On April 8, 2024 Vincerx Pharma, Inc. (Nasdaq: VINC), a biopharmaceutical company aspiring to address the unmet medical needs of patients with cancer through paradigm-shifting therapeutics, reported positive preliminary Phase 1 data for VIP236 and updates on pipeline progress at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting 2024 (Press release, Vincerx Pharma, APR 8, 2024, View Source [SID1234641886]).
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"The positive preliminary data we’ve reported for VIP236 and VIP943, coupled with preclinical findings leveraging our VersAptx platform to improve the efficacy of TRODELVY and ENHERTU, two marketed ADCs, underscore the power of our platform approach for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors," said Ahmed Hamdy, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Vincerx. "The early VIP236 data demonstrated positive clinical activity, including tumor reductions. This represents significant promise for patients who have exhausted standard anticancer therapy options with many different tumor types, including tumors not usually responsive to camptothecin-derived therapies. Dose escalation continues in the VIP236 and VIP943 first-in-human studies. As we advance into higher dose levels, we look forward to sharing more clinical data for VIP236 later this summer and for VIP943 on or around the 2024 European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) annual meeting."
Raquel Izumi, Ph.D., President and Chief Operating Officer of Vincerx added, "The main objectives of a Phase 1 dose-escalation study are to assess safety and tolerability while establishing an optimal dose and schedule, so seeing dose-dependent clinical activity at this point in the development of VIP236 is exciting. We are still in dose escalation and are starting to see tumor reduction after only two doses. We expect to see responses deepen with more time on treatment and as we continue to escalate."
Vivek Subbiah, M.D., Chief of Early-Phase Drug Development at Sarah Cannon Research Institute commented, "In the oncology landscape, ADCs have emerged as a new and encouraging treatment option for people facing cancer. With a decade of invaluable insights in ADC drug development, we are transitioning from first to second to third generations, and the imperative now is for novel mechanisms of action. Innovations like VIP236’s optimized camptothecin, which can potentially circumvent some of the known camptothecin liabilities and issues with drug resistance, deliver a potent payload from a clinically validated drug class. The goal is to deliver best-in-class therapies to meet the urgent needs of patients battling advanced cancers."
VIP236 Updates
Study VNC-236-101 is an open-label, multicenter, Phase 1 dose-escalation study with monotherapy VIP236 for the treatment of patients with metastatic tumors who have exhausted all standard therapy options. The study’s main objective is to determine a safe dose and schedule for VIP236 for further clinical development.
Fifteen patients have been dosed to date on the once every three weeks (Q3W) schedule. Sequential dose-escalation cohorts with the Q3W schedule were 0.2 mg/kg (n=2), 0.4 mg/kg (n=5), 0.6 mg/kg (n=5), and 0.8 mg/kg (n=3). Results of the Q3W schedule (n=15) show:
The patient population is typical of a Phase 1 study with heavily pretreated patients and a wide range of tumor types.
The Q3W schedule is well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) in any patients, and no patients have discontinued VIP236 due to an adverse event. Importantly, no severe or life-threatening diarrhea has been observed, validating the purposeful design of VIP236’s optimized camptothecin payload.
First efficacy assessment was at the end of cycle 2 (i.e. after only two doses on the Q3W schedule). Seven patients have achieved objective stable disease, including tumor reduction. Four patients remain on study with the longest treated patient on study for 168 days.
Dose escalation continues on the Q3W schedule. Vincerx anticipates presenting additional Phase 1 data for VIP236 later this summer.
VIP943 Updates
Study VNC-943-101 is an open-label, multicenter, Phase 1 dose-escalation study with monotherapy VIP943 for the treatment of patients with CD123+ acute myeloid leukemia (AML), B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (B-ALL) or myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who have exhausted standard therapeutic options. The study’s main objective is to determine a safe dose and schedule for VIP943 for further clinical development.
VIP943 is administered once per week. Three patients were dosed in Cohort 1 (0.2 mg/kg) and four patients were dosed in Cohort 2 (0.4 mg/kg).
Despite the initial low doses in the study, all seven sequentially enrolled patients completed the 28-day DLT evaluation period. Five out of seven received a cycle 2 dose and two of these patients started cycle 3. One patient with MDS is still on study on cycle 3.
No DLTs occurred in Cohort 1 and 2. Four patients have been enrolled in Cohort 3 (0.7 mg/kg) and are undergoing DLT assessment.
VIP943 PK data shows very little free payload in circulation, consistent with the favorable safety profile observed preclinically and clinically.
As the study progresses through the dose escalation, Vincerx will present additional Phase 1 data for VIP943 on or around the 2024 European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in June 2024.
New In Vitro Solid Tumor Data
Today Vincerx also reported preclinical experiments applying the next-generation effector chemistry of its VersAptx platform to the antibodies of approved ADCs, TRODELVY and ENHERTU, demonstrating the potential to improve tumor toxicity of ADCs by orders of magnitude.
In in vitro tumor models, Vincerx’s sacituzumab-legumain-KSPi ADC had a 20-fold improvement in tumor toxicity compared with TRODELVY (sacituzumab-govitecan). The company’s trastuzumab-legumain-KSPi ADC demonstrated an 8-fold increase in tumor toxicity compared with ENHERTU (fam-trastuzumab-deruxtecan).
These findings further support the versatility of VersAptx to address multiple cancer types, including solid tumors, and increase the efficacy and safety of ADCs. Further studies will be conducted in animal models.
Virtual Investor Event
Vincerx will host a virtual investor event featuring company management and key opinion leaders to review preliminary clinical data from its Phase 1 dose-escalation study of VIP236 and provide an update on pipeline progress today at 2:00 PM PDT/ 5:00 PM EDT. To register and view the live webcast, please visit: View Source An archived replay of the webcast will be available on the Vincerx Investor Page website following the conclusion of the live event.
About VIP236
VIP236, the first-in-class small molecule drug conjugate (SMDC) from the VersAptx Platform, consists of an αvβ3 integrin binder, a neutrophil elastase linker cleaved in the tumor microenvironment, and a camptothecin payload optimized for high permeability and low active efflux. VIP236 was designed to deliver its payload to advanced/metastatic tumors that express αvβ3. Preclinical data show enhanced efficacy, independent of HER2 status, in patient-derived and cell line-derived gastric cancer models compared with ENHERTU, an approved ADC. VIP236 is being evaluated in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial treating patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors (NTC05371054).
About VIP943
VIP943, the first ADC from the VersAptx platform, consists of an anti-CD123 antibody, a unique linker cleaved intracellularly by legumain, and a novel kinesin spindle protein inhibitor (KSPi) payload enhanced with our CellTrapper technology. The next-generation effector chemistry (linker + payload with CellTrapper) was designed to reduce non-specific release of the payload and ensure payload accumulation in cancer cells versus healthy cells. The increased therapeutic index has the potential to address challenges associated with many ADCs by improving efficacy and reducing severe toxicities. VIP943 is in a Phase 1 dose-escalation trial evaluating patients with relapsed/refractory AML, B-ALL, and MDS who have exhausted standard therapeutic options (NCT06034275).
About VersAptx Platform
VersAptx is a versatile and adaptable next-generation bioconjugation platform. The modular nature of this innovative platform allows for the combination of different targeting, linker, and payload technologies to develop bespoke bioconjugates to address different cancer biologies. With this platform, (i) antibodies and small molecules can be used to target different tumor antigens, (ii) linkers can be designed to reduce non-specific release of the payload, cleave intracellularly or extracellularly, and conjugate to single or multiple payloads, and (iii) payloads can be designed with reduced permeability using the CellTrapper technology to ensure accumulation in cancer cells or to be permeable for release in the tumor microenvironment. The VersAptx platform allows for the optimization of these technologies to a specific target and the development of bioconjugates designed to address the safety and efficacy challenges of many ADCs and the needs of cancer patients.