On November 9, 2018 Fortress Biotech, Inc. (NASDAQ: FBIO) ("Fortress"), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to acquiring, developing and commercializing novel pharmaceutical and biotechnology products, reported financial results and recent corporate highlights for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 (Press release, Fortress Biotech, NOV 9, 2018, View Source [SID1234531206]).

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!

Lindsay A. Rosenwald, M.D., Fortress’ Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Fortress and our subsidiaries continued to achieve important corporate and clinical milestones in the third quarter of 2018. Mustang Bio expanded its pipeline into gene therapy by securing an exclusive worldwide license for the development of a potentially first-in-class ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy for the treatment of X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency ("X-SCID") from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital ("St. Jude"). Additionally, Checkpoint Therapeutics announced positive interim safety and efficacy data from its Phase 1/2 clinical trial of CK-101, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor ("EGFR") inhibitor being evaluated in advanced non-small cell lung cancer ("NSCLC"). Finally, Cyprium Therapeutics’ product candidate for patients diagnosed with classic Menkes disease, CUTX-101, was granted Fast Track Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"). We plan to continue to acquire and develop compelling and, in some instances, potentially life-saving product candidates, which could lead to maximizing shareholder value."

Financial Results:

· As of September 30, 2018, Fortress’ consolidated cash, cash equivalents, short-term investments (certificates of deposit), cash deposits with clearing organizations and restricted cash totaled $136.1 million, compared to $168.3 million as of December 31, 2017, a decrease of $32.2 million year-to-date.
· Net revenue totaled $63.7 million for the third quarter of 2018, compared to $46.9 million for the third quarter of 2017. Total revenue as of September 30, 2018 includes $5.2 million of Fortress revenue, primarily from the sale of Journey Medical Corporation products, and $58.5 million of revenue from National Holdings Corporation1 ("National Holdings"). Total revenue as of September 30, 2017 included $2.5 million of Fortress revenue and $44.4 million of revenue from National Holdings.
· Research and development expenses were $16.1 million for the third quarter of 2018, of which $15.1 million was related to Fortress Companies. This compares to $15.9 million for the third quarter of 2017, of which $14.2 million was related to Fortress Companies. Non-cash, stock-based compensation expenses included in research and development were $1.8 million for the third quarter of 2018, compared to $1.6 million for the third quarter of 2017.
· Research and development expenses from license acquisitions were $3.7 million for the third quarter of 2018, compared to $0.3 million for the third quarter of 2017.
· General and administrative expenses were $12.2 million for the third quarter of 2018, of which $7.4 million was related to Fortress Companies. This compares to $15.1 million for the third quarter of 2017, of which $10.5 million was related to Fortress Companies. Non-cash, stock-based compensation expenses included in general and administrative expenses were $2.3 million for the third quarter of 2018, compared to $2.6 million for the third quarter of 2017.
· National Holdings’ operating expenses totaled $55.2 million for the third quarter of 2018, compared to $47.7 million for the third quarter of 2017.
· Net loss attributable to common stockholders was $16.6 million, or $0.37 per share, for the third quarter of 2018, compared to a net loss attributable to common stockholders of $27.1 million, or $0.67 per share, for the third quarter of 2017. For the first nine months of 2018, net loss attributable to common stockholders was $59.3 million or $1.36 per share, compared to $56.5 million or $1.39 per share in the first nine months of 2017.

On November 9, 2018 AVEO Oncology (NASDAQ: AVEO) reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 and provided a business update (Press release, AVEO, NOV 9, 2018, View Source [SID1234530993]).

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!

"The recent announcement of positive topline results from the Phase 3 TIVO-3 study in renal cell carcinoma is transformative for AVEO, and the next step of an ongoing, multi-year effort to ensure tivozanib (FOTIVDA) is available to patients for whom it could deliver its differentiated combination of efficacy and tolerability relative to other commercially available TKIs in RCC," said Michael Bailey, president and chief executive officer of AVEO. "We remain committed to our three-pillar strategy for tivozanib, which includes potential registration in the U.S., the ongoing commercialization of FOTIVDA in Europe with partner EUSA Pharma, and a broad exploration of tivozanib’s potential in combination with immunotherapies in cancer. Our recent achievements with TIVO-3 also provides a strong foundation to realize the potential of our pipeline, which includes two oncology-focused product candidates and three non-oncology product candidates."

Tivozanib TIVO-3 Study North America Update

Positive Topline Results from Phase 3 TIVO-3 Trial of Tivozanib in Renal Cell Carcinoma, with Goal to Submit NDA in Approximately Six Months. On Monday, November 5, 2018, AVEO announced positive topline results from the primary analysis of the TIVO-3 trial, the Company’s Phase 3 randomized, controlled, multi-center, open-label study to compare tivozanib to sorafenib in 351 subjects with refractory advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The trial met its primary endpoint of demonstrating a statistically significant benefit in progression-free survival (PFS). Patients receiving tivozanib demonstrated a 44% improvement in median PFS and a 26% reduction in risk of progression or death (hazard ratio (HR)=0.74; p=0.02). Preliminary overall survival (OS) at the time of the final PFS analysis was immature (only 46% of events reported) and showed no statistically significant difference (HR=1.06, p=0.69). 149 patients remain on treatment or in long term follow-up.

Tivozanib was generally well-tolerated, with adverse events consistent with those observed in previous tivozanib trials, including the Phase 3 TIVO-1 trial in front-line RCC. The most common adverse event in patients receiving tivozanib was hypertension, an on-target event known to reflect effective VEGF pathway inhibition and one managed by anti-hypertensive medication. Detailed results of the trial will be submitted for presentation at an upcoming major medical meeting.

Based on results from the TIVO-3 trial, together with the previously completed TIVO-1

trial of tivozanib in the first-line treatment of RCC, the Company plans to submit a potential New Drug Application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in approximately six months.

Tivozanib TiNivo Study Update

Updated Phase 2 Results from the TiNivo Trial of Tivozanib and Nivolumab (OPDIVO) in RCC Presented at the 2018 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. Updated Phase 2 data from the Phase 1b/2 TiNivo study of tivozanib in combination with nivolumab (OPDIVO, Bristol-Myers Squibb), an immune checkpoint, or PD-1, inhibitor, were presented at the 2018 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting in Munich. As of the date of the presentation, the Phase 1b/2 study had enrolled a total of 28 patients, and the Phase 2 portion of the study (n=22) was designed to assess the safety, tolerability, and anti-tumor activity of the full dose and schedule of oral tivozanib as established in the Phase 1b portion of the study.

The data demonstrated that the tivozanib-nivolumab combination continued to exhibit synergistic efficacy and favorable tolerability. Treatment-related Grade 3/4 adverse events occurred in 60% of patients, the most common of which was hypertension. Preliminary efficacy was assessed in all 25 patients, who were treated with the full dose and schedule of oral tivozanib in combination with intravenous nivolumab. Of these patients, 13 (52%) had received at least one prior systemic therapy, including 2 (8%) that had received prior PD-1 therapy, and 12 (48%) were treatment naïve. An overall response rate was observed in 14 patients (56%) (complete response plus partial response), including 1 patient (4%) achieving a complete response, and a disease control rate (complete response plus partial response plus stable disease) was observed in 24 patients (96%). The 2 patients (8%) who received prior PD-1 therapy both achieved a partial response. At the time of data collection, 13 patients (52%) remained on study and 18 patients (72%) had tumor shrinkage of at least 25%, with a majority of patients having disease control for at least 48 weeks.

Tivozanib (FOTIVDA) European Union Updates

Tivozanib (FOTIVDA) Launched in Sweden, the Netherlands and Scotland for the Treatment of RCC. Since the beginning of the third quarter of 2018, FOTIVDA was launched in Sweden, the Netherlands and Scotland for the first-line treatment of adult patients with RCC, following price and reimbursement approvals within each country. FOTIVDA is now available in Germany, the U.K., Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden. FOTIVDA was granted European Commission approval in August 2017 for the treatment of adult patients with RCC in the European Union plus Norway and Iceland.

Under its agreement with EUSA Pharma, licensee for tivozanib in the territories of Europe (excluding Russia, Ukraine and the Commonwealth of Independent States), Latin America (excluding Mexico), Africa and Australasia for all diseases and conditions in humans, excluding non-oncologic diseases or conditions of the eye, AVEO is entitled to double-digit royalty payments on net sales of FOTIVDA in Europe, up to $8.0 million in

milestone payments for potential reimbursement approvals for Germany, France, Italy, and Spain and a potential $20.0 million R&D reimbursement payment for access to TIVO-3 trial data in addition to other regulatory and commercial milestone payments.

Ficlatuzumab Update

Trials in Progress Poster for Phase 2 Study of Ficlatuzumab in Combination with Cetuximab in HNSCC Presented at the 2018 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. An investigator-sponsored Phase 2 trial of ficlatuzumab and cetuximab (ERBITUX), an EGFR-targeted antibody, in patients with cetuximab-resistant, metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) was presented as a trials in progress poster at the 2018 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. This randomized multi-center study, which is being conducted under the direction of Julie E. Bauman, MD, MPH, Professor of Medicine, Chief, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Associate Director of Translational Research, University of Arizona Cancer Center, is expected to enroll approximately 60 patients randomized to receive either ficlatuzumab alone or ficlatuzumab and cetuximab.

CAN017 (AV-203) Update

CANbridge IND for CAN017 (AV-203) Trial in Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer Accepted in China. In August 2018, AVEO announced that the China National Drug Administration (CNDA) accepted CANbridge Life Sciences’ Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for a Phase 1b/3 clinical trial of CAN017 (AV-203), AVEO’s clinical-stage ErbB3 (HER3) inhibitory antibody candidate, in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). Under the terms of a March 2016 agreement, the acceptance of the IND triggered a $2.0 million milestone payment to AVEO from CANbridge Life Sciences. CANbridge licensed worldwide rights, excluding the United States, Canada, and Mexico, to AV-203 from AVEO, and AVEO is eligible to receive up to $40.0 million in potential additional development and regulatory milestone payments and up to $90.0 million in potential commercial milestone payments, assuming the successful achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercialization objectives.

Financial Update

Secured Additional Funding through Offering of Common Stock. In August 2018, AVEO announced an underwritten public offering of 2,500,000 shares of common stock at a price of $2.26 per share, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds of $5.7 million. In October and November 2018, the Company sold 3,781,389 shares of its common stock in at-the market transactions pursuant to its sales agreement with Leerink Partners LLC (Leerink) and received approximately $8.4 million in net proceeds.

Third Quarter 2018 Financial Highlights

AVEO ended Q3 2018 with $20.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as compared with $33.5 million at December 31, 2017.

Total revenue for Q3 2018 was approximately $2.5 million compared with $4.6 million for Q3 2017.

Research and development expense for Q3 2018 was $5.2 million compared with $4.7 million for Q3 2017.

General and administrative expense for Q3 2018 was $2.7 million compared with $2.1 million for Q3 2017.

Net loss for Q3 2018 was $22.2 million, or a loss of $0.18 per basic and diluted share, compared with net loss of $26.4 million for Q3 2017, or a loss of $0.22 per basic and diluted share. Approximately $16.2 million of Q3 2018 net loss was a non-cash loss attributable to the increase in the fair value of the 2016 private placement warrant liability that principally resulted from the increase in the stock price that occurred within the quarter. In Q3 2017, the non-cash loss attributable to the increase in the fair value of such warrant liability was $23.5 million.

Financial Guidance

AVEO believes that its $20.4 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities at the end of Q3 2018 and the additional $8.4 million raised from sales under its sales agreement with Leerink in October and November 2018 would allow it to fund planned operations into the second quarter of 2019. This estimate assumes no receipt of additional milestones from AVEO’s partners, no additional funding from new partnership agreements, no additional equity or debt financings, and no sales of equity through the exercise of outstanding warrants issued in connection with the 2016 private placement or outstanding warrants issued in connection with the recent settlement of the securities class action litigation.

On November 9, 2018 BioXcel Therapeutics, Inc. ("BTI") (Nasdaq: BTAI), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical development company utilizing novel artificial intelligence approaches to identify the next wave of medicines across neuroscience and immuno-oncology, reported quarterly results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2018 and provided an update on key strategic and operational initiatives (Press release, BioXcel Therapeutics, NOV 9, 2018, View Source [SID1234531025]).

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!

During the third quarter of 2018, the Company made several advances in the development of its two lead clinical programs, BXCL501, a proprietary sublingual thin film formulation of dexmedetomidine (Dex), and BXCL701, an orally-available systemic innate-immune activator.

Third Quarter 2018 and Recent Highlights:

(BXCL501)-Neuroscience Program-

A first-in-human pharmacokinetic (bioavailability) and safety study for the sublingual thin film formulation of Dex is expected to be initiated by the end of 2018 following approval of the investigational new drug (IND) application;

Received valuable feedback and guidance on further development of BXCL501 during a pre-investigational new drug meeting with FDA;

Appointed a clinical research organization (CRO) to support the company in conducting and managing clinical studies;

Completed manufacturing of Company’s proprietary sublingual thin film formulation of Dex, and the drug is available for clinical studies;

Data readout from the pharmacokinetic and safety study of BXCL501 is expected in the first half of 2019;

Expect data readouts from intravenous (IV) Dex studies supporting BXCL501 development in acute agitation in patients with schizophrenia and senile dementia of the Alzheimer’s type (SDAT) in coming weeks;

Established an industry leading neuro advisory board to support global development of BXCL501 and emerging neuroscience programs.

(BXCL701)-Immuno-Oncology Program-

Received FDA acceptance of IND application for Phase 1b/2 clinical study to evaluate BXCL701 in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in treatment emergent neuroendocrine prostate cancer (tNEPC); trial initiation is expected in fourth quarter of 2018;

Completed manufacturing of BXCL701 drug product, available for clinical studies;

Selected a leading CRO to support the Company in conducting and managing clinical studies;

Data from the pharmacokinetic, safety and efficacy study of BXCL701 in tNEPC expected to be available throughout 2019;

Entered a clinical immuno-oncology (IO) partnership with Nektar Therapeutics to develop combination of BXCL701, Nektar Therapeutics’ NKTR‑214 and a checkpoint inhibitor as a potential treatment for pancreatic cancer; companies will be sharing the cost of the trial;

Established an industry leading IO clinical advisory board to support global development of BXCL701 and emerging programs.

Emerging Programs-

Continued the use of the artificial intelligence platform to select and prioritize additional pipeline opportunities to augment the current neuroscience and IO portfolio.

Business & Operations-

Strengthened management team with drug development experts including:

Chetan Lathia, Ph.D. as Senior Vice President and Head of Translational Medicine, Clinical Pharmacology and Regulatory Affairs, to support advancement of the pipeline programs.

David Hanley, Ph.D. as Vice President and Head of Global Pharmaceutical Development and Operations, to lead the pharmaceutical development activities and operational efforts.

Vimal Mehta, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of BTI, commented, "We have made tremendous progress during the past quarter that we believe is truly transformational for BTI. We are well positioned to execute on our clinical programs across our two primary areas of focus."

"In September, we received FDA IND clearance for our first-in-human Phase 1b/2 trial to evaluate BXCL701 in combination with Keytruda as a potential therapy for tNEPC. We anticipate initiating this clinical study prior to year-end. In addition, we expanded our research collaboration with Nektar Therapeutics into a new clinical partnership for further development of the triple combination of BXCL701, Nektar Therapeutics’ NKTR‑214 and a checkpoint inhibitor. Today, we are presenting encouraging preclinical data on the triple combination across multiple tumor models at the 2018 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting. This study demonstrated robust anti-tumor activity resulting in complete tumor regression in certain in vivo models and generation of functional immunological memory, supporting the triple combination as a potential therapy for pancreatic cancer and other tumors."

"Following our productive interactions with the FDA on BXCL501, we plan to initiate our first-in-human pharmacokinetic (bioavailability) and safety trial once our IND is approved. The aim of this trial is to define the optimal dose of BXCL501 and collect sufficient clinical data to proceed to a Phase 3 registration trial in 2019. We have previously reported positive data from our trial of IV Dex, which were essential in determining the ideal dosing strategy. We now expect that data from the IV Dex studies in patients with schizophrenia and SDAT will be available by the end of 2018."

"We are de-risking clinical development of our lead candidates through patient selection optimization, translational research and predictive biomarker discovery utilizing artificial intelligence approaches. Further, we continue to identify additional opportunities for BXCL501 and BXCL701 and plan to pursue their development. We anticipate filing both INDs and clinical trial applications for additional indications across multiple locations, in an effort to establish our global footprint and leverage the significant value of our lead clinical programs."

Dr. Mehta concluded, "We remain firmly committed to our goal of providing patients with transformative therapies while also creating value for our shareholders. We are very excited by

what the future holds for our company and look forward to delivering on the anticipated milestones."

Third Quarter 2018 Financial Results

BTI reported a net loss of $4.9 million for the third quarter of 2018, compared to a net loss of $0.9 million for the same period in 2017.

Research and development expenses were $3.8 million for the third quarter of 2018, as compared to $0.6 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to an expansion of research and development activities, including increased personnel costs, professional fees, clinical trials, and manufacturing costs associated with BTI’s two lead drug candidates.

General and administrative expenses were $1.3 million for the third quarter of 2018, as compared to $0.3 million for the same period in 2017. The increase was primarily due to additional payroll and payroll-related expenses, professional fees and costs associated with operating as a public company.

As of September 30, 2018, cash and cash equivalents totaled $47.1 million.

Upcoming investor conferences:

·

Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference, November 14‑15, 2018, London

·

2018 Prescriptions for Success Healthcare Conference, December 12, 2018, New York

·

Investor access event at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, January 7‑10, 2019, San Francisco

About BXCL501:

BXCL501 is a first in class, sublingual film of dexmedetomidine, a selective alpha 2a receptor agonist for the treatment of acute agitation. BTI believes that BXCL501 directly targets a causal agitation mechanism and has demonstrated anti-agitation effects in preclinical and clinical studies. It has a well-established regulatory and reimbursement path in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as demonstrated by a previously-approved drug, Adasuve.

About BXCL701:

BXCL701 is a first in class oral immunotherapy with dual mechanisms of action, with an established safety profile from 700 healthy subjects and cancer patients. Designed to stimulate both the innate and acquired immune systems, BXCL701 works by inhibiting dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) 8/9 and blocking immune evasion by targeting fibroblast activation protein (FAP). Preclinical combination data evaluating BXCL701, a checkpoint inhibitor and other IO agents has demonstrated encouraging anti-tumor activity in multiple tumor types and formation of functional immunological memory. It is under development for tNEPC and pancreatic cancer.

On November 9, 2018 Alpine Immune Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALPN), a leading immunotherapy company focused on developing innovative treatments for cancer, autoimmune/inflammatory, and other diseases, reported advancements in the company’s oncology program (Press release, Alpine Immune Sciences, NOV 9, 2018, View Source [SID1234531104]). Following promising preclinical data presented today at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 33rd Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., the company remains on track to initiate human clinical trials of ALPN-202, a PD-L1/CTLA-4 dual antagonist with PD-L1 dependent CD28 costimulation, in the fourth quarter of 2019. Additionally, Alpine has strengthened its Scientific Advisory Board with the addition of key oncology leaders – Rafi Ahmed, Ph.D., James Welsh, M.D., and John Thompson, M.D.

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!

ALPN-202 Preclinical Study Results Presented at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper)’s 33rdAnnual Meeting

Alpine presented the results of a preclinical study of ALPN-202 in a poster session today, strongly supporting the proposed mechanism of action of ALPN-202 via activation of the immune system in a differentiated way from current checkpoint therapies. ALPN-202 is a novel molecule designed to block the inhibitory immune checkpoints PD-L1 and CTLA-4 while providing PD-L1 dependent T cell activation via the CD28 costimulatory pathway. It has previously been demonstrated to have efficacy in an MC38-based colorectal cancer model, superior to the FDA-approved PD-L1 inhibitor durvalumab. Today’s poster correlates these findings with superior intratumoral immune cell infiltration and effector gene signatures, as well as favorable changes in T cell receptor profiles, consistent with ALPN-202’s proposed multi-modal mechanism of action.

"ALPN-202 is differentiated from currently approved checkpoint inhibitors by providing T cell costimulation in addition to dual checkpoint antagonism. We believe that the provision of costimulation, such as via CD28, will be critical to improving response rates during checkpoint inhibition," said Stanford Peng, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development and Chief Medical Officer of Alpine. "In this way, ALPN-202 could result in superior monotherapy efficacy over single or even dual checkpoint antagonists. We anticipate initiating human clinical trials of ALPN-202 for the treatment of advanced malignancies in the fourth quarter of 2019."

The preclinical study evaluated the anti-tumor responses of ALPN-202 compared with durvalumab in mice implanted with human PD-L1 transduced MC38 tumors. Results showed ALPN-202:

Produced dose-dependent anti-tumor responses, including potent single-dose activity
Induced a greater tumor inflammation gene signature than durvalumab
Induced increased T cell infiltration and T cell-related effector gene signatures compared to durvalumab
Promoted both increased T cell receptor clonality and richness, consistent with ALPN-202’s multiple mechanisms of action
NKp30/ICOSL vIgD-Fc program demonstrates tumor-localized costimulation

In a second preclinical study, Alpine used its variant immunoglobin domain (vIgD) platform to engineer novel NKp30/ICOSL vIgD fusion proteins. The resulting therapeutic is designed to agonize two T cell costimulatory receptors ICOS and CD28 only in the presence of B7-H6, a tumor antigen overexpressed in certain cancer types such as some forms of esophageal, kidney, rectal, and stomach cancers.

Results showed the NKp30-ICOSL vIgD-Fc fusion proteins:

Conferred potent T cell costimulation in vitro, with enhanced T cell proliferation and cytokine production only in response to B7-H6-expressing target cells. In contrast, ICOSL and NKp30 vIgDs alone in the absence of B7-H6 were not inflammatory.
Demonstrated efficacy in a B7-H6-positive CT26 mouse colon cancer model, especially when administered in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor. The proteins were not effective on a B7-H6-negative parental CT26 tumors, demonstrating target specificity.
Dr. Peng added, "These results are encouraging because they indicate that NKp30/ICOSL vIgD-Fc fusion proteins in particular may provide a novel therapeutic strategy to provide tumor-specific immunomodulation in a B7-H6-dependent fashion and support the utility of Alpine’s platform in developing novel targeted agents in oncology."

Scientific Advisory Board Appointments

Drs. Rafi Ahmed, James Welsh, and John Thompson have been appointed to the Alpine Immune Sciences Scientific Advisory Board. They join a team of distinguished translational and clinical scientists including Andrew Scharenberg, M.D, Scientific Advisory Board Chair, Manish Butte, M.D, Ph.D, and Paul Tumeh, M.D.

"We welcome Rafi, James, and John to the Alpine Scientific Advisory Board," said Andy Scharenberg, M.D. "The support of these scientific leaders and their belief in Alpine’s vision to bring novel molecules to patients will be important as we work to advance our oncology programs into the clinic next year."

Dr. Rafi Ahmed, Ph.D. is a highly respected researcher who has contributed significant influential work over the past decade in shaping the current understanding of memory T cell differentiation and anti-viral T and B cell immunity. He is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Emory University, where he is also Director of the Emory Vaccine Center, and a Georgie Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Vaccine Research. He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

"I am looking forward to working with the Alpine team as they have a unique approach of targeting T cells," said Dr. Ahmed. "My lab previously published research showing how CD28/B7 pathway costimulation is required for anti PD-1 antibody efficacy, so I’m particularly excited work with Alpine on their ALPN-202 program."

Dr. James Welsh, M.D. is a Tenured Physician Scientist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he serves as the Head of the Immune Radiation program with the goal of using radiation to turn the tumor into an "in-situ" vaccine in order to prime T cells, turning radiation into a systemic therapy. Dr. Welsh and his team recently developed the first mouse model of PD-1 resistance to investigate the mechanisms how cancer cells adapt to evade the immune system.

Dr. John Thompson, M.D. is the Medical Director of the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program and Co-Director of the Melanoma Clinic at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. He also serves as a Professor in the Medical Oncology Division at the University of Washington School of Medicine and is a member of the Clinical Research Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Dr. Thompson is a member of several medical societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper), the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) (Free AACR Whitepaper), the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper), and the National Kidney Cancer Association. He has authored or co-authored more than 150 articles, appearing in the Journal of Immunology, Blood Leukemia, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Clinical Cancer Research, among others.

On November 9, 2018 Unum Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: UMRX), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel cellular immunotherapies, reported that the Company will present preclinical data on the potential of its proprietary ACTR technology in HER2+ solid tumors and details on the design of its planned Phase 1 clinical trial to test ACTR707 in combination with trastuzumab at the upcoming San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium taking place December 4-8, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas (Press release, Unum Therapeutics, NOV 9, 2018, View Source [SID1234531190]).

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!

In preclinical testing, Unum has demonstrated robust activity of its proprietary ACTR T cells in combination with trastuzumab. Importantly, preclinical data demonstrate that, unlike certain CAR-T cells that target HER2, ACTR T cells are highly selective for HER2-overexpressing tumor cells and discriminate against cells from normal tissues that express low levels of HER2. Additionally, the activity of ACTR T cell has been shown to be dose-dependent, demonstrating control of ACTR activity by modulation of trastuzumab concentration. Together these data suggest that ACTR cells in combination with trastuzumab may exhibit an improved clinical therapeutic index.

"We are encouraged by these preclinical data, which further highlight our novel ACTR technology pipeline and demonstrate our innovative approach to overcoming current challenges in the solid tumor setting," said Seth Ettenberg, Chief Scientific Officer of Unum.

"We have an active IND to evaluate ACTR707 in combination with trastuzumab as a potential treatment for HER2+ solid tumor cancers in a Phase I trial called ATTCK-34-01, and we remain on track to initiate this study before the end of 2018," said Michael Vasconcelles, Chief Medical Officer of Unum. "We look forward to continuing our work in the solid tumor setting and reporting initial data in 2019."

ATTCK-34-01 is a multicenter, single-arm, open-label dose escalation study evaluating ACTR T cells in combination with trastuzumab. The primary study objectives are to assess the safety and tolerability of the combination, and to define dose recommendations for further study. Additional objectives include assessment of anti-tumor activity, ACTR T cell persistence and trastuzumab pharmacokinetics.

Details on the presentation are as follows:

Presentation Title: Antibody-Coupled T cell Receptor (ACTR) engineered autologous T cells in combination with trastuzumab for the treatment of HER2-positive malignancies
Session Title: HER2-Targeted Therapy
Date & Time: Thursday, 12/6/18; 5 – 7 PM
Location:Henry G. Gonzalez Convention Center