On January 4, 2024 OnCusp Therapeutics, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming cutting-edge preclinical innovation into clinically validated treatments for cancer patients worldwide, reported an oversubscribed $100 million Series A financing round (Press release, OnCusp Therapeutics, JAN 4, 2024, View Source [SID1234638990]).

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 round was co-led by Novo Holdings, OrbiMed, and F-Prime Capital, alongside Sofinnova Investments, Catalio Capital Management, Marshall Wace, Forge Life Science Partners, Blackbird BioVentures, CJNV BioVenture and others, as well as BioTrack Capital, a co-lead for the Seed Round. OnCusp Therapeutics has raised $139 million since its establishment in April 2021. The proceeds from this financing will be used to advance CUSP06, an ADC targeting CDH6, toward clinical proof-of-concept. Additionally, the capital will aid in expanding the OnCusp portfolio and team.

CUSP06 has strong preclinical data demonstrating the potential for best-in-class activity. Engineered to increase potency, heighten "bystander effect," elevate linker stability, and overcome drug resistance, CUSP06’s differentiating attributes could translate into higher clinical response rates and durability, with an improved safety profile. Having obtained FDA IND clearance in 3Q 2023, CUSP06 will be in a first-in-human Phase I study in the US.

"We are grateful to have the trust and support from some of the most prominent global biotech investors," said Dr. Bing Yuan, Co-Founder and CEO of OnCusp Therapeutics. "I am also thankful to the OnCusp team for their commitment and excellent work. We hold a strong conviction to develop innovative oncology therapies for patients. This significant Series A financing enables OnCusp to accelerate the development of CUSP06 and other game-changing therapeutics in our fight against cancer."

As part of the financing, OnCusp Therapeutics will appoint Dr. Karen Hong, Partner in the Venture Investments team at Novo Holdings US, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Novo Holdings; Diyong Xu, Principal at OrbiMed; and Dr. Chong Xu, Partner at F-Prime Capital, to the company’s Board of Directors.

"We are thrilled to have co-led this round. The remarkable progress that the company has made in such a short time is a testament to its highly efficient business model and the team’s exceptional execution capabilities," said Dr. Karen Hong. "We share OnCusp’s mission in bringing oncology innovations to life and are committed to supporting the company’s continued growth and success."

"ADCs have become one of the most promising modalities for treating cancer, and CDH6 is emerging as a winning ADC target. We believe CUSP06 is well positioned to unlock the full potential of this target, both in high and low CDH6 expressing tumors," said Diyong Xu. "We also look forward to OnCusp expanding its portfolio to fully leverage its translational and clinical development expertise."

"I am excited to join the OnCusp Board at this transformative moment for the company," stated Dr. Chong Xu. "F-Prime is committed to proactively champion breakthrough approaches like CUSP06, which holds immense potential to help patients with ovarian cancer and other advanced solid tumors. I look forward to working with other board members and the executive team to propel OnCusp to its next phase of growth."

"As a major investor since the company’s inception, I am impressed by the entrepreneurship, commitment, and perseverance exemplified by the OnCusp team in the current challenging biotech market." added Dr. Jiacong Guo, one of OnCusp’s current Board Directors and a Principal at BioTrack Capital. "I believe companies who are leading their field will emerge triumphant in their mission. I am confident that OnCusp is one of those companies."

On January 4, 2024 JW Therapeutics (HKEx: 2126), an independent and innovative biotechnology company focusing on developing, manufacturing and commercializing cell immunotherapy products, reported that the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) of China accepted the supplemental Biological License Application (sBLA) for its anti-CD19 autologous chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell immunotherapy product Carteyva (relmacabtagene autoleucel injection) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory Mantle Cell Lymphoma (r/r MCL) (Press release, JW Therapeutics, JAN 4, 2024, View Source [SID1234638989]). This is the third marketing application on Carteyva submitted by JW Therapeutics, and is expected to be the first cell therapy product approved in China for the treatment of patients r/r MCL. Carteyva was granted, by NMPA, Breakthrough Therapy Designation in Mar 2022, as well as Priority Review in Dec. 2023.

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!

MCL is a rare and heterogeneous B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma which is currently incurable with existing therapies[1]. MCL, associated with a poor prognosis, mainly occurs in elderly men who were not diagnosed until advanced stage[2]. Significant progress has been made in the last decade as the treatment paradigm has shifted from traditional chemoimmunotherapy toward targeted therapies such as bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi). Despite the use of BTKi in r/r MCL has improved their survival outcomes, many patients will ultimately relapse with shortened remission durations (6~10 months) [3]. Notwithstanding the above, there are still unmet medical needs for a safe, effective novel approach to overcome the limitations of current treatments of r/r MCL.

The sBLA was supported by the clinical results from a single-arm, multi-center, pivotal study on Carteyva in adult participants with r/r MCL in China. In the study, participants with r/r MCL who had been treated with a CD20-targeting antibody, anthracycline or bendamustine, or BTKis were included. After being treated with lymphodepleting chemotherapy, participants received relma-cel (100×106 CAR+ T cells). As of Oct 25, 2023, a total of 59 participants received relma-cel infusion. Of 56 efficacy evaluable participants, relma-cel demonstrated remarkable clinical responses achieving high rates of objective response rate (ORR) and complete response rate (CRR) (3 months best ORR 81.36%, 3 months best CRR 66.10%) and the incidence of severe (grade ≥ 3) cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was 6.8%, the incidence of severe (grade ≥ 3) neurotoxicity (NT) was 6.8%.

Mark J. Gilbert, MD, Chief Medical Officer of JW Therapeutics, noted: "We are delighted to have a product that can deliver meaningful efficacy in this disease, nearly 70% of participants with r/r MCL have achieved complete remission after treatment with relma-cel, and the overall safety data demonstrated that the treatment was generally well tolerate. Carteyva is expected to become the first commercial CAR-T cell product for the treatment of r/r MCL in China."

On January 4, 2024 AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), and Umoja Biopharma (Umoja), an early clinical-stage biotechnology company, reported two exclusive option and license agreements to develop multiple in-situ generated CAR-T cell therapy candidates in oncology using Umoja’s proprietary VivoVecTM platform (Press release, AbbVie, JAN 4, 2024, View Source [SID1234638988]). The first agreement provides AbbVie an exclusive option to license Umoja’s CD19 directed in-situ generated CAR-T cell therapy candidates. This includes UB-VV111, Umoja’s lead clinical program for hematologic malignancies currently at the IND-enabling phase. Under the terms of the second agreement, AbbVie and Umoja will develop up to four additional in-situ generated CAR-T cell therapy candidates for discovery targets selected by AbbVie.

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 we continue to strengthen our oncology portfolio, we believe that in-situ CAR-T cell therapy represents a paradigm shift utilizing genetic medicine concepts," said Jonathon Sedgwick, Ph.D., vice president and global head of discovery research at AbbVie. "We look forward to working with Umoja’s team to advance next-generation in-situ CAR-T therapies, and potentially expand the patient populations and indications benefitting from conventional CAR-T approaches."

Umoja’s VivoVecTM gene delivery platform combines third generation lentiviral vector gene delivery with a novel T-cell targeting and activation surface complex. This enables T cells in the body to manufacture their own cancer-fighting CAR-T cells in vivo. This has the potential to eliminate a number of challenges associated with traditional CAR-T approaches including reliance on gathering a patient’s own or donor cells which are modified externally before being delivered back to the patient, the associated time lag and manufacturing challenges of ex vivo cell modification, and the need for patient’s lymphodepletion.

"AbbVie is an ideal partner for Umoja given their broad expertise in development and commercialization of novel therapeutics in hematology, oncology, and beyond," said David Fontana, Ph.D., chief operating and business officer at Umoja.

"By bringing together AbbVie’s like-minded pursuit of addressing patient unmet needs with our investments in vector biology and fully-owned commercial-scale manufacturing, we look forward to progressing multiple VivoVec drug candidates into the clinic in the coming years," added Andrew Scharenberg, M.D., co-founder and chief executive officer at Umoja.

Under the terms of the two agreements, Umoja received upfront payments and an equity investment from AbbVie. Additionally, for the two agreements combined, Umoja may be eligible to receive up to $1.44B in aggregate for option exercise fees, development and regulatory milestones, with the potential for Umoja to earn additional sales-based milestones and tiered royalties on worldwide net sales.

On January 4, 2024 The Menarini Group ("Menarini"), a leading international pharmaceutical and diagnostics company, and Stemline Therapeutics, Inc. ("Stemline"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Menarini Group focused on bringing transformational oncology treatments to cancer patients, along with clinical stage generative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven biotechnology company Insilico Medicine ("Insilico"), reported that they have entered into an exclusive licensing agreement granting Stemline the global rights to develop and commercialize a novel, small molecule KAT6A inhibitor designed using Insilico’s AI platform, as a potential treatment for hormone sensitive cancers and other oncology indications (Press release, Menarini, JAN 4, 2024, View Source [SID1234638987]).

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!

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed tumor type and the leading cause of cancer death among women, globally.[1] Approximately 70% of breast cancers are estrogen receptor positive (ER+), and endocrine therapy remains the backbone of therapy for patients with ER+ breast cancer. However, tumors can develop a resistance to endocrine therapy, which in turn can lead to disease progression. This is a significant clinical challenge and highlights the urgent need for novel therapies to help overcome treatment resistance.

KAT6A is known to play an important role in several cancers. Overexpression of KAT6A correlates with poor clinical outcomes in patients with ER+/HER2- breast cancer, the most common subtype of breast cancer. In preclinical studies, the molecule has demonstrated potent inhibition against KAT6A in multiple CDX and PDX models with good efficacy and safety. Insilico presented data on the molecule at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in early December.

"We are delighted to enter a collaboration with Insilico that harnesses the power of generative AI as a leader in the field, to explore a promising new treatment approach and potentially unlock transformative new cancer therapies," said Elcin Barker Ergun, CEO of the Menarini Group. "Having brought the first innovation in endocrine therapy after almost 20 years to the U.S. and Europe with elacestrant for ER+, HER2- breast cancer patients, our aim is to further augment patient outcomes, and targeting KAT6A can potentially serve that in breast cancer and beyond."

The novel molecule was designed by Insilico’s R&D team with the help of its end-to-end Pharma Generative AI platform to inhibit KAT6A and block endocrine receptor (ER) at the transcriptional level, giving it the potential to overcome resistance to endocrine therapies due to mutation or ligand-independent constitutive activation of ER. Currently, endocrine therapy in combination with CDK4/6 inhibitors is the standard treatment for ER+/HER2- breast cancer patients with advanced or metastatic disease. Novel combinations with CDK4/6 inhibitors and/or new oral SERDs are needed to further extend outcomes.

"We are excited by the promise of our latest generative AI-designed therapy to provide a new potential treatment option for breast cancer patients," says Alex Zhavoronkov, PhD, founder and co-CEO of Insilico Medicine. "With their innovative vision and deep focus in bringing transformational therapeutics in oncology, Stemline is the ideal partner to lead this molecule into development and through clinical trials."

Under the terms of the agreement, Stemline will provide a $12 million upfront payment to Insilico. The combined value of the deal, including all development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, is over $500 million, followed by royalties up to double digits.

On January 4, 2024 Viracta Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIRX), a clinical-stage precision oncology company focused on the treatment and prevention of virus-associated cancers that impact patients worldwide, reported a clinical update, including its roadmap for advancing Nana-val’s clinical development in 2024 (Press release, Viracta Therapeutics, JAN 4, 2024, View Source [SID1234638985]). Nana-val (nanatinostat in combination with valganciclovir), is the company’s all-oral investigational therapy targeting Epstein-Barr virus-associated cancers.

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!

Anticipated Key 2024 Milestones
Pivotal NAVAL-1 study of Nana-val in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) Epstein-Barr virus-positive (EBV+) lymphomas

Complete enrollment of Stage 2 in the R/R EBV+ peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) cohort of patients treated with Nana-val (n=11) in the first quarter of 2024.
Report Stage 1 data from both arms of the R/R EBV+ PTCL cohort (in patients treated with nanatinostat, with [n=10] or without [n=10] valganciclovir) in the first half of 2024.
Meet with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to discuss additional requirements for accelerated approval by mid-2024.
Enroll patients with R/R EBV+ PTCL into the post-Phase 2 expansion cohort to support potential accelerated approval.
Present Stage 2 data from patients with R/R EBV+ PTCL in the second half of 2024.
Report Stage 1 data from patients with R/R EBV+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and R/R EBV+ post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) by year-end 2024.
Phase 1b/2 study of Nana-val in patients with advanced EBV+ solid tumors (Study 301)

Determine the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) by investigating the novel split daily dosing (SDD) regimen at higher dose levels of Nana-val in the second half of 2024.
Initiate a dose-optimization cohort to confirm the RP2D as part of the study’s Phase 2 expansion by year-end 2024.
"Our primary focus in 2024 is the speed to market strategy for Nana-val in patients with relapsed or refractory EBV-positive PTCL, supported by its accelerating pace of enrollment into Stage 2 and plans to engage with the FDA to discuss Nana-val’s potential accelerated approval pathway in mid-2024," said Mark Rothera, President and Chief Executive Officer of Viracta. "Additionally, we are encouraged by the progress of the Phase 1b/2 trial of Nana-val in patients with advanced EBV-positive solid tumors, which is now enrolling and treating patients with the novel split daily dosing regimen, and we remain on track to expand the study into Phase 2 in 2024. The growing clinical data together with the recent orphan drug designation granted by FDA for the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma further positions Nana-val as a tumor-agnostic approach to address the high unmet medical need for patients with EBV-associated cancers, including both lymphomas and solid tumors. With an anticipated cash runway into 2025, we are well-positioned for a successful 2024."

Recent Clinical Trial Updates
Pivotal NAVAL-1 study of Nana-val in patients with R/R EBV+ lymphomas

Completed enrollment of Stage 1 in the R/R EBV+ PTCL cohort of patients, and enrollment into Stage 2 continues to accelerate, as nearly half of the Stage 2 patients have been enrolled.
The protocol was amended to additionally enable enrollment of second-line R/R EBV+ DLBCL patients and R/R EBV+ PTLD patients, including pediatric EBV+ PTLD patients ≥ 12 years of age.
Phase 1b/2 study of Nana-val in patients with advanced EBV+ solid tumors (Study 301)

Initiated enrollment of the sixth dose cohort of patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) EBV+ nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) evaluating the new SDD regimen.
In December 2023, the FDA granted an orphan drug designation (ODD) to Nana-val for the treatment of NPC, the fifth ODD granted to Nana-val by the FDA and the seventh ODD for Nana-val globally.
Confirmed partial responses without dose-limiting toxicities through the initial five dose cohorts. Further, new preclinical data presented at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Asia Congress 2023 support continued dose-escalation to enhance Nana-val’s antitumor activity.
Best responses through the fifth dose cohort included two confirmed partial responses and five stable diseases out of 17 patients.
About NAVAL-1
NAVAL-1 (NCT05011058) is a global, multicenter, clinical trial of Nana-val in patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) Epstein-Barr virus-positive (EBV+) lymphoma. This trial employs a Simon two-stage design where, in Stage 1, participants are enrolled into one of three indication cohorts based on EBV+ lymphoma subtype. If two objective responses are achieved within a lymphoma subtype in Stage 1 (n=10), then additional patients will be enrolled in Stage 2 for a total of 21 patients. EBV+ lymphoma subtypes demonstrating promising antitumor activity in Stage 2 may be further expanded following discussion with regulators to potentially support registration.

About the Phase 1b/2 Study of Nana-val in Patients with Advanced EBV+ Solid Tumors (Study 301)
This Phase 1b/2 trial (NCT05166577) is an open-label, multinational clinical trial evaluating Nana-val alone and in combination with pembrolizumab. The Phase 1b dose escalation part is designed to evaluate safety and to select the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of Nana-val in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) Epstein-Barr virus-positive (EBV+) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Along with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Project Optimus initiative, at the start of Phase 2, up to 40 patients with R/M EBV+ NPC will be randomized to receive either the RP2D or a dose level below the RP2D in a dose-optimization cohort. Once the RP2D has been confirmed, up to 60 patients with R/M EBV+ NPC will be randomized to receive Nana-val at the RP2D with or without pembrolizumab to further evaluate antitumor activity, safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and potential pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Additionally, patients with other advanced EBV+ solid tumors will be enrolled to receive Nana-val at the RP2D in a Phase 1b dose expansion cohort.

About Nana-val (Nanatinostat and Valganciclovir)
Nanatinostat is an orally available histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor being developed by Viracta. Nanatinostat is selective for specific isoforms of Class I HDACs, which are key to inducing viral genes that are epigenetically silenced in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated malignancies. Nanatinostat is currently being investigated in combination with the antiviral agent valganciclovir as an all-oral combination therapy, Nana-val, in various subtypes of EBV-associated malignancies. Ongoing trials include a pivotal, global, multicenter, open-label Phase 2 basket trial in multiple subtypes of relapsed or refractory (R/R) EBV+ lymphoma (NAVAL-1) as well as a multinational Phase 1b/2 clinical trial in patients with recurrent or metastatic (R/M) EBV+ NPC and other advanced EBV+ solid tumors.

About EBV-Associated Cancers
Approximately 90% of the world’s adult population is infected with EBV. Infections are commonly asymptomatic or associated with mononucleosis. Following infection, the virus remains latent in a small subset of cells for the duration of the patient’s life. Cells containing latent virus are increasingly susceptible to malignant transformation. Patients who are immunocompromised are at an increased risk of developing EBV-positive (EBV+) lymphomas. EBV is estimated to be associated with approximately 2% of the global cancer burden including lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), and gastric cancer.