On March 5, 2024 Verastem Oncology (Nasdaq: VSTM), a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing new medicines for patients, reported that preclinical data will be presented in five posters at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2024 to be held on April 5-10 in San Diego, California (Press release, Verastem, MAR 5, 2024, View Source [SID1234640811]). The presentations will highlight anti-tumor efficacy of GFH375 (VS-7375), a potent and selective orally bioavailable KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) inhibitor, and will also show data of RAF/MEK clamp plus FAK inhibition in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) models supporting the ongoing RAMP 205 trial. Additional presentations will support the use of avutometinib and FAK inhibitor combination in cutaneous melanoma models to overcome resistance to BRAF and MEK inhibitors, resistance to immunotherapy, and brain metastasis.
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"For the first time, GenFleet and Verastem will present potency, selectivity, anti-tumor efficacy, and bioavailability data on GFH375 (VS-7375), a potential best-in-class orally active KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) inhibitor. We look forward to an IND submission by GenFleet in China in H1 2024," said Jonathan Pachter, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Verastem Oncology. "Additionally, preclinical data will be presented demonstrating that the combination of avutometinib and a FAK inhibitor with standard-of-care chemotherapy can induce tumor regressions in pancreatic cancer models, providing the scientific rationale for the ongoing RAMP 205 Phase 1/2 study evaluating the combination of avutometinib, defactinib, gemcitabine, and nab-paclitaxel in first-line metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Collectively, these data from the five posters build on our desire to advance treatments that target the RAS/MAPK pathway and provide new options for patients with RAS/MAPK driven cancers."
Key Data Presentations:
Title: GFH375 (VS-7375): An oral, selective KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) inhibitor with potent anti-tumor efficacy
Abstract #: 3318
Date/Time: Monday, April 8, 2024, 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. PDT
Sponsor: GenFleet Therapeutics
Title: Combined inhibition of RAF, MEK and FAK increases PDAC responsiveness to cytotoxic- and immune therapy
Abstract #: 2899
Date/Time: Monday, April 8, 2024, 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. PDT
Institution: Siteman Cancer Center, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine
Title: Combined Inhibition of RAF, MEK, and FAK attenuates melanoma brain metastases and prolongs survival in preclinical models
Abstract #: 4127
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
Institution: Huntsman Cancer Institute, Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine
Title: A novel combination therapy targeting RAF, MEK, and FAK to overcome skin cutaneous melanoma treatment resistance
Abstract #: 4745
Date/Time: Tuesday, April 9, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
Institution: Moores Cancer Center-Department of Pharmacology, University of California San Diego
Title: The SOS1 Inhibitor MRTX0902 Demonstrates Activity Across Cancer Models with Mutations in Proximal Components of the RAS-MAPK pathway
Abstract #: 7268
Date/Time: Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. PDT
Sponsor: Mirati Therapeutics, Inc.
The accepted abstracts are available on the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) conference website: View Source
About GFH375 (VS-7375)
GFH375 (VS-7375) is a potential best-in-class, potent and selective oral KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) inhibitor, identified as the lead program from the Verastem Oncology discovery and development collaboration with GenFleet Therapeutics. GenFleet plans to submit an IND in China for GFH375 (VS-7375) in the first half of 2024, and upon approval GenFleet is expected to initiate a Phase 1 trial in China in the second half of 2024. The collaboration includes three discovery programs, the first being the KRAS G12D inhibitor, and will provide Verastem Oncology with exclusive options to obtain licenses to each of the three compounds in the collaboration after successful completion of pre-determined milestones in Phase 1 trials. The licenses would give Verastem Oncology development and commercialization rights outside of the GenFleet markets of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
About the Avutometinib and Defactinib Combination
Avutometinib is a RAF/MEK clamp that induces inactive complexes of MEK with ARAF, BRAF and CRAF potentially creating a more complete and durable anti-tumor response through maximal RAS/MAPK pathway inhibition. In contrast to currently available MEK-only inhibitors, avutometinib blocks both MEK kinase activity and the ability of RAF to phosphorylate MEK. This unique mechanism allows avutometinib to block MEK signaling without the compensatory activation of MEK that appears to limit the efficacy of other MEK-only inhibitors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for the combination of Verastem Oncology’s investigational RAF/MEK clamp avutometinib, with defactinib, a selective FAK inhibitor, for the treatment of all patients with recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) regardless of KRAS status after one or more prior lines of therapy, including platinum-based chemotherapy.
Verastem Oncology is currently conducting clinical trials with its RAF/MEK clamp avutometinib in RAS/MAPK driven tumors as part of its (Raf And Mek Program). RAMP 301 (NCT06072781) is a Phase 3 confirmatory trial evaluating the combination of avutometinib and defactinib versus standard chemotherapy or hormonal therapy for the treatment of recurrent LGSOC. RAMP 201 (NCT04625270) is a Phase 2 registration-directed trial of avutometinib in combination with defactinib in patients with recurrent LGSOC and has completed enrollment in the dose optimization, expansion phase, and low-dose evaluation cohorts.
Verastem Oncology has established clinical collaborations with Amgen and Mirati to evaluate LUMAKRAS (sotorasib) and KRAZATI (adagrasib) in combination with avutometinib in KRAS G12C mutant NSCLC as part of the RAMP 203 (NCT05074810) and RAMP 204 (NCT05375994) trials, respectively. Supported by the "Therapeutic Accelerator Award" Verastem Oncology received from PanCAN, the Company is conducting RAMP 205 (NCT05669482), a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating avutometinib and defactinib with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in patients with front-line metastatic pancreatic cancer.