17.4 months, the study’s primary endpoint ORR was 82 percent, which exceeded the protocol defined threshold for efficacy, with a CR rate of 63 percent, and 67 percent MRD negativity.
The median time to response was 1.4 months and median time to CR was 1.5 months.
Median progression-free survival (PFS) for patients who achieved a CR was not reached nor was the median duration of response, duration of CR, MRD negativity and overall survival.
An estimated 85 percent and 74 percent of patients who experienced a CR remained in response at 12 and 18 months, respectively.
Among prespecified subgroups, ORR and CR rates were generally consistent with the overall patient population. Notably, high-risk patients who were refractory to both anti-CD20 therapy and an alkylating agent achieved a 76 percent ORR and 56 percent CR; patients who were refractory to last prior treatment achieved a 74 percent ORR and 51 percent CR rate; and patients whose disease progressed within two years of first-line immunochemotherapy (POD24) achieved an 80 percent ORR and 61 percent CR.

Safety findings were consistent with previous epcoritamab trials, and epcoritamab was generally well tolerated. Following an optimized step-up dose regimen for FL patients (n=50) to reduce the risk and severity of CRS, 40 percent of patients experienced Grade 1 CRS and 8 percent experienced Grade 2 (no Grade 3 or higher CRS were reported) and no Immune Effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) was reported. This data may support outpatient administration. Additional common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) from the pivotal cohort (>20 percent) were injection-site reaction (57 percent), COVID-19 (40 percent), fatigue (30 percent), neutropenia (29 percent), diarrhea (27 percent) and pyrexia (25 percent). TEAEs leading to treatment discontinuation occurred in 19 percent of patients, and Grade 5 TEAEs occurred in 13 patients (10 percent).

"Follicular lymphoma patients who have experienced a relapse following heavy pre-treatment, or whose disease is not responding to available therapies, are considered high risk and are in need of alternative therapeutic options," said Jan van de Winkel, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Genmab. "The data presented at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) reinforce what we have seen from our epcoritamab research and believe that this investigational bispecific antibody could potentially represent an important treatment option for patients living with relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma. Along with our partner AbbVie, we look forward to progressing epcoritamab in clinical trials and discussing the results with regulatory authorities and remain committed to developing epcoritamab as a potential future core therapy for B-cell malignancies."

About the Phase 1/2 EPCORE NHL-1 Trial
EPCORE NHL-1 an open-label, multi-center safety and preliminary efficacy trial of epcoritamab that consists of three parts: a phase 1 first-in-human, dose escalation part; a phase 2a expansion part; and a phase 2a dose optimization part. The trial was designed to evaluate subcutaneous epcoritamab in patients with relapsed, progressive or refractory CD20+ mature B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (B-NHL), including FL. In the phase 2a expansion part, additional patients were enrolled to further explore the safety and efficacy of epcoritamab in three cohorts of patients with different types of relapsed/refractory B-NHLs who have limited therapeutic options. The dose optimization part evaluates the potential for alternative step-up dosing regimens to help further minimize Grade 2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and mitigate Grade ≥3 CRS. The primary endpoint of the expansion part was ORR as assessed by an IRC. Secondary efficacy endpoints included DOR, complete response rate, duration of complete response, progression-free survival, and time to response as determined by the Lugano criteria. Overall survival, time to next therapy, and rate of minimal residual disease negativity were also evaluated as secondary efficacy endpoints.

About Follicular Lymphoma (FL)
FL is typically an indolent (or slow growing) form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) that arises from B-lymphocytes.i FL is the second most common form of NHL overall, accounting for 20-30 percent of all NHL cases, and represents 10-20 percent of all lymphomas in the western world.i,ii,iii Although FL is an indolent lymphoma, it is considered incurable with conventional therapyiv,v and patients who achieve remission also often experience relapse.vi

About Epcoritamab
Epcoritamab is an IgG1-bispecific antibody created using Genmab’s proprietary DuoBody technology and administered subcutaneously. Genmab’s DuoBody-CD3 technology is designed to direct cytotoxic T cells selectively to elicit an immune response toward target cell types. Epcoritamab is designed to simultaneously bind to CD3 on T cells and CD20 on B cells and induces T-cell-mediated killing of CD20+ cells.vii

Epcoritamab (approved under the brand name EPKINLY in the U.S. and Japan, and TEPKINLY in the EU) has received regulatory approval in certain lymphoma indications in several territories. Use of epcoritamab in FL is not approved in any country, including the U.S. and the EU. Epcoritamab is being co-developed by Genmab and AbbVie as part of the companies’ oncology collaboration. The companies will share commercial responsibilities in the U.S. and Japan, with AbbVie responsible for further global commercialization.

Genmab and AbbVie continue to evaluate the use of epcoritamab as a monotherapy, and in combination, across lines of therapy in a range of hematologic malignancies. This includes three ongoing phase 3, open-label, randomized trials including a trial evaluating epcoritamab as a monotherapy in patients with R/R DLBCL (NCT: 04628494) compared to investigators choice chemotherapy, a phase 3 trial evaluating epcoritamab in combination with R-CHOP in adult participants with newly diagnosed DLBCL (NCT: 05578976), and a phase 3, open-label clinical trial evaluating epcoritamab in combination with rituximab and lenalidomide in patients with R/R FL (NCT: 05409066). Epcoritamab is not approved to treat newly diagnosed patients with DLBCL or FL. The safety and efficacy of epcoritamab has not been established for these investigational uses. Please visit clinicaltrials.gov for more information.

On December 9, 2023 FibroGen, Inc. (NASDAQ: FGEN) reported the presentation of efficacy and safety data from MATTERHORN, a Phase 3 clinical study of roxadustat for the treatment of anemia in patients with lower risk transfusion-dependent myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) at the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition being held in San Diego, California December 9 – 12, 2023 (Press release, FibroGen, DEC 9, 2023, View Source [SID1234638324]). The oral presentation was selected for the "2024 Highlights of ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper)".

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"We are excited to have our data selected for presentation as part of the 2024 Highlights of ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper). We believe that roxadustat could represent an important new therapy for patients with higher transfusion burden low-risk-MDS," said Thane Wettig, Chief Executive Officer, FibroGen. "There continues to be a significant unmet need in this patient population, and the novel mechanism of roxadustat delivered orally three times a week could represent an important new and convenient treatment alternative."

As previously disclosed, the initial analysis with all the patients who participated in the trial, showed that more patients receiving roxadustat achieved transfusion independence vs. placebo (48% vs. 33%; p=0.22). While the primary endpoint of transfusion independence (TI) for ≥ 56 consecutive days within the first 28 weeks of the study was not met, a post-hoc analysis, showed that roxadustat performed significantly betterǂ than placebo in the subset of patients having higher transfusion burdenǂǂ (see table). The TI for ≥56 days within the first 28 weeks of the study was 36.1% for the roxadustat group and 11.5% for the placebo group (p=0.047ǂ), and 44.4% vs 19.2% at the end of trial, respectively. Additionally, in TI responders, more patients in the roxadustat arm vs. placebo had hemoglobin concentration increases of ≥1.5 g/dL: 45.5% vs 17.4% (p=0.004)ǂ.

% (95% CI) Roxadustat (n=36) Placebo (n=26) Roxadustat vs Placebo
TI for ≥56 days within 28 weeks 36.1%
(20.8–53.8) 11.5%
(2.4-30.2) OR: 3.823 (0.96–15.20),
p=0.047ǂ
TI for ≥56 days by EOT 44.4% (27.9–61.9) 19.2%
(6.6–39.4) OR: 3.369 (1.01–11.19)
p=0.048ǂ
ǂNominal statistical significance

ǂǂHigher transfusion burden defined as ≥2 pRBC units Q4W

"The results seen from roxadustat in the subset of patients having higher transfusion burden are intriguing," said Moshe Mittelman M.D., Professor of Medicine and Hematology at Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center and MATTERHORN principal investigator. "Based on these results, roxadustat may be an option in anemia of low risk-MDS which can further be explored in a confirmatory study focused on higher burden transfusion-dependent patients. There is a significant opportunity in this patient population for an effective oral treatment such as roxadustat, and if approved it would be an important advancement for the field."

Roxadustat, an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor, was generally well tolerated, with treatment emergent adverse events of any grade similar across treatment groups. Overall, the adverse event profile that was observed during the double-blind portion of the study was generally consistent with previous findings in MDS patients.

Presentation Details

Presenter: Moshe Mittelman M.D.
Session: 637. Myelodysplastic Syndromes – Clinical and Epidemiological: Treatment Options and Decision Making in Low Risk MDS
Time: Saturday, December 9, 2023: 2:00 PM-3:30 PM
Location: Pacific Ballroom Salons 18-19 (Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina)
Abstract: Efficacy and Safety of Roxadustat for Treatment of Anemia in Patients with Lower-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome (LR-MDS) with Low Red Blood Cell (RBC) Transfusion Burden: Results of Phase III Matterhorn Study

About MATTERHORN
A total of one-hundred forty-one (141) subjects were enrolled in MATTERHORN (NCT03263091) a Phase 3, double-blind placebo-controlled study investigating the efficacy and safety of roxadustat for the treatment of anemia in patients with lower-risk transfusion-dependent myelodysplastic syndromes. The primary endpoint of the study is transfusion independence for ≥ 56 consecutive days in the first 28 weeks of treatment. The main secondary endpoint is the reduction of red blood cell transfusion.

About Myelodysplastic Syndromes Anemia

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a group of disorders characterized by dysfunctional progenitor blood cells and stem cells, resulting in chronic anemia in most patients. Annual incidence rates of MDS are estimated to be 4.9/100,000 adults in the U.S1, thereof 77% are considered lower-risk MDS2. Approximately 80% of MDS patients have anemia at the time of diagnosis3 and around 60% of MDS patients will experience severe anemia (hemoglobin <8 g/dL) at some point during the course of their disease4. Anemia in MDS patients is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular complications and the need for blood transfusion5. Approximately 50% of patients with MDS require regular red blood cell transfusions6. Transfusion dependent MDS patients suffer higher rates of cardiac events, infections, iron overload with the related complications, and transformation to acute leukemia, associated with a decreased overall survival rate when compared with non-transfused patients with MDS, and decreased survival compared to an age-matched elderly population7. In addition, anemia frequently leads to significant fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and decreased quality of life. There remains high unmet need for the treatment of anemia associated with MDS. Today, patients are routinely treated with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs), luspatercept, or lenalidomide in lower-risk MDS with isolated del(5q), and hypomethylating agents (HMAs) in higher-risk disease8. Current anti-anemic agents are effective in about half of patients, with approximately 2 years duration of response9.

About Roxadustat
Roxadustat, an oral HIF-PH inhibitor that promotes erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production, through increased endogenous production of erythropoietin, improving iron absorption and mobilization, and downregulation of hepcidin. Roxadustat is in clinical development for chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA), and a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) has been accepted by the China Health Authority.

Roxadustat is approved in China, Europe, Japan, and numerous other countries for the treatment of anemia of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adult patients on dialysis (DD) and not on dialysis (NDD). Several other licensing applications for roxadustat have been submitted by partners, Astellas and AstraZeneca, to regulatory authorities across the globe. Astellas and FibroGen are collaborating on the development and commercialization of roxadustat for the potential treatment of anemia in territories including Japan, Europe, Turkey, Russia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East, and South Africa. FibroGen and AstraZeneca are collaborating on the development and commercialization of roxadustat for the potential treatment of anemia in markets not licensed to Astellas.

On December 9, 2023 Eisai (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito) and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada) reported that the Phase 3 LEAP-001 trial evaluating LENVIMA, the orally available multiple receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor discovered by Eisai, plus KEYTRUDA, the anti-PD-1 therapy from Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, did not meet its dual primary endpoints of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma whose disease is mismatch repair proficient (pMMR)/not microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) /MSI-H (Press release, Eisai, DEC 9, 2023, View Source [SID1234638323]).

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At the final analysis, KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA did not improve OS or PFS sufficiently to meet the study’s prespecified statistical criteria in the first-line treatment of certain patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma versus a standard of care, platinum-based chemotherapy doublet (carboplatin plus paclitaxel). The safety profile of LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA was consistent with that observed in previously reported studies evaluating the combination. A full evaluation of the data from this study is ongoing. The companies will work with investigators to share the results with the scientific community.

"We remain confident in the proven benefit of KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA for the treatment of appropriate patients with certain types of previously-treated advanced endometrial carcinoma based on results from the KEYNOTE-775/Study 309 trial and will continue to research the KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA combination in patients with other types of difficult-to-treat cancers," said Dr. Gregory Lubiniecki, Vice President, Global Clinical Development, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA Research Laboratories. "We are disappointed that the LEAP-001 trial did not-2-reach its primary endpoints, as we had hoped to bring another potential treatment option to patients when first diagnosed with certain types of advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma."

"Results from the LEAP-001 trial underscore the challenges of treating patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma in the first-line setting," said Dr. Corina Dutcus, Senior Vice President, Oncology Global Clinical Development Lead at Eisai Inc. "We remain optimistic about clinical development program for LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA and are proud that the combination has become a standard of care option for patients with certain types of advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma whose disease has progressed following prior systemic therapy, and will continue our efforts to contribute to these patients. We are grateful to the patients, their loved ones, and the investigators whose participation is what makes scientific advancement possible."

LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA is approved in the U.S., the EU, Japan and other countries for the treatment of certain types of advanced endometrial carcinoma following prior systemic therapy in any setting and advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Lenvatinib is marketed as KISPLYX for advanced RCC in the EU. Eisai and Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA are studying the LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA combination through the LEAP (LEnvatinib And Pembrolizumab) clinical program in various tumor types, including but not limited to hepatocellular carcinoma, RCC, head and neck cancer, gastric cancer and esophageal cancer, across multiple clinical trials. Results from the LEAP-001 trial do not affect the current approved indications for the KEYTRUDA plus LENVIMA combination or other ongoing trials from the LEAP clinical program.

About LEAP-001

LEAP-001 is a randomized, open-label Phase 3 trial (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03884101) evaluating LENVIMA plus KEYTRUDA versus carboplatin plus paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma. The dual primary endpoints are PFS, as assessed by blinded independent central review (BICR) per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1) modified to follow a maximum of 10 target lesions and a maximum of 5 target lesions per organ, and OS. The secondary endpoints include objective response rate, as assessed by BICR per RECIST v1.1, quality of life measures, and safety. The study enrolled an estimated 842 patients who were randomized 1:1 to receive:  LENVIMA (20 mg orally once daily) plus KEYTRUDA (200 mg intravenously [IV] on Day 1 of each three-week cycle); or Paclitaxel (175 mg/m2 IV on Day 1 of each three-week cycle) plus carboplatin (IV infusion at a total dose of area-under-the-curve 6 [per Calvert’s formula] given on Day 1 of each three-week cycle).

About Endometrial Carcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma begins in the inner lining of the uterus, which is known as the endometrium and is the most common type of cancer in the uterus. Worldwide, it was estimated there were more than 417,000 new cases of uterine body cancer diagnosed and more than 97,000 deaths from the disease in 2020 (these estimates include both endometrial carcinomas and uterine sarcomas, more than 90% of uterine body cancers occur in the endometrium, so the actual numbers for endometrial carcinoma cases and deaths may be slightly lower than these estimates). In Japan, there were more than 17,000 new cases of uterine body cancer and more than 3,000 deaths from the disease in 2020.5 In the U.S., it is estimated there will be approximately 66,000 new cases of uterine body cancer diagnosed and approximately 13,000 deaths from the disease in 2023. In Europe, it is estimated there were more than 130,000 new cases of uterine body cancer and more than 29,000 deaths in 2020.3 The five-year relative survival rate for metastatic endometrial carcinoma (stage IV) is estimated to be approximately 20%.

About LENVIMA (lenvatinib) Capsules

LENVIMA, discovered and developed by Eisai, is an orally available multiple receptor tyrosine 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, LENVIMA 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. LENVIMA has been approved for the indications below.

Thyroid cancer

 Indication as monotherapy (Approved in over 80 countries including Japan, the United States, China, and countries in Europe and Asia) Japan: Unresectable thyroid cancer The United States: The treatment of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic, progressive, radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) Europe: The treatment of adult patients with progressive, locally advanced or metastatic, differentiated (papillary/follicular/Hürthle cell) thyroid carcinoma (DTC), refractory to radioactive iodine (RAI)

Hepatocellular carcinoma  Indication as monotherapy (Approved in over 80 countries including Japan, the United States, China, and countries in Europe and Asia) Japan: Unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma The United States: The first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) Europe: The treatment of adult patients with advanced or unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who have received no prior systemic therapy Thymic carcinoma  Indication as monotherapy (Approved in Japan) Japan: Unresectable thymic carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (In Europe, the agent was launched under the brand name Kisplyx)  Indication in combination with everolimus (Approved in over 65 countries including the United States, and countries in Europe and Asia) The United States: The treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) following one prior anti-angiogenic therapy Europe: The treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma following one prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) targeted therapy  Indication in combination with KEYTRUDA (generic name: pembrolizumab) (Approved in over 45 countries including Japan, the United States, and countries in Europe and Asia) Japan: Radically unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma The United States: The first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma Europe: The first-line treatment of adult patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma Endometrial carcinoma  Indication in combination with KEYTRUDA (Approved [including conditional approval] in over 50 countries including Japan, the United States, and countries in Europe and Asia) Japan: Unresectable, advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma that progressed after cancer chemotherapy The United States: The treatment of patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma (EC) that is not microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation Europe: The treatment of adult patients with advanced or recurrent endometrial carcinoma (EC) who have disease progression on or following prior treatment with a platinum-containing therapy in any setting and are not candidates for curative surgery

About KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab) Injection, 100mg

KEYTRUDA is an anti-programmed death receptor-1 (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., Rahway, NJ, USA has the industry’s largest immuno-oncology clinical research program. There are currently more than 1,600 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.

On December 9, 2023 Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRVS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, reported new interim data from its Phase 1/1b clinical trial of soquelitinib in patients with relapsed PTCL (Press release, Corvus Pharmaceuticals, DEC 9, 2023, View Source [SID1234638322]). Soquelitinib demonstrated durable anti-tumor activity, evidenced by progression free survival, duration of response and overall survival rates that exceed current standard of care therapies for patients with relapsed PTCL. The data continues to support the advancement of soquelitinib into a Phase 3 registrational clinical trial in PTCL.

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"We have continued to enroll patients in the soquelitinib Phase 1/1b clinical trial to further confirm the eligibility requirements and design for our planned Phase 3 clinical trial," said Richard A. Miller, M.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Corvus. "As anticipated, the additional patient data confirm that the number of prior therapies and immunocompetence are important patient eligibility requirements, with an optimum range of ≥1 to ≤3 prior therapies. The data also demonstrated anti-tumor activity, and in particular, durable responses, both of which continue to guide our plans to conduct a registration Phase 3 trial in relapsed peripheral T cell lymphoma. Overall, we are eager to initiate the Phase 3 clinical trial given the limited efficacy and challenging safety profile for the currently approved treatment options. If approved, soquelitinib would be the first approved agent for treatment of relapsed PTCL based on a randomized trial."

New Soquelitinib Interim Data from the Phase 1/1b Clinical Trial
Updated interim data as of November 27, 2023 (data shown below in Figures 1-3): A total of 36 patients were enrolled in the Phase 1/1b trial at the optimum 200 mg two-times a day dose, including 21 evaluable patients who would be eligible in the planned registrational Phase 3 clinical trial based on ≥1 and ≤3 prior therapies (eligible patient population) and 11 evaluable in the corresponding ineligible population based on ˃3 prior therapies (ineligible patient population). In the Phase 1/1b clinical trial, the median number of prior therapies was 2 for the eligible patient population and 6 for the ineligible patient population. The rationale for enrolling these patient populations and the stratification analysis was to confirm the eligibility requirements planned for our Phase 3 clinical trial.

For the eligible patient population, objective responses (complete response, CR plus partial response, PR) were seen in 7 of 21 patients with disease control (CR, PR and stable disease) in 12 of 21 patients. The stable disease group included 5 patients who achieved tumor reductions that did not meet the criteria for a PR, with two of these patients continuing on therapy.
For the eligible patient population, the median duration of response (DOR) for the seven patients with objective response by Lugano criteria was 14.5+ months (ranged from 6.9-25.2 months); three of these patients continued on therapy.
A total of five patients in the eligible patient population remained on therapy, including one patient with a CR at 21+ months, two patients with a PR at 3+ and 8+ months, and 2 with stable disease at 3+ and 5+ months.
Kaplan Meier estimated median progression free survival was 6 months for the eligible patient population.
Kaplan Meier estimated overall survival at 2 years was 77% for all 36 patients.
One additional eligible patient, not shown here, was treated at a higher dose and achieved a PR. While in PR, this patient went on to receive a bone marrow transplant and achieved a CR, which has continued as of the data cutoff without any further therapy for 2+ years.
For the ineligible patient population, no objective responses were seen in 11 evaluable patients.

Molecular Studies on Patient Tumors Support Soquelitinib’s Novel Mechanism of Action
Additional new interim data from the Phase 1/1b clinical trial of soquelitinib will be presented today Ning Ding, Ph.D. from Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute in Beijing, China, in a poster session (abstract #1442) at the 65th American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting & Exposition, which is taking place in-person and virtually from December 9-12, 2023. The poster reports on the evaluation of blood samples and tumor biopsies from eight patients who participated in the trial, taken at baseline and during treatment (one patient was sampled during stable disease and again during response, and therefore was counted twice as reflected in the data below). The results support soquelitinib’s novel mechanism of action, and demonstrated increases in cytotoxic killer T cells and reductions in markers of T cell exhaustion:

Responding patients (N=2) showed a sustained increase in CD4+ Th1 cells in the blood and an increase in CD8+ TEMRA cells (T effector memory cells). TEMRA cells are T cells that have responded to an antigen and are able to mediate effector functions, such as the destruction of tumor cells.
Patients with stable disease (N=4) showed increases in these cell populations that were transient.
Patients who progress (N=3) showed no increase in these cells.
Single cell RNA sequencing of tumor biopsies showed soquelitinib treatment increased expression of cytolytic effector molecules and led to a reduction of T cell exhaustion markers.
Dr. Miller added, "We are pleased to see that the molecular studies presented at ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) illustrate the importance of host immune system function and soquelitinib’s novel mechanism of action that acts by inducing a host anti-tumor immune response."

The ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) poster is available to ASH (Free ASH Whitepaper) attendees in the poster hall and via the virtual event platform, and is also available on the Publications and Presentations page of the Corvus website.