On October 30, 2024 Amplia Therapeutics Limited (ASX: ATX), ("Amplia" or the "Company"), reported the interim data analysis from the Company’s Phase 2a clinical trial investigating narmafotinib in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer (the ACCENT trial) (Press release, Amplia Therapeutics, OCT 30, 2024, View Source [SID1234647494]). The trial is investigating the combination of the Company’s best-in-class FAK inhibitor narmafotinib with the standard-of-care chemotherapy regimen of gemcitabine and Abraxane. Data cut-off for the interim analysis is 27 September 2024.

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!

As previously reported by the Company, narmafotinib continues to be generally well tolerated by patients with no dose reductions. In addition, six (6) patients recorded confirmed partial responses (PRs), meaning in these patients there is at least a 30% decrease in the overall size of tumour lesions, with no new tumour lesions, sustained for two or more months.

Further details regarding the responses observed by trial participants are summarised below and presented in the attached slides:
• 6 patients have recorded unconfirmed PRs, 4 of which are awaiting confirmation whilst 2 have subsequently recorded progressive disease (PD)
• 8 patients recorded sustained stable disease (SD), with 5 of these patients remaining on study
• 3 patients recorded PD as best response, while 3 other participants were considered ineligible or withdrew from the trial
• Of the 24 evaluable patients, 19 have recorded a decrease in tumour size as best response at any scan
• Median duration on trial at data cut-off is 136 days, which compares favourably with historical data for chemotherapy alone of 117 days
• Preliminary analysis indicates patients have a faster response to therapy in terms of tumour reduction, compared to historical data for chemotherapy alone

A total of 50 patients are planned for the Phase 2a ACCENT trial. With the six (6) confirmed PRs obtained, recruitment of the remaining 24 patients has begun. Recruitment of the second cohort of patients is expected to be completed by end of Q1 2025 and three patients have already been enrolled as of 24 October 2024.

Amplia CEO and MD Dr Chris Burns commented: "We continue to be excited by the data coming from the clinical study of narmafotinib in this challenging disease. We thank the patients and their loved ones for their involvement in the study. Further trial updates will be provided to the market in due course. "

About Narmafotinib

Narmafotinib (AMP945) is the company’s best-in-class inhibitor of the protein FAK, a protein overexpressed in pancreatic and other cancers, and a drug target gaining increasing attention for its role in solid tumours. The drug, which is a highly potent and selective inhibitor of FAK, has shown promising data in a range of preclinical cancer studies. The drug has successfully completed a healthy volunteer study, and is currently in an open-label Phase 2a trial in pancreatic cancer where a combination of narmafotinib and the chemotherapies gemcitabine and Abraxane is being assessed for safety, tolerability and efficacy

About the ACCENT Trial

The ACCENT trial is entitled ‘A Phase 1b/2a, Multicentre, Open Label Study of the Pharmacokinetics, Safety and Efficacy of AMP945 in Combination with Nab-paclitaxel and Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Cancer Patients’.

The ACCENT trial explores the use of narmafotinib in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy of gemcitabine and Abraxane in first-line patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The trial is a single-arm open label study conducted in two stages. The firststage (Phase 1b), completed in November 2023, identified a 400 mg oral daily dose of narmafotinib, given in the days preceding regular chemotherapy infusion, as safe and well tolerated.

This second stage (Phase 2a), of the trial is designed to assess drug efficacy in combination with gemcitabine and Abraxane. The primary endpoints are Objective Response Rate (ORR) and Duration on Trial (DOT) with secondary endpoints being Progression Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS). Safety and tolerability will continue to be assessed.

More information about the ACCENT trial, including a list of participating sites, can be found via the Amplia Therapeutics website and at ClinicalTrials.gov under the identifier NCT05355298.

On October 30, 2024 Alloy Therapeutics, a biotechnology ecosystem company dedicated to democratizing access to biologics drug discovery platforms and services, reported that it has entered into an institutional licensing agreement with Scripps Research for its ATX-Gx platform for fully human antibody discovery (Press release, Alloy Therapeutics, OCT 30, 2024, View Source [SID1234647475]). The non-exclusive license enables all Scripps Research scientists to use the ATX-Gx platform for antibody drug and vaccine discovery workstreams. Scripps Research has been at the forefront of biomedical research since its founding in 1924, and its scientists have played pivotal roles in the development of more than 15 medicines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Over the past five years, Alloy’s ATX-Gx platform has become the industry standard for fully human transgenic mouse platforms. The ATX-Gx platform enables therapeutic discovery programs and has been used by over 170 partners. The institutional license with Scripps Research further expands the platform’s reach in vaccine discovery. The ATX-Gx platform, which enables best-in-class in-vivo human antibody discovery, comprises multiple strains of mice that have been engineered to express human antibody genes. These humanized mice produce immune responses that are as robust as wild-type animals but also have immune repertoires similar to those of humans. Antibodies discovered using ATX-Gx mice are highly likely to demonstrate similar activity in humans and require minimal to no optimization before being advanced to preclinical and clinical studies. This platform has the potential to increase the pace and success of vaccine and therapeutic discovery research across a broad array of indications.

"Our ATX-Gx platform has already been validated as a powerful tool for antibody therapeutics discovery, and we are excited that the scientists at Scripps Research are expanding the use of our platform into vaccine development," said Piotr Bobrowicz, Ph.D., President at Alloy. "We look forward to supporting the Scripps Research team as it deploys the ATX-Gx platform and to being part of its success as the institution continues to break scientific boundaries."

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!

On October 29, 2024 Pfizer reported Third Quarter 2024 Earnings presentation (Presentation, Pfizer, OCT 29, 2024, View Source [SID1234649025]).

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!

On October 29, 2024 Incyte reported Third Quarter Financial and Corporate Update (Presentation, Incyte, OCT 29, 2024, View Source [SID1234647806]).

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!

On October 29, 2024 Novartis reported that Scemblix (asciminib) was granted accelerated approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (Ph+ CML-CP) (Press release, Novartis, OCT 29, 2024, View Source [SID1234647667]).

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 accelerated approval is based on major molecular response rate (MMR) at week 48 from the ASC4FIRST Phase III trial that compared once daily Scemblix to all other investigator-selected (IS) standard of care (SoC) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) (imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib, and bosutinib). In the study, Scemblix demonstrated superior MMR rates in both primary endpoints at week 48 vs. IS SoC TKIs and imatinib alone1-3. Continued approval for the newly diagnosed indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit from confirmatory evidence.

The expanded indication in Ph+ CML-CP increases the population eligible for Scemblix by approximately four times, including newly diagnosed and previously treated adults. Newly diagnosed patients will now have access to a treatment that has shown superior efficacy vs. all standard of care therapies and a favorable safety and tolerability profile.

"Many patients who are newly diagnosed with CML struggle to navigate this chronic condition and may switch or even stop treatment because of side effects that interrupt their daily lives," said Lee Greenberger, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. "That’s why approvals of new first-line treatment options are so important. For patients, finding a medicine that’s right for them at the very beginning of treatment may lead to better long-term disease control with fewer side effects."

While TKIs have transformed CML into a chronic disease, efficacy and safety challenges continue to hinder long-term treatment success for many patients. Many newly diagnosed patients do not meet molecular response goals, and many discontinue or change treatment due to intolerance4-23. Nearly half of CML patients do not meet efficacy milestones (MMR) and almost one in four patients discontinue or switch treatment within one year4-5.

"While there are a range of effective TKIs currently available for newly diagnosed patients, clinicians frequently have had to weigh sacrificing either efficacy or tolerability," said Jorge Cortes, M.D., Director, Georgia Cancer Center. "In the first-of-its-kind ASC4FIRST trial, Scemblix achieved impressive results across all three parameters of efficacy, safety and tolerability versus all standard of care TKIs. This Scemblix data has the potential to be practice-changing."

The FDA approval of Scemblix is based on results from the Phase III ASC4FIRST trial in patients newly diagnosed with Ph+ CML-CP. Data showed:

Nearly 20% more patients treated with Scemblix achieved MMR vs. IS SoC TKIs (imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib and bosutinib) (68% vs. 49%, < 0.001) and nearly 30% more patients achieved MMR vs. imatinib alone (69% vs. 40%, < 0.001) at week 481-2
Scemblix is the first CML treatment to show superior efficacy along with a favorable safety and tolerability profile vs. imatinib and second generation TKIs, with fewer treatment-related grade ≥3 ARs (25.5% vs. 33% and 42%), dose reductions (6% vs. 14% and 24%), and half the rate of ARs leading to treatment discontinuation (4.5% vs. 11% and 9.8%)1-3
Patients treated with Scemblix also achieved deeper rates of molecular responses including MR4 compared with IS-TKIs and imatinib alone (41% vs. 22% and 16%) by week 481-2
In newly diagnosed patients, the safety profile was consistent with previous registration studies with no new safety concerns observed. The most common ARs (≥ 20%) were musculoskeletal pain, rash, fatigue, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, abdominal pain and diarrhea1-3
The ASC4FIRST trial remains ongoing, with the next scheduled analysis at week 96 to evaluate the key secondary endpoint (MMR at week 96) and additional secondary endpoints.

The approval was also supported by preliminary data from the Phase II ASC2ESCALATE study, which includes Ph+ CML-CP patients who have been previously treated with one prior TKI with discontinuation due to treatment failure, warning, or intolerance. Data will be shared at a future medical meeting.

"We are proud to help redefine CML treatment once again with Scemblix, as we continue to deliver on our 20+ year commitment to innovation and support in CML," said Victor Bulto, President US, Novartis. "Despite many advances in the field, patients still need treatment options that are highly effective with a favorable tolerability profile to help enable them to achieve meaningful outcomes as they manage chronic conditions. With this approval, we can offer newly diagnosed adult Ph+ CML-CP patients a new treatment option that combines both, with the potential to change the trajectory of many more people living with CML."

About ASC4FIRST Phase III Clinical Trial
ASC4FIRST (NCT04971226) is a Phase III, head-to-head, multi-center, open-label, randomized study of oral Scemblix 80 mg QD vs. IS first- or second-generation TKIs (imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib or bosutinib) in 405 adult patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ CML-CP1,24. The two primary endpoints of the study are to compare efficacy of asciminib vs. IS SoC TKIs and to compare efficacy vs. that of TKI within the stratum of participants with imatinib as pre-randomization selected TKI, based on proportion of patients that achieve MMR at week 481,24.

The study remains ongoing with key secondary endpoints of proportion of patients that achieve MMR at week 96 and a safety endpoint of discontinuation of study treatment due to an AE (TTDAE) by week 961,24. The study also assesses additional secondary safety and efficacy endpoints, including MMR, MR4, MR4.5, complete hematological response (CHR) and BCR::ABL1 ≤1% at and by all scheduled data collection time points; duration of and time to first MMR, MR4 and MR4.5; time to treatment failure; event-free survival, failure-free survival, progression-free survival and overall survival1,24.

About Scemblix (asciminib)
Scemblix is the first CML treatment that works by Specifically Targeting the ABL Myristoyl Pocket (referred to as a STAMP inhibitor in scientific literature)25-27. The current approved CML treatments are TKIs that target the ATP-binding site (ATP-competitive) 27.

Scemblix was granted accelerated approval in the US to treat newly diagnosed adults and is also approved for previously treated adult patients with Ph+ CML-CP. Scemblix received Breakthrough Therapy designation for the treatment of newly diagnosed adult patients and was reviewed under the FDA’s Real-Time Oncology Review (RTOR) program28-30. It is approved in more than 75 countries, including the EU, to treat those who have previously been treated with two or more TKIs with Ph+ CML-CP28,29,31. In some countries, including the US, Scemblix is also approved in patients with Ph+ CML-CP with the T315I mutation28-30.

Scemblix is being studied across multiple treatment lines for Ph+ CML-CP, both as a monotherapy and in combination1,24-26,29,32-44.

Patient Access and Support
Novartis, with its 20+ year history in CML, is committed to continuing to address areas of unmet patient need and reducing barriers to patient access and affordability that prevent patients from benefiting from innovation. Novartis Patient Support is available to help guide eligible patients through the various aspects of getting started on treatment including help understanding insurance coverage and identifying potential financial assistance options. Patients or providers can call 866-433-8000 or visit support.scemblix.com to learn more.