On Feb 9, 2015 Cellular Biomedicine Group reported its acquisition of Chinese PLA General Hospital’s (“PLAGH”, Beijing, also known as “301 Hospital”) Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy, its recombinant expression vector CD19, CD20, CD30 and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor’s (EGFR or HER1) Immuno-Oncology patents (all pending), and Phase I/II clinical data of the aforementioned therapies and manufacturing knowledge (Press release Cellular Biomedicine Group, FEB 9, 2015, View Source [SID:1234501528]).

“This CAR-T cell technology acquisition further accelerates CBMG’s growth in the Immuno-Oncology segment. We look forward to working with PLAGH as a long-term partner as we evaluate paths to commercialization,” commented Dr. William (Wei) Cao, Chief Executive Officer of Cellular Biomedicine Group.

CAR-T cell therapy involves engineering cancer patients’ own immune cells to recognize and attack their tumors. Wei Dong Han, MD, PhD, head of PLAGH’s Biotherapy Department, is a renowned key opinion leader in the cancer immunotherapy field. Professor Han’s team has conducted several preliminary clinical studies of various CAR-T constructs targeting CD19-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia, CD20-positive lymphoma, CD30-positive Hodgkin’s lymphoma and EGFR-HER1-positive advanced lung cancer. PLAGH is a top-ranking medical center in China, holding to the highest academic standards. The hospital consists of 125 clinical, medical and technological departments and 4,000 patient beds, with annual volumes of approximately 4 million patients and more than 65,000 surgeries.

Prior to acquiring PLAGH’s technology, the Company has made progress with recent acquisitions of Agreen Biotech Co. Ltd. and its T-Cell Memory technology (Tcm), T Cell Receptor clonality analysis technology, as well as another third generation CAR-T, anti-PD-1, CD19 and aAPC cancer immunotherapy technologies from Persongen Biotechnology Ltd. Together with PLAGH’s technology, CBMG’s state-of-the art infrastructure and clinical platform, along with these acquired technologies will enable improvement of cancer immune cell therapies and strategic combination therapies which will boost the Company’s Immuno-Oncology presence, and pave the way for future partnerships.

“We are very impressed by the quality of the work done by Dr. Han and his team at PLAGH, and are excited by the safe and efficacious profile of these novel T cell therapies for cancerous diseases, which we deem necessary to be a leader in this field while providing alluring prospective therapies for other cancers. This is the beginning of a long-term strategic partnership between CBMG and PLAGH. Together, we will expeditiously continue our quest in developing safer and more effective cancer immunotherapy programs with leading hospitals and other partners,” said Dr. William (Wei) Cao, Chief Executive Officer of Cellular Biomedicine Group.

On February 9, 2015 Oncolytics Biotech reported that it has submitted an application for Orphan Drug Designation to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) for REOLYSIN for the treatment of high grade gliomas (HGG) in pediatric patients (Press release Oncolytics Biotech, FEB 9, 2015, View Source [SID:1234501512]). Oncolytics has conducted three previous clinical studies in brain cancers including gliomas, and has found that REOLYSIN can infect a variety of brain tumors when delivered intravenously.

“High grade gliomas are typically a very aggressive form of cancer. They remain difficult to treat, particularly in pediatric patients, and are associated with poor survival outcomes,” said Dr. Brad Thompson, President and CEO of Oncolytics. “While surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy may be treatment options, REOLYSIN may offer these patients an alternative, more targeted therapeutic approach to treatment.”

The FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation status to products that treat rare diseases, providing incentives to sponsors developing drugs or biologics. The FDA defines rare diseases as those affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States at any given time. Orphan Drug Designation provides the sponsor certain benefits and incentives, including a period of marketing exclusivity if regulatory approval is ultimately received for the designated indication, potential tax credits for certain activities, eligibility for orphan drug grants, and the waiver of certain administrative fees. The receipt of Orphan Drug Designation status does not change the regulatory requirements or process for obtaining marketing approval. For more information, please visit: View Source

According to the US Central Brain Tumor Registry an estimated 4,620 new cases of primary malignant and non-malignant brain and central nervous system tumors will be diagnosed in pediatric and adolescent patients in 2015. In patients between zero and 19 years old, the overall total incidence of HGG (including anaplastic astrocytoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, glioblastoma, mixed glioma, and malignant glioma) is approximately 0.8 per 100,000.

On February 6, 2015 Janssen-Cilag International NV (Janssen) announced today that the European Commission has approved a variation to the terms of the marketing authorisation of VELCADE (bortezomib) in combination with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisone for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) who are unsuitable for blood stem-cell transplantation (Press release Johnson & Johnson, FEB 6, 2015, View Source [SID:1234501514]).

The decision from the European Commission follows a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) on 18 December 2014.[1] This approval allows for the marketing of VELCADE for the above indication in all 28 countries of the European Union (EU). The approval of VELCADE in MCL is based on data from the Phase 3 study, LYM-3002.[2]

In the European Union, VELCADE is currently indicated for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), another rare blood-based cancer, either as monotherapy or in combination with other treatment regimens.[3]

MCL is considered a rare and aggressive type of blood cancer, which can be challenging to treat and is associated with a poor prognosis.[4],[5]

“We are delighted that the European Commission has approved extending the indications for use of VELCADE to include first-line therapy for patients with mantle cell lymphoma. We already offer IMBRUVICA as a second-line treatment in MCL and are pleased to be able to provide additional treatment options for this disease to patients and physicians,” said Thomas Stark, Vice President, Medical Affairs, Janssen Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Study Efficacy Results

LYM-3002 was a randomised, open-label, active-controlled, multicentre, international, prospective Phase 3 study including 487 patients with newly diagnosed MCL who were ineligible, or not considered, for bone marrow transplantation.

The results showed significant benefits when treating patients with MCL using a VELCADE-based combination (VR-CAP[*]), compared to a widely used standard of care combination (R-CHOP[†]) that did not include VELCADE.[2] The VR-CAP regimen significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS), the primary endpoint, and showed improvements across a range of secondary endpoints.[2] An independent review committee reported the increase in PFS to be 59 percent (median 24.7 vs. 14.4 months; HR 0.63; p<0.001), whereas the study investigators reported the increase in PFS to be 96 percent (median 30.7 vs. 16.1 months; HR 0.51; p<0.001).[2] Study Safety Results VR-CAP was associated with additional, but manageable, toxicity when compared to R-CHOP.[2] Overall, among patients receiving VR-CAP compared to R-CHOP, serious adverse events (AE) were reported in 38 percent vs. 30 percent of patients and grade ≥3 AEs were reported in 93 percent vs. 85 percent. Discontinuations of treatment due to AEs were nine percent (VR-CAP) vs. seven percent (R-CHOP) and on-treatment drug-related deaths were two percent vs. three percent.[2] About VELCADE (bortezomib) The European Commission approval of the variation to the terms of the marketing authorisation means that VELCADE is now licensed in the EU to treat mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), a blood-based cancer, in untreated adults who are unsuitable for blood stem-cell transplantation. For MCL, VELCADE is used in combination with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and prednisone.[1] VELCADE is also currently approved in the EU for the treatment of MM, another rare blood-based cancer, for the following groups of patients:[3] Previously untreated adults who are unsuitable for high-dose chemotherapy with a blood stem-cell transplant. In these patients, VELCADE is used in combination with melphalan and prednisone; Previously untreated patients who are going to receive high-dose chemotherapy followed by a blood stem-cell transplant. In this group of patients, VELCADE is used in combination with dexamethasone, or with dexamethasone plus thalidomide; Adults whose disease is getting worse after at least one other treatment and who have already had, or cannot undergo, a blood stem-cell transplant. VELCADE is either used on its own in these patients or in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin or dexamethasone. VELCADE contains an active substance called bortezomib and is the first in a specific class of medicines known as proteasome inhibitors. Proteasomes are present in all cells and play an important role in controlling cell function, growth and also how cells interact with other cells around them. Bortezomib reversibly interrupts the normal working of cell proteasomes, inducing the cancerous cells, to stop growing and die.[3] VELCADE has a predictable safety profile and a favourable benefit-risk ratio, which can be used in elderly patients and people with mild to moderate renal impairment.[6] The most common side effects reported with VELCADE (bortezomib)include fatigue, gastrointestinal adverse events, transient thrombocytopenia and neuropathy.[3] VELCADE is commonly used in the treatment of various stages of MM. The product is co-developed by Millennium, the Takeda Oncology Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies. Millennium is responsible for commercialisation of VELCADE in the U.S.; Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies are responsible for commercialisation in Europe and the rest of the world. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited and Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K. co-promote VELCADE in Japan. VELCADE is approved in more than 90 countries and has been used to treat more than 550,000 patients worldwide.