On June 5, 2024 Orca Bio, a biotechnology company committed to transforming the lives of patients through high-precision cell therapy, reported that it has completed enrollment in the pivotal Precision-T Phase 3 clinical study (Press release, Orca Bio, JUN 5, 2024, View Source;utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=orca-bio-announces-completion-of-patient-enrollment-for-the-precision-t-phase-3-study-of-orca-t [SID1234644135]).

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A randomized, open-label multicenter study, Precision-T (NCT05316701) is evaluating the safety and efficacy of Orca Bio’s lead investigational allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, Orca-T, compared to a standard of care allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Orca-T is a donor-derived product designed to replace a patient’s diseased blood and immune system with a healthy one.

"Completing enrollment in our multicenter Phase 3 study of Orca-T is an important milestone toward our ultimate goal of delivering a potentially life-saving product to patients who have long had to settle for a standard of care that carries significant risks," said Ivan Dimov, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer of Orca Bio. "We’re immensely grateful to the patients, their families and the trial site investigators who participated in our study, and look forward to sharing pivotal data in the near future with the broader blood cancer community."

The primary endpoint of the Precision-T study is the rate of survival free from moderate-to-severe chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD). Secondary endpoints include time to moderate-to-severe chronic GvHD, graft-versus-host-disease and relapse-free survival (GRFS) and overall survival. Topline results from the study are expected in the first half of 2025. The study has enrolled 187 patients, exceeding the original target of 174 patients.

Orca-T is designed to deliver improved outcomes for patients while overcoming the limitations of standard alloHSCT, which carries the risk of serious complications and treatment-related mortality. Orca-T uses highly purified regulatory T cells with the goal of reducing the tradeoff between the risk of relapse and the risk of serious toxicity, a primary objective of the cell therapy field. Orca-T has demonstrated promising results in early single-arm trials which were recently presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting the Annual Meeting of the EBMT, the 2024 Tandem Meetings of ASTCT and CIBMTR and the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting.

More information about the Precision-T study can be found at www.precisiontstudy.com or www.clinicaltrials.gov.

On June 5, 2024 Mural Oncology plc (Nasdaq: MURA), a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing novel, investigational engineered cytokine therapies designed to address areas of unmet need for patients with a variety of cancers, reported that Caroline Loew, Ph.D., CEO, will present at the East Coast IDEAS Investor Conference on June 13 at 9:15 a.m. EST (Press release, Mural Oncology, JUN 5, 2024, View Source;1-investor-meetings-14th-annual-east [SID1234644128]). A webcast will be available at www.threepartadvisors.com/east-coast and ir.muraloncology.com.

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About IDEAS Investor Conferences

The mission of the IDEAS Conferences is to provide independent regional venues for quality companies to present their investment merits to an influential audience of investment professionals. Unlike traditional bank-sponsored events, IDEAS Investor Conferences are "SPONSORED BY INVESTORS. FOR INVESTORS" and for the benefit of regional investment communities. Conference sponsors collectively have more than $200 billion in assets under management and include: 1102 Partners, Adirondack Research and Management, Allianz Global Investors: NFJ Investment Group, Ariel Investments, Aristotle Capital Boston, Ascend Wealth Advisors, Barrow Hanley Mewhinney & Strauss, BMO Global Asset Management, Constitution Research & Management, Inc., Diamond Hill, First Wilshire Securities Management, Inc., Granahan Investment Management, Great Lakes Advisors, Greenbrier Partners Capital Management, LLC, Hodges Capital Management, Ironwood Investment Management, Keeley Teton Advisors, Luther King Capital Management, Marble Harbor Investment Counsel, North Star Investment Management, Perritt Capital Management, Punch & Associates, Shepherd Kaplan Krochuk, Westwood Holdings Group, Inc., and William Harris Investors. The IDEAS Investor Conferences are held annually and are produced by Three Part Advisors, LLC. Additional information about the events can be located at View Source

On June 5, 2024 Model Medicines, a leading human health company specializing in generative AI-driven drug discovery, reported the nomination of preclinical candidate MDL-4101, a novel-acting small molecule inhibitor of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4), for the treatment of thyroid and other cancers (Press release, Model Medicines, JUN 5, 2024, View Source [SID1234644127]). MDL-4101 demonstrates the company’s commitment to leveraging AI to discover novel therapies for aggressive cancers with high unmet medical needs. In particular, MDL-4101 was discovered and the BRD4 program [4] was launched to overcome the limitations of previous BRD4 therapeutics, which have failed to reach the pharmacy [5].

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The nomination of MDL-4101 resulted from Model Medicines’ proprietary AI-driven drug discovery platform, GALILEO, modeling the epigenetic oncology target BRD4, a promising but difficult therapeutic target. BRD4, a member of the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) protein family, has emerged as a highly validated therapeutic target across a wide range of cancers. As a key regulator of oncogene expression, BRD4 has been shown to drive tumorigenesis in multiple solid and hematologic malignancies, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemias, and lymphomas. Despite this broad potential, BRD4 has proven challenging to drug selectively, leading to safety and tolerability issues, and has been labeled as difficult to drug, or undruggable, due to the inability of conventional approaches to yield selective and tolerable inhibitors. To date, no selective BRD4 inhibitor has received regulatory approval, underscoring the urgent need for new modalities to effectively target this high-value protein [6-10].

Model Medicines deployed its proprietary GALILEO platform to discover and design MDL-4101 as a selective BRD4 inhibitor that could overcome the limitations of previous programs. By leveraging machine learning to explore vast chemical space and predict drug-like properties, Model Medicines successfully identified MDL-4101 as a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable BRD4 inhibitor, succeeding where traditional approaches have struggled. MDL-4101 demonstrates BRD4 binding in cell free assay [11] and robust anti-tumor activity in a preclinical model of thyroid cancer (CGTH-W-1)[12], suppressing cell proliferation and metastatic capacity. Additionally, preclinical studies have shown evidence of activity in human glioblastoma, prostate, and testicular cancers.

"The successful nomination of MDL-4101 as our first preclinical oncology candidate is a significant milestone for Model Medicines and underscores the unparalleled ability of our AI platform to solve previously intractable challenges in drug discovery," said Daniel Haders, Ph.D., CEO and founder of Model Medicines. "BRD4 is a target that has long captivated drug hunters due to its central role in cancer, but has evaded their grasp. By leveraging AI to intelligently discover and design compounds with optimal properties, we discovered a molecule in MDL-4101 that potentially unlocks the full potential of BRD4 inhibition. We believe this is just the beginning of what our AI-powered approach can achieve against undruggable targets in oncology and beyond."

Thyroid cancer is the most common endocrine malignancy and the tenth most common cancer in the world, accounting for an estimated 586,000 cases worldwide in 2020 [13]. Thyroid cancer is also the fifth most common cancer type in the US, with 44,000 cases in 2022 [13, 14]. BRD4 is found to be up-regulated across many human thyroid cancers and cancer models [15]. The most common subtypes include the differentiated thyroid cancers papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), which have good prognosis with early intervention [16]. However, treatment options for more aggressive forms, such as anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) and subtypes such as squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid (SCCT), remain limited and challenging. Today’s reported results evaluated MDL-4101 in a BRD4-enriched human thyroid cancer model (CGTH-W-1) that was derived from a sample of metastatic SCCT, which has a five-year survival rate of only 6.4% [17]. SCCT is a very aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis. The most recommended treatment involves surgical resection with adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy despite its poor reported outcomes​ [18]. Thus, there is a high unmet medical need for novel therapeutic interventions.

"The preclinical data for MDL-4101 in human thyroid cancer is highly encouraging and speaks to the immense promise of a selectivBRD4 inhibitor," said Dr. Launa Aspeslet, Senior Scientific & Clinical Advisor to Model Medicines. "By unleashing the untapped potential of BRD4 inhibition, we believe MDL-4101 could represent a transformative advance for patients with thyroid and other BRD4 related cancers who currently face a paucity of effective treatment options. We are excited to rapidly progress MDL-4101 into first-in-human studies, while exploring its potential in other cancers driven by BRD4."

Model Medicines plans to initiate Investigational New Drug (IND) enabling studies for MDL-4101, with the goal of submitting an IND application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and initiating a Phase 1 clinical trial in patients in the near future.

On June 5, 2024 Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, reported that Robert M. Davis, chairman and chief executive officer, and Dr. Dean Y. Li, executive vice president and president, Merck Research Laboratories, are scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at the Goldman Sachs 45th Annual Global Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. EDT (Press release, Merck & Co, JUN 5, 2024, View Source [SID1234644126]).

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Investors, analysts, members of the media and the general public are invited to listen to a live audio webcast of the presentation at this weblink.

On June 5, 2024 Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKT) (Inhibikase or Company), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing protein kinase inhibitor therapeutics to modify the course of Parkinson’s disease ("PD"), Parkinson’s-related disorders and other diseases of the Abelson Tyrosine Kinases, reported expansion of its therapeutic pipeline and multiple updates to its Research and Development programs.

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"At Inhibikase we have let fundamental scientific discoveries drive identification of new product candidates that could transform the lives of patients. We first began clinical development of our product candidates in 2021. In 2025, we anticipate having multiple late-stage ready assets across our therapeutic pipeline," commented Dr. Milton H. Werner, President and Chief Executive Officer of Inhibikase. "The 201 Trial in untreated Parkinson’s disease has reached 94% enrollment and we anticipate enrolling the last patient in mid-June. In parallel, we are seeking grant funding for the 202 trial in Multiple System Atrophy through The National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS). Finally, following our pre-IND meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in April, 2024, we have made the decision to redirect our efforts with IkT-001Pro into cardiopulmonary disease, opening a new therapeutic area for the Company. Taken together, we believe we are on track to advance our clinical assets into late-stage trials in the coming year."

Upcoming Milestones and Strategic Updates:

Complete The 201 Trial in untreated Parkinson’s disease. The Company anticipates that the last patient will complete the 12-week treatment period before the close of the third quarter of 2024. The Company expects to report biomarker and outcome data to support the Company’s pursuit of an End of Phase 2 and Phase 3 protocol discussion with the FDA by the end of 2024.

Expansion into cardiopulmonary disease. Following the Company’s pre-IND meeting with the FDA, the Company will submit its IND application to the FDA for IkT-001Pro as a treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) early in the third quarter of 2024, opening a new therapeutic area for the Company. The active ingredient in IkT-001Pro, imatinib, has previously been shown to be disease-modifying for PAH. The Company believes that 001Pro could have a more favorable safety and tolerability profile compared to imatinib for this indication. If approved, IkT-001Pro could be a branded product with all the value drivers of a novel treatment for indication of high unmet need. The IND for 001Pro in PAH represents the seventh the Company has filed since 2019.

Scaling manufacturing of IkT-001Pro. Following the Company’s pre-NDA meeting with the FDA in January, 2024, the Company is scaling its process development efforts for IkT-001Pro to support late-stage clinical development and NDA batch requirements. These activities include development of new dosage forms to differentiate 001Pro tablets from generic imatinib mesylate in alignment with FDA feedback.

Seeking support for the 202 Trial in Multiple System Atrophy through the Other Transaction Authority of NINDS. The National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) is initiating a new funding mechanism for clinical development in neuroscience beginning June, 2024. Through this new program, termed the Other Transaction Authority (OTA), the Company is seeking to support its Phase 2 ‘202 Trial’ in MSA trial using a dedicated U.S. trial network set-up by the Institute.
Discontinuing antiviral development for Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML): As part of the Company’s strategy to focus on late-stage clinical assets in neurodegeneration, cancer and cardiopulmonary disease, Inhibikase will discontinue development of treatments for PML.