On June 10, 2024 Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 4519) reported that the European Commission has approved a Chugai originated anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor Alecensa (generic name : alectinib) monotherapy, as adjuvant treatment following tumour resection for adult patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at high risk of recurrence (Stage IB [tumors ≥ 4 cm]–IIIA NSCLC [7ᵗʰ edition UICC/AJCC]) (Press release, Chugai, JUN 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234644221]). Data from the Phase III ALINA trial, where Alecensa demonstrated a 76% reduction in the risk of disease recurrence or death in people with resected ALK-positive NSCLC, supported the marketing authorisation application.1

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"We are very pleased that Alecensa, a Chugai originated medicine, received approval in Europe following the U.S. approval for adjuvant treatment of ALK-positive early-stage NSCLC. We believe that this approval will have a significant impact, providing a new treatment opportunity for patients who have dealt with the risk of recurrence even after undergoing tumor resection. We remain committed to working with Roche to bring the benefits of this drug to patients around the world." said Chugai’s President and CEO, Dr. Osamu Okuda.

In the ALINA study, Alecensa reduced the risk of disease recurrence or death by 76% (hazard ratio [HR]=0.24, 95% CI: 0.13-0.43, p<0.0001) compared with platinum-based chemotherapy in people with completely resected IB (tumors ≥ 4 cm) to IIIA (UICC/AJCC 7th edition) ALK-positive NSCLC.1 In an exploratory analysis, an improvement of central nervous system disease-free survival was observed (HR=0.22; 95% CI: 0.08-0.58) compared with platinum-based chemotherapy.1 This is of particular importance for people with ALK-positive NSCLC, who are at greater risk of developing brain metastases than those with other types of NSCLC.2 The safety and tolerability of Alecensa in the ALINA trial were generally consistent with previous trials in the metastatic setting and no unexpected safety findings were observed.1 These data were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2024.

Alecensa is the preferred treatment option for patients with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC. Approved in more than 100 countries as a first- and second-line treatment, more than 94,000 patients with advanced disease have been treated with Alecensa in clinical practice. Following its approval in the adjuvant treatment setting, Alecensa could play a pivotal role in ALK-positive resectable disease, where there is a significant unmet medical need. Today’s approval in Europe follows the April 2024 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Alecensa as adjuvant treatment following tumor resection for patients with ALK-positive NSCLC (tumors ≥ 4 cm or node positive), as detected by an FDA-approved test. Submissions to additional health authorities worldwide are ongoing to bring this new treatment option to as many patients as possible.

To support clinicians’ decision-making, testing of resected surgical tissue or biopsy for ALK, EGFR and PD-L1 biomarkers in patients with stage IB to IIIA and selected IIIB (UICC/AJCC 8th edition) NSCLC, in addition to in the advanced setting, is recommended by international guidelines, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines).

About the ALINA study
The ALINA study [NCT03456076] is a Phase III, randomized, active-controlled, multicenter, open-label study evaluating the efficacy and safety of adjuvant Alecensa (alectinib) compared with platinum-based chemotherapy in people with resected Stage IB (tumors ≥ 4 cm) to IIIA (UICC/AJCC 7th edition) anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study included 257 patients who were randomly assigned to either the Alecensa or chemotherapy treatment arm. The primary endpoint is disease-free survival. Secondary outcome measures include overall survival and percentage of patients with adverse events.

About Alecensa
Alecensa is a highly selective, central nervous system-active, oral medicine created at Chugai, a member of the Roche Group, for people with NSCLC whose tumors are identified as ALK-positive. Alecensa is already approved in over 100 countries as an initial (first-line) and second-line treatment for ALK-positive, metastatic NSCLC, including in the United States, Europe, Japan and China. Alecensa was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April 2024 as adjuvant treatment following tumor resection for patients with ALK-positive NSCLC (tumors ≥ 4 cm or node positive), as detected by an FDA-approved test, and in June 2024 by the European Commission, as a monotherapy for adjuvant treatment following tumor resection for adult patients with ALK-positive NSCLC at high risk of recurrence (Stage IB [tumors ≥ 4 cm]–IIIA NSCLC [7ᵗʰ edition UICC/AJCC]). In Japan, Alecensa has also been approved for the treatment of recurrent or refractory ALK fusion gene-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

About lung cancer
Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death globally.3 Each year 1.8 million people die as a result of the disease; this translates into more than 4,900 deaths worldwide every day.3 In Japan, 127 thousand people are affected by this disease (2019).4 Lung cancer can be broadly divided into two major types: non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small-cell lung cancer. NSCLC is the most prevalent type, accounting for around 85% of all cases.5 Today, about half of all people with early lung cancer (45-76%, depending on disease stage) still experience a cancer recurrence following surgery, despite adjuvant chemotherapy.6 Treating lung cancer early, before it has spread, may help prevent the disease from returning and provide people with the best opportunity for a cure.7

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On June 10, 2024 Can-Fite BioPharma Ltd. (NYSE American: CANF) (TASE: CANF), a biotechnology company advancing a pipeline of proprietary small molecule drugs that address oncological and inflammatory diseases, reported that it received an approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Rabin Medical Center, a leading medical institution in Israel where the study will be conducted (Press release, Can-Fite BioPharma, JUN 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234644220]). The approved protocol has been submitted now to the Ministry of Health (MOH).

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"This Phase IIa study is designed as an open-label one, enabling us to assess the safety and potential efficacy of Namodenoson in pancreatic cancer patients whose disease has progressed despite first-line treatment. Our positive Namodenoson data in pancreatic carcinoma experimental models together with the positive data in the Phase II advanced liver cancer study, with a patient showing overall survival of >7 years, encouraged us to initiate the current Phase IIa study," stated Can-Fite’s Medical Director Dr. Michael Silverman.

The protocol of the clinical study is CF102-222PC entitled: "A Phase II Open-Label Study of the Safety and Activity of Namodenoson in the Treatment of Advanced Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma," ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT06387342.

The study is a multicenter open-label trial in patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma whose disease has progressed on at least first line therapy or who refuse standard treatment. The trial will evaluate the safety, clinical activity, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of Namodenoson in this population. All patients will receive oral Namodenoson 25 mg administered twice daily for consecutive 28-day cycles. Patients will be evaluated regularly for safety. Approximately 20 evaluable patients will be enrolled. The primary objective of this trial is to characterize the safety profile of Namodenoson and the secondary objective is to evaluate the clinical activity as determined by the Objective Response Rate (ORR) using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST 1.1), Progression-Free Survival (PFS), Disease Control Rate (DCR), Duration of Response (DoR), and Overall Survival (OS).

The study will be conducted by Dr. Salomon Stemmer, a leading key opinion leader, at the Institute of Oncology, Rabin Medical Center, Israel.

Namodenoson recently received peer-reviewed recognition for its efficacy findings in pancreatic cancer including from the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) which accepted Can-Fite’s study titled "Namodenoson Inhibits the Growth of Pancreatic Carcinoma via De-regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway" for a poster presentation at the AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer, and from Biomolecules, a scientific journal focused on the function and mechanism of bioactive molecules, which published an article titled "Namodenoson Inhibits the Growth of Pancreatic Carcinoma via Deregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κB, and RAS Signaling Pathways".

About Namodenoson

Namodenoson is a small orally bioavailable drug that binds with high affinity and selectivity to the A3 adenosine receptor (A3AR). Namodenoson was evaluated in Phase II trials for two indications, as a second line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma, and as a treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). A3AR is highly expressed in diseased cells whereas low expression is found in normal cells. This differential effect accounts for the excellent safety profile of the drug.

On June 10, 2024 BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBIO) ("BridgeBio" or the "Company"), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on genetic diseases and cancers, reported that on June 6, 2024, the compensation committee of BridgeBio’s board of directors approved equity grants to 18 new employees in restricted stock units for an aggregate of 90,591 shares of the Company’s common stock (Press release, BridgeBio, JUN 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234644219]). One-fourth of the shares underlying each employee’s restricted stock units will vest on May 16, 2025, with one-twelfth of the remaining shares underlying each such employee’s restricted stock units vesting on a quarterly basis thereafter, in each case, subject to each such employee’s continued employment with the Company or one of its subsidiaries on such vesting dates. All of the above-described awards were made under BridgeBio’s Amended and Restated 2019 Inducement Equity Plan (the "Plan").

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The above-described awards were each granted as an inducement material to the employees entering into employment with the Company in accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5635(c)(4) and were granted pursuant to the terms of the Plan. The Plan was adopted by BridgeBio’s board of directors in November 2019, and amended and restated on February 10, 2023 and on December 13, 2023.

On June 10, 2024 Ariceum Therapeutics (Ariceum), a private biotech company developing radiopharmaceutical products for the diagnosis and treatment of certain hard-to-treat cancers, reported that it will be presenting a poster demonstrating the efficacy of its somatostatin receptor 2 (SST2) antagonist, SS0110 (satoreotide), relative to SST2-targeting agonists, at this year’s Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI) Annual Meeting being held 8-11 June 2024 in Toronto, Canada (Press release, Ariceum Therapeutics, JUN 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234644218]).

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The poster presentation entitled ‘[225Ac]Ac-SSO110 and [177Lu]Lu-SSO110 demonstrate significantly better efficacy than [225Ac]Ac-DOTA-TATE in the treatment of SST2-positive tumor xenografts’ compares satoreotide with the SST2 agonist, 225Ac-DOTATATE, and reveals that single doses of 20 MBq 177Lu-satoreotide or 30 kBq 225Ac-satoreotide induce significantly better efficacy than a single dose of 30 kBq 225Ac-DOTATATE. Most remarkably, 30 kBq 225Ac-satoreotide induced complete tumor regression in the NCI-H69 model, something not observed with the same or higher doses of 225Ac-DOTATATE.

These data highlight the significantly higher tumor uptake and longer tumor retention leading to a higher tumor to background and tumor to kidney ratios of satoreotide which translates into higher pre-clinical efficacy than SST2-targeting agonists when labelled with isotopes, 225Ac-satoreotide and 177Lu-satoreotide. This demonstrates the potential for satoreotide to clinically outperform SST2-targeting agonists and strongly supports its further clinical development for the treatment of SST2 positive tumors such as Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC).

Manfred Rüdiger, Chief Executive Officer at Ariceum Therapeutics, said: "With this significant data we demonstrate that satoreotide has the potential to be a game changer for the treatment of SCLC and MCC. Satoreotide is multiple times more potent than DOTATATE, irrespective of the isotope, and this confirms the superiority of SST2 antagonist over agonist. We look forward to presenting our findings at this year’s SNMMI meeting."

Details of the poster presentation are as follow:

Title: [225Ac]Ac-SSO110 and [177Lu]Lu-SSO110 demonstrate significantly better efficacy than [225Ac]Ac-DOTA-TATE in the treatment of SST2-positive tumor xenografts

Authors: Anika Jaekel, Prachi Desai, Germo Gericke, Manuel Sturzbecher-Hoehne, Dennis Mewis & Manfred Rüdiger

Presenter: Anika Jaekel, Senior Director, Head of Translational Biology and Non-Clinical Pharmacology at Ariceum Therapeutics

Session: MTA07 POPs/Meet the Author: Oncology, Basic & Translational 2
Session Date and Time: Monday, June 10, 2024, 10:00 – 11:15 DST
Abstract ID: 242038

On June 10, 2024 Theralase Technologies Inc. ("Theralase" or the "Company") (TSXV: TLT) (OTCQB: TLTFF) a clinical stage pharmaceutical company that is dedicated to the research and development of light and/or radiation activated small molecules for the safe and effective destruction of various cancers, bacteria and viruses, reported that it’s lead compound, RuvidarTM, combined with transferrin to form the compound Rutherrin, has been proven effective preclinically in the destruction of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer ("NSCLC") (Press release, Theralase, JUN 10, 2024, View Source [SID1234644217]).

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Theralase recently completed experiments in NSCLC, using a Lewis Lung Cancer ("LLC1") orthotopic model. In this model, mouse lungs are subjected to lung cancer cells, which induces these mice to develop very aggressive, fast growing and metastatic lung tumours.

As shown in Figure 1, lung tumours retained Rutherrin longer than normal lung tissues (p> 0.01), leading to a substantially improved selectivity of Rutherrin to target lung cancer.