On October 22, 2015 RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (NASDAQ:RDHL) (TASE:RDHL) ("RedHill" or the "Company"), an Israeli biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on late clinical-stage, proprietary, orally-administered, small molecule drugs for inflammatory and gastrointestinal diseases, including cancer, reported that the U.S. National Cancer Institute ("NCI") has awarded Apogee Biotechnology Corporation ("Apogee") a $225,000 Small Business Innovation Research Program ("SBIR") grant to support a pre-clinical study with YELIVA (ABC294640) for the treatment of prostate cancer (Press release, RedHill Biopharma, OCT 22, 2015, View Source [SID:1234507765]). In March 2015, RedHill acquired from Apogee the exclusive worldwide rights to YELIVA (ABC294640), a proprietary, first-in-class, orally-administered sphingosine kinase-2 ("SK2") selective inhibitor. Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo! Following prior pre-clinical studies in early-stage and advanced prostate cancer models, the NCI grant is intended to support additional studies with YELIVA (ABC294640) to determine its therapeutic efficacy in in vitro and in vivo models of prostate cancer in combination with radiotherapy. These pre-clinical studies could potentially support future clinical studies with YELIVA (ABC294640) for this important indication with over 200,000 estimated new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. in 20151.
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 previous prostate cancer pre-clinical study, supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, a Prostate Cancer Foundation Young Investigator award, and a Prostate Cancer Foundation Mazzone Challenge award, is described in an article authored by scientists from Apogee and from the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, and was initially published online in Molecular Cancer Research. The article, entitled "Downregulation of Critical Oncogenes by the Selective SK2 Inhibitor ABC294640 Hinders Prostate Cancer Progression" 2, describes the findings of the pre-clinical study, suggesting that oral administration of YELIVA (ABC294640) disrupts multiple oncogenic signaling pathways that are deregulated in prostate cancer, including significant inhibition of tumor growth, proliferation and cell cycle progression. In particular, the article noted that YELIVA (ABC294640) inhibited, in vitro, several very resistant types of prostate cancer. The authors of the article conclude that their pre-clinical findings support the hypotheses that SK2 activity is required for prostate cancer growth and that YELIVA (ABC294640) could represent a new pharmacological agent for the treatment of aggressive prostate cancer.
A Phase I/II clinical study was recently initiated in the U.S. evaluating YELIVA (ABC294640) in patients with refractory/relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), primarily in patients with HIV-related DLBCL. The study is being conducted at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in New Orleans and is supported by a grant awarded to Apogee from the NCI Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program.
A Phase II study of YELIVA (ABC294640) for the treatment of refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma is planned to be initiated by early 2016. The study will be conducted at Duke University Medical Center and has received Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval from Duke University (DUHS IRB). The study is supported by a $2 million grant awarded to Apogee, in conjunction with Duke University, from the NCI SBIR Program.
A third Phase II clinical study is planned to evaluate YELIVA (ABC294640) as a radioprotectant to prevent mucositis in cancer patients undergoing therapeutic radiotherapy. This study is planned to be funded directly by RedHill, which is also funding the data management and providing the drug for the NCI-supported studies.
The ongoing and planned Phase II studies follow numerous successful pre-clinical studies conducted with YELIVA (ABC294640) in GI, inflammation, radioprotection and oncology models, as well as a Phase Ib study in patients with advanced solid tumors, supported by grants awarded to Apogee from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the FDA’s Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD).
The Phase I/II clinical study in patients with refractory/relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and the Phase Ib clinical study in cancer patients with advanced solid tumors are registered on www.ClinicalTrials.gov, a web-based service by the U.S. National Institute of Health which provides public access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies.
About YELIVA (ABC294640):
YELIVA (ABC294640) is a proprietary, first-in-class, orally-administered, sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) selective inhibitor with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities, targeting multiple oncology, inflammatory and gastrointestinal indications. By inhibiting the SK2 enzyme, YELIVA (ABC294640) blocks the synthesis of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a lipid signaling molecule that promotes cancer growth and pathological inflammation. SK2 is an innovative molecular target for anti-cancer therapy because of its critical role in catalyzing the formation of S1P, which is known to regulate cell proliferation and activation of inflammatory pathways. YELIVA (ABC294640) was originally developed by U.S.-based Apogee Biotechnology Corp. and completed multiple successful pre-clinical studies in oncology, inflammation, GI, and radioprotection models, as well as the ABC-101 Phase Ib clinical study in cancer patients with advanced solid tumors. A Phase I/II clinical study evaluating YELIVA (ABC294640) in patients with refractory/relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been initiated in the U.S. The development of YELIVA (ABC294640) was funded to date primarily by grants and contracts from U.S. federal and state government agencies to Apogee Biotechnology Corp., including the U.S. National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the U.S. Department of Defense and the FDA Office of Orphan Products Development.