On May 19, 2021 NuCana plc (NASDAQ: NCNA) reported that financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021 and provided an update on its broad clinical program with its transformative ProTide therapeutics (Press release, Nucana BioPharmaceuticals, MAY 19, 2021, View Source [SID1234584207]).

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 of March 31, 2021, NuCana had cash and cash equivalents of £78.6 million compared to £87.4 million as of December 31, 2020. NuCana continues to advance its various clinical programs and reported a net loss of £9.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, as compared to a loss of £4.0 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. Basic and diluted loss per share was £0.19 for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, as compared to £0.12 per share for quarter ended March 31, 2020.

"We are very pleased with our momentum in 2021," said Hugh S. Griffith, NuCana’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer. "In January, we presented data at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium (ASCO-GI) from the NuTide:302 study demonstrating NUC-3373’s encouraging efficacy signals and favorable safety profile in patients with advanced colorectal cancer. Among the efficacy-evaluable population, a disease control rate of 62% was achieved. In addition, NUC-3373 was well tolerated with no hand-foot syndrome or neutropenia as well as lower rates of diarrhea, mucositis and stomatitis as compared to historical data for 5-FU and capecitabine in the frontline treatment of patients with colorectal cancer."

Mr. Griffith continued: "In April, we were excited to present five posters at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. NUC-3373 maintained the encouraging 62% disease control rate in the efficacy-evaluable population in the NuTide:302 study. The poster also detailed three patients who experienced reductions in their target lesions of 40%, 28% and 15% and several patients who achieved a longer progression-free survival on NUC-3373 than they had on their prior therapy. We also presented additional clinical data from the ongoing Phase I study of NUC-7738. These data demonstrated NUC-7738’s encouraging anti-cancer activity and favorable tolerability profile. Three case studies described patients who achieved tumor volume reductions and prolonged stable disease on NUC-7738. Other AACR (Free AACR Whitepaper) posters showed NUC-3373-treated colon cancer cells are able to activate a natural killer cell response and described how NUC-7738 was designed to overcome the key cancer resistance mechanisms which have prevented the clinical development of its parent nucleoside analog, 3’-deoxyadenosine. Overall, these presentations highlighted the potential of our ProTides to significantly improve the treatment outcomes for patients with cancer."

Mr. Griffith concluded: "We are excited with the progress we have made so far in 2021. We remain focused on continuing to drive recruitment across all of our ongoing studies, including our Phase III study of Acelarin plus cisplatin in patients with biliary tract cancer as well as initiating new studies, including our second Phase III study evaluating NUC-3373 in combination with other agents for patients with colorectal cancer. We look forward to providing additional updates as we go through 2021."

Anticipated 2021 Milestones

Acelarin is a ProTide transformation of gemcitabine. In 2021, NuCana expects to:
Complete recruitment sufficient to enable the first interim analysis in 2022 of the Phase III study of Acelarin combined with cisplatin as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced biliary tract cancer.

NUC-3373 is a ProTide transformation of the active anti-cancer metabolite of 5-FU. In 2021, NuCana expects to:
Report data from the Phase Ib study (NuTide:302) of NUC-3373 in combination with other agents with which 5-FU is typically combined, such as leucovorin, oxaliplatin and irinotecan in patients with advanced colorectal cancer;
Initiate and report data from a Phase Ib expansion / Phase II study of NUC-3373 in combination with other agents for patients with colorectal cancer;
Initiate a Phase III study of NUC-3373 in combination with other agents for patients with colorectal cancer; and
Report data from the Phase I study (NuTide:301) of NUC-3373 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

NUC-7738 is a ProTide transformation of a novel nucleoside analog, 3’-deoxyadenosine. In 2021, NuCana expects to:
Report data from the Phase I study (NuTide:701) of NUC-7738 in patients with advanced solid tumors; and
Initiate a Phase II study of NUC-7738 in patients with solid tumors.