On February 03, 2016 Advaxis, Inc. (NASDAQ:ADXS), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing cancer immunotherapies, reported that it has entered into a co-development and commercialization agreement with Especificos Stendhal SA de CV ("Stendhal"), for Advaxis’ lead Lm Technology immunotherapy, axalimogene filolisbac (ADXS-HPV), in HPV-associated cancers (Press release, Advaxis, FEB 3, 2016, View Source [SID:1234508953]). Stendhal is a privately held Latin American specialty pharmaceutical company that partners with leading drug companies to deliver effective solutions for life-threatening diseases in Latin American markets.

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Under the terms of the Agreement, Stendhal will pay $10 million toward the expenses of AIM2CERV, a planned global Phase 3 clinical trial in women with high-risk, locally advanced cervical cancer. This payment covers a significant portion of the total planned study costs. Stendhal will also work with Advaxis to complete the clinical trial of axalimogene filolisbac in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and other investigational sites in Latin American countries. Additionally, Stendhal will manage the regulatory approval process, promotion, commercialization and market access for axalimogene filolisbac in these markets. Advaxis and Stendhal will share profits on a pre-determined basis.

Stendhal has a long history of partnering with leading pharmaceutical companies to bring therapies for HIV, infectious disease, and neurologic and cardiovascular disease to its Latin American markets. This new partnership with Advaxis will expand its growing portfolio in oncology and is one of the first of its kind in Latin America to make cancer immunotherapies available in the region.

HPV-related cancer is a looming public health issue in Latin America. According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer mortality rates are three times higher in Latin America and the Caribbean than in North America. More than 83,000 women are diagnosed annually and, without intervention, mortality is projected to increase to 45 percent by 2030. HPV is also prevalent in 90.4 percent of anal cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"We’re pleased to announce our agreement with Stendhal, which enables us to greatly expand the clinical program for, and the potential impact of, axalimogene filolisbac in HPV-related cancers," said Daniel J. O’Connor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Advaxis. "We now have the potential to address an important unmet medical need in an area of the world where the rate of HPV-associated cancers is unfortunately extremely high."

"Our mission is to bring new treatments to Latin America and ensure that patients have access to therapies that have the potential to save their lives. Women throughout our region are facing increasing rates of HPV and the burden of cervical cancer," said Carlos Arenas, Chief Executive Officer of Stendhal. "It is through partnerships such as this one that we can alter the course of disease and address the health inequalities many in Latin America face."

About Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. In the U.S., nearly 13,000 new cases are diagnosed annually and approximately 4,100 deaths are reported because of cervical cancer. According to the WHO/ICO Information Centre on HPV and Cervical Cancer, about 3.9 percent of women in the U.S. are estimated to harbor high-risk cervical HPV infection at a given time, and 71.7 percent of invasive cervical cancers are attributed to high-risk HPV strains.

About Anal Cancer

Anal cancer is a fairly rare form of cancer in the United States, but the number of new anal cancer cases has been rising for years. The risk of being diagnosed with anal cancer in one’s lifetime is about 1 in 500. According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 7,270 new cases of anal cancer were diagnosed and about 1,010 people died of the disease in 2014.

HPV-Associated Head and Neck Cancers

More than 90 percent of head and neck squamous cell oropharyngeal cancers originate from the mucosal linings of the oral cavity, pharynx, or larynx. Currently, 60 to 80 percent of these cancers are caused by HPV. Head and neck cancers are treated by surgical removal of the cancer and lymph nodes, often followed by radiation and chemotherapy based on the extent of the disease. While patients may achieve good long-term survival, standard treatments can change their physical appearance and are associated with significant short and long-term toxicities which may interfere with salivary gland function, taste, smell, and the ability to swallow.

The incidence of HPV-associated head and neck cancers has been increasing at an epidemic rate, while head and neck cancers from other causes have been decreasing. According to the WHO, approximately 15 to 20 percent of the 400,000 new cases of head and neck cancer are HPV-related. In the US, there are about 12,000 new cases of HPV-associated head and neck cancer per year and it affects men about 3 times more frequently than women. HPV-associated head and neck cancer is growing fastest in developed countries like the U.S.

About Axalimogene Filolisbac

Axalimogene filolisbac (ADXS-HPV) is Advaxis’ lead Lm Technology immunotherapy candidate for the treatment of HPV-associated cancers and is in clinical trials for three potential indications: invasive cervical cancer, head and neck cancer, and anal cancer. In a completed randomized Phase 2 study in recurrent/refractory cervical cancer, axalimogene filolisbac showed apparent prolonged survival, objective tumor responses, and a manageable safety profile alone or in combination with chemotherapy, supporting further development of the company’s Lm Technology. Axalimogene filolisbac has Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. for the treatment of anal cancer.

On February 03, 2016 Heat Biologics, Inc. ("Heat") (Nasdaq:HTBX), an immuno-oncology company developing novel therapies that activate a patient’s immune system against cancer, reported that the company has recently concluded that the cell line on which HS-410 is based had been previously misidentified(Press release, Heat Biologics, FEB 3, 2016, View Source [SID:1234508949]).

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Heat has advised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of this conclusion, and the FDA has placed Heat’s HS-410 Phase 2 clinical trial on partial clinical hold while they review the updated documentation provided by Heat. Heat believes the partial clinical hold does not relate to concerns regarding the safety of HS-410. All currently enrolled patients can continue receiving HS-410 treatment, or comparator drugs, as per the current study protocol, but no new patients can be enrolled in Heat’s open-label, monotherapy arm until the partial clinical hold is lifted. Heat will amend all necessary documents including the related investigator brochure, study protocol and informed consent document.

Heat is working diligently in collaboration with the FDA to resume enrollment in its clinical trial. Heat has confirmed that HS-410 drug product has remained consistent throughout all clinical trials and anticipates continuing development of HS-410 for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with the existing cell line, contingent upon FDA’s removal of the partial clinical hold. All data generated and reported to date remains unchanged, including HS-410’s positive safety profile, immune response and shared antigenic profile with patient tumors. Heat anticipates that the partial clinical hold will be resolved quickly and that enrollment timelines for its Phase 2 trial evaluating HS-410 either alone or in combination with standard of care, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), for the treatment of NMIBC will remain materially unchanged. As previously announced, Heat completed enrollment for the trial’s randomized, combination arms in October 2015 and continues to expect to report topline efficacy, immune-response and safety data in the fourth quarter of 2016.

About HS-410 (vesigenurtacel-L)

HS-410 is an investigational product candidate for NMIBC based on Heat’s proprietary ImPACT immunotherapy platform, designed to generate CD8+ "killer" T cells that attack cancer cells. HS-410 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2, placebo-controlled, 100-patient NMIBC trial at multiple centers and has been granted U.S. FDA Fast Track Designation for the treatment of NMIBC.

On February 3, 2016 AstraZeneca reported that the European Commission (EC) has granted conditional marketing authorisation for TAGRISSO (AZD9291, osimertinib) 80mg once-daily tablets for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (Press release, AstraZeneca, FEB 3, 2016, View Source [SID:1234508941]).

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Osimertinib is indicated for patients with T790M mutation-positive NSCLC, irrespective of previous treatment with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). Eligibility for treatment with osimertinib will be dependent on mutation status, to be determined through a validated diagnostic test based on a tumour tissue sample or plasma. Availability of a blood-based test for circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) means that physicians and patients have multiple options to test for a T790M mutation.

Sean Bohen, Executive Vice President, Global Medicines Development and Chief Medical Officer at AstraZeneca, said: "Osimertinib defines a new generation of targeted EGFR-TKI treatments, and the European Commission’s expedited approval reflects the importance of this innovative medicine for addressing the needs of patients with lung cancer who have the T790M mutation. We are now building on our understanding of the clinical activity of osimertinib to explore its full potential in patients with EGFRm lung cancer in multiple treatment settings."

Dr Matthew Peters, Chair of the Global Lung Cancer Coalition, added: "It is an exciting time in the care of patients with lung cancer. The ability to precisely characterise patients who have different types of lung cancer based on genetic mutations, and predict their response to targeted treatments, offers a more accurate and efficient approach to lung cancer care. Patients with common sensitising EGFR mutations and the separate T790M have disappointing responses to standard treatments. Testing for the T790M status of lung cancer patients, using either a tumour sample or a simple blood test, and directing patients towards a medication such as osimertinib that is specifically designed for their pattern of mutations, offers greater prospects for durable treatment outcomes."

Mutations in the EGFR receptor can lead to uncontrolled cell growth and tumour formation. Osimertinib targets both the EGFR mutation that triggers cancer development and T790M, a mutation that makes tumours resistant to existing treatment with EGFR-TKIs. Nearly two out of three patients with NSCLC whose disease progresses after treatment with an EGFR inhibitor develop the T790M mutation, for which treatment options are limited. A small number of patients (approximately 3-5%) have the T790M mutation at NSCLC diagnosis.

The EU approval for osimertinib is based on data from two Phase II studies (AURA extension and AURA2) and the AURA Phase I expansion study, which demonstrated efficacy in 474 patients with EGFRm T790M NSCLC who had progressed on or after an EGFR-TKI. In the combined Phase II studies, the objective response rate (ORR, a measurement of tumour shrinkage) was 66%, and in the Phase I study it was 62%. Progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.7 months in the combined Phase II studies and 11 months in the Phase I trial. Median duration of response (DOR) in the Phase I study was 9.7 months, and in the combined Phase II studies, median DOR was not reached.

The most common adverse events based on data from the two AURA Phase II studies were generally mild to moderate and included diarrhoea (42% all grades; 1.0% Grade 3/4), rash (41% all grades; 0.5% Grade 3/4), dry skin (31% all grades; 0% Grade 3/4) and nail toxicity (25% all grades; 0% Grade 3/4). Warnings and precautions include interstitial lung disease and QT interval prolongation.

The EU marketing authorisation was received through the Accelerated Assessment procedure of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). This approval follows US Accelerated Approval granted in November 2015 and availability in the UK under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme in December 2015. In Japan, osimertinib was granted Priority Review by the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA). Interactions with regulatory authorities in the rest of the world are ongoing.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women, accounting for about one-third of all cancer deaths, and more than breast, prostate and colorectal cancers combined. Patients who have the EGFRm form of NSCLC, which occurs in 10-15%of NSCLC patients in Europe and 30-40%of NSCLC patients in Asia, are particularly sensitive to treatment with currently available EGFR-TKIs, which block the cell signalling pathways that drive the growth of tumour cells. However, tumours almost always develop resistance to treatment, leading to disease progression. In approximately two-thirds of patients treated with the approved EGFR-TKIs, gefitinib, erlotinib or afatinib, this resistance is caused by the secondary mutation, T790M.

About osimertinib

Osimertinib 80mg once-daily tablet is the first medicine indicated for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic EGFR T790M mutation-positive NSCLC. Non-clinical in vitro studies have demonstrated that osimertinib has high potency and inhibitory activity against mutant EGFR phosphorylation across the range of clinically relevant EGFRm and T790M mutant NSCLC cell lines with significantly less activity against EGFR in wild-type cell lines.

Osimertinib is being compared with platinum-based doublet chemotherapy in the confirmatory AURA3 Phase III study in patients with EGFR T790M-positive, locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who have progressed after EGFR-TKI therapy. It is also being investigated in the adjuvant and metastatic first-line settings, including in patients with brain metastases, and in combination with other compounds.