On June 1, 2021 Viracta Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIRX), a precision oncology company targeting virus-associated malignancies, reported the initiation of NAVAL-1 (Nanatinostat in Combination with Valganciclovir), a global, multicenter, open-label Phase 2 basket trial for the treatment of relapsed/refractory (R/R) EBV-positive (EBV+) lymphoma (Press release, Viracta Therapeutics, JUN 1, 2021, View Source [SID1234583356]). NAVAL-1 is designed to potentially support multiple new drug application filings across various EBV+ lymphoma subtypes.
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"Effective therapies for patients with recurrent lymphomas are limited, and those with EBV-positive lymphoma have even worse outcomes with standard of care therapies. Following the promising Phase 1b/2 data presented at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in December 2020, we are excited to initiate the NAVAL-1 trial and continue the evaluation of our all-oral combination regimen in patients with a variety of relapsed/refractory EBV-positive lymphomas," said Lisa Rojkjaer, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Viracta. "We are seeing enthusiasm for NAVAL-1 and our therapeutic approach from physicians, both in the United States and internationally, as this is an area of significant unmet medical need."
NAVAL-1 will evaluate nanatinostat in combination with valganciclovir in patients with EBV+ R/R lymphoma and is anticipated to enroll approximately 140 patients at centers in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. The primary endpoint of the trial is objective response rate, with key secondary endpoints including duration of response, survival outcomes, and the safety profile of the combined treatment. Patients with EBV+ relapsed or refractory disease following two or more prior therapies (one or more for extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma) without curative treatment options will be eligible for enrollment.
Ivor Royston, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Viracta, added, "The initiation of NAVAL-1 is an important milestone for Viracta, and we are thrilled to have this pivotal trial open for enrollment. We believe we are uniquely positioned with our all-oral therapeutic approach, together with our novel trial design, to expand the impact and broaden the reach to patients with various lymphoma subtypes in key geographies around the world."
About Nanatinostat
Nanatinostat (VRx-3996) is an orally available histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor being developed by Viracta. Nanatinostat is selective for specific isoforms of Class I HDACs, which is key to inducing latent viral genes which are epigenetically silenced in EBV-associated malignancies. The nanatinostat and valganciclovir combination is being investigated in multiple subtypes of R/R EBV+ lymphoma in two ongoing Phase 2 trials, including a registration-enabling global, multicenter, open-label basket trial.