On September 21, 2018 Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas" ) reported that XOSPATA Tablets 40 mg (generic name: gilteritinib), a FLT3 (FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3) inhibitor received manufacturing and marketing approval for the treatment of FLT3 mutation-positive relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in Japan (Press release, Astellas, SEP 21, 2018, View Source [SID1234536692]).

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AML is a cancer that impacts the blood and bone marrow, and its incidence increases with age. In Japan, approximately 5,500 patients are diagnosed with AML each year1. XOSPATA has demonstrated inhibitory activity against both internal tandem duplication (ITD) and tyrosine kinase domain (TKD), FLT3 mutations that are seen in approximately one-third of patients with AML.

This approval is based on the CR/CRh2 rate results from the interim analysis of the multinational Phase 3 ADMIRAL study. In October 2015, gilteritinib was designated as one of the first products in Japan to be included in the SAKIGAKE3 designation system. A similar application for approval was filed in the United States in March, 2018 and is currently under review.

With this approval, Astellas hopes to further contribute to the health of patients suffering from AML and to support healthcare professionals involved in the treatment of AML by providing new treatment options.

Astellas reflected the impact from this approval in its financial forecasts of the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2019.

On September 20, 2018 Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:KPTI), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, reported two oral presentations and one poster presentation highlighting previously reported clinical data relating to selinexor, the Company’s lead, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compound at the 21st Annual Meeting of the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology (CSCO) 2018 taking place September 19-23, 2018 in Xiamen, China (Press release, Karyopharm, SEP 20, 2018, View Source [SID1234529501]).

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"Given our recently executed strategic alliance with Antengene Corporation to develop selinexor in China, we are honored to share these key results from the STORM, STOMP and SADAL studies with the medical oncology community this year at CSCO," said Sharon Shacham, PhD, Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Karyopharm. "The CSCO annual meeting is among the most prestigious oncology conferences in China and presenting these important data further our goal of advancing selinexor in this important market and across the globe."

Details for the presentations at CSCO:

Oral presentations

Title: Phase 2b Results of the STORM Study: Oral Selinexor plus Low Dose Dexamethasone (Sd) in Patients with Penta-Refractory Myeloma (penta-MM)
Date and Time: Friday, September 21, 2018, from 16:42 to 16:50

Title: Single Agent Oral Plus Selinexor Exhibits Durable Responses in Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) of Both GCB and Non-GCB Subtypes: The Phase 2b SADAL Study
Date and Time: Saturday, September 22, 2018 from 8:45 to 8:55

ePoster presentation

Title: Selinexor Plus Low-Dose Bortezomib and Dexamethasone (SVd) Induces a High Response Rate in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma (RRMM)
Date and Time:Thursday, September 20 – Sunday, September 23, 2018

About Selinexor

Selinexor is a first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export (SINE) compound. Selinexor functions by binding with and inhibiting the nuclear export protein XPO1 (also called CRM1), leading to the accumulation of tumor suppressor proteins in the cell nucleus. This reinitiates and amplifies their tumor suppressor function and is believed to lead to the selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells, while largely sparing normal cells. To date, over 2,600 patients have been treated with selinexor. In April and September 2018, Karyopharm reported positive top-line data from the Phase 2b STORM study evaluating selinexor in combination with low-dose dexamethasone in patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma. Selinexor has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in multiple myeloma and Fast Track designation for the patient population evaluated in the STORM study. Karyopharm has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with a request for accelerated approval for oral selinexor as a new treatment for patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma. The Company also plans to submit a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in early 2019 with a request for conditional approval. Selinexor is also being evaluated in several other mid- and later-phase clinical trials across multiple cancer indications, including in multiple myeloma in a pivotal, randomized Phase 3 study in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) and low-dose dexamethasone (BOSTON), as a potential backbone therapy in combination with approved therapies (STOMP), in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (SADAL), liposarcoma (SEAL), and an investigator-sponsored study in endometrial cancer (SIENDO), among others. Additional Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies are ongoing or currently planned, including multiple studies in combination with approved therapies in a variety of tumor types to further inform Karyopharm’s clinical development priorities for selinexor. Additional clinical trial information for selinexor is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

On September 20, 2018 Exicure, Inc. (OTCQB:XCUR), the pioneer in gene regulatory and immunotherapeutic drugs utilizing three-dimensional spherical nucleic acid (SNA) constructs, reported that Phase 1 results for AST-008, an SNA consisting of toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) agonists designed for immuno-oncology applications (Press release, Exicure, SEP 20, 2018, View Source [SID1234529502]).

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"Phase 1 results for AST-008 demonstrated our desired highly potent immune system activation without serious adverse events or dose limiting toxicity. We believe this molecule could lead to better combination therapies for patients with cancer and, to that end, we expect to initiate a Phase 1b/2 trial in patients before year end," said Dr. David Giljohann, Chief Executive Officer of Exicure. "These data support the potential of our SNA platform for immuno-oncology and set the stage for ongoing development of the SNA platform into indications well beyond cancer."

Exicure’s Phase 1 Trial Results

The Phase 1 trial of AST-008 was a single ascending subcutaneous dose trial comprised of 16 healthy volunteers. AST-008 was shown to be safe and tolerable in all subjects, with no serious adverse events and no dose limiting toxicity. AST-008 was well tolerated and all AST-008-related adverse events were of short duration, reversible and consistent with TLR9 activation.

In addition to the principle safety and tolerability endpoint, the trial screened for levels of select cytokines and markers of immune cell activation. AST-008 was shown to elicit high levels of certain cytokines as well as activate important effector cells of the immune system including T cells and natural killer cells, the main drivers of anti-tumor response.

For the four subjects receiving the trial’s top dose of about 20 µg/kg of AST-008, initial analyses suggest that the average fold-increase above baseline for these cytokines is approximately as follows: IFN-gamma: 3 fold; IL-6: 57 fold; IL-12: 2 fold; IP-10: 32 fold; and MCP-1: 4 fold. At this dose, AST-008 also elicited 9.5 fold and 3.5 fold increases in the fraction of activated T cells and natural killer cells, respectively, compared to baseline.

Exicure’s Planned Phase 1b/2 Patient Trial

Exicure intends to begin an open-label Phase 1b/2 trial of intra-tumorally dosed AST-008 in combination with a checkpoint inhibitor before year end. The trial will begin with an AST-008 dose finding Phase 1b stage, followed by a Phase 2 expansion stage. In the Phase 1b, Exicure will enroll patients with superficial injectable tumors and will prioritize those with Merkel cell carcinoma, cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma, and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Preliminary data from the Phase 1b stage are expected in late 2019.

Historical TLR9 Agonist Healthy Volunteer Data

In 2015, Mologen AG published results (European Journal of Cancer, 2015, volume 51, supplement 1, page S12) from a healthy volunteer trial. In a single cohort, 13 subjects each received one 60 mg dose (equivalent to 923 µg/kg for a 65 kg subject) of lefitolimod subcutaneously. On average, across the cohort, there was a 7 fold-increase in IP-10 expression above baseline. No cell activation data were reported. Lefitolimod is currently in a Phase 3 clinical trial.

In 2004, Coley Pharmaceutical Group (now Pfizer, Inc.) published results (Journal of Immunotherapy, 2004, Volume 27, pages 460–471) from a single ascending dose healthy volunteer trial. In that trial, their TLR9 agonist, PF-03512676, was administered subcutaneously to six subjects per dose level. For the 20 µg/kg dose level, the average fold-increase above baseline for these cytokines is as follows: IFN-gamma: no change from baseline; IL-6: 8 fold; IL-12: no change from baseline; IP-10: 9 fold; and MCP-1: 3 fold.

On September 20, 2018 Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc. (the "Company" or "Y-mAbs") (Nasdaq:YMAB) a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel, antibody-based therapeutic products for the treatment of cancer, reported the pricing of its initial public offering of 6,000,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $16.00 per share, for gross proceeds of $96 million, before underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by the Company (Press release, Y-mAbs Therapeutics, SEP 20, 2018, View Source [SID1234529522]). All shares are being offered by the Company.

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In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 900,000 shares of common stock from the Company at the initial public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions.

The Company’s common stock is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol "YMAB" on Friday, September 21, 2018. The offering is expected to close on Tuesday, September 25, 2018, subject to customary closing conditions.

BofA Merrill Lynch and Cowen are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. Canaccord Genuity is acting as lead manager for the offering and BTIG is acting as co-manager for the offering.

A registration statement relating to the securities being sold in the offering was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on September 20, 2018. The offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus relating to this offering may be obtained, when available, by contacting BofA Merrill Lynch, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd Floor, Charlotte, NC 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department or by email at [email protected]; or Cowen and Company, LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, Attention: Prospectus Department, or by phone at (631) 274-2806.

Additionally, when available, copies of these documents may be obtained for free by accessing the EDGAR database on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

On September 20, 2018 Pierre Fabre reported that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorisation for the combination of BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) and MEKTOVI (binimetinib) for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAFV600 mutation, as detected by a validated test (Press release, Pierre Fabre, SEP 20, 2018, View Source [SID1234529504]).1,2 The EC decision is applicable to all 28 European Union (EU) member states plus Liechtenstein, Iceland and Norway.

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"We are extremely pleased that European patients with advanced BRAF-mutant melanoma will now have the combination of BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI as a new treatment option", said Frédéric Duchesne, President & CEO of the Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals Division. "All of us at Pierre Fabre are driven to make a real difference for patients. Bringing more than 30 years of oncology experience and our heritage in dermatology to our partnership with Array BioPharma, we have been able to harness our expertise in order to help men and women living with this devastating disease. Today’s news inspires us to continue pursuing new innovations that will benefit patients".

The EC decision, which follows the positive opinion by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in July, is based on results from the Phase 3 COLUMBUS trial.3 This trial demonstrated that the combination of BRAFTOVI 450 mg once daily and MEKTOVI 45 mg twice daily significantly improved median progression-free survival (PFS), compared with vemurafenib alone 960 mg twice daily (14.9 months versus 7.3 months, respectively: hazard ratio [HR] 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.41–0.71; two-sided p<0.0001).3 Data published in The Lancet Oncology4 in September 2018 demonstrated that treatment with BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI achieved a median overall survival (OS) of 33.6 months, compared with 16.9 months for patients treated with vemurafenib as a monotherapy (HR 0.61, 95% CI, 0.47–0.79; p<0.0001) in the planned analysis of OS in the COLUMBUS trial4. The most common adverse reactions (≥25%) occurring in patients treated with BRAFTOVI administered with MEKTOVI at the recommended dose (n=274 based on two Phase II trials and COLUMBUS) were fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, retinal detachment, abdominal pain, arthralgia, increased blood creatine kinase and myalgia.1,2 In the COLUMBUS trial, adverse events leading to discontinuation that were suspected to be related to the study treatment occurred in 6% of patients.3,4

"The European Commission’s approval is an important advance in improving the prognosis of patients with advanced BRAF-mutant melanoma", said Professor Reinhard Dummer, University of Zürich, Vice-Chairman of the Department of Dermatology in the University Hospital of Zürich, Switzerland, and investigator of the COLUMBUS study. "Physicians and patients will now have BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI as an effective and well-tolerated treatment combination option, which has been shown to delay disease progression and potentially prolong patients’ lives".

Important safety information and recommendations for the use of BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI are detailed in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC), published in the European public assessment report (EPAR) and available in all official EU languages.
See full SmPC at: View Source

On 27 June 2018, Pierre Fabre’s partner Array BioPharma, which has exclusive rights for these medicines in the United States (US), announced that the combination of BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAFV600E or BRAFV600K mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test.5,6 BRAFTOVI is not indicated for treatment of patients with wild-type BRAF melanoma.

About BRAF-mutant Metastatic Melanoma
Melanoma develops when unrepaired DNA damage to skin cells triggers mutations that may lead them to multiply and form malignant tumours. Metastatic melanoma is the most serious and life-threatening type of skin cancer and is associated with low survival rates.7,8 There are a variety of gene mutations that can lead to metastatic melanoma. The most common genetic mutation in metastatic melanoma is BRAF. There are more than 100,000 new cases of melanoma diagnosed in Europe each year,9 approximately half of which have BRAF mutations, a key target in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.10–11

About BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) and MEKTOVI (binimetinib)
BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) is an oral small-molecule BRAF kinase inhibitor and MEKTOVI (binimetinib) is an oral small-molecule MEK inhibitor that targets key enzymes in the MAPK signalling pathway (RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK). Inappropriate activation of proteins in this pathway has been shown to occur in many cancers, including melanoma, colorectal cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, thyroid and others.

Pierre Fabre has exclusive rights to develop and commercialise BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI worldwide, except in the US and Canada, where Array BioPharma retains exclusive rights; Israel, where Medison has exclusive rights; and in Japan and South Korea, where Ono Pharmaceutical has exclusive rights to commercialise both products.

BRAFTOVI + MEKTOVI Abbreviated EU Prescribing Information
▼These medicinal products are subject to additional monitoring. This will allow quick identification of new safety information. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions. See section 4.8 of SmPC for how to report adverse reactions.

Name of the medicinal products: BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) 75 mg hard capsules and 50 mg hard capsules. MEKTOVI (binimetinib) 15 mg film-coated tablets.

Clinical particulars:
Therapeutic indications: Encorafenib in combination with binimetinib is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF V600 mutation.

Posology and method of administration: Encorafenib treatment in combination with binimetinib should be initiated and supervised under the responsibility of a physician experienced in the use of anticancer medicinal products. Posology: The recommended dose of encorafenib is 450 mg (six 75 mg capsules) once daily, when used in combination with binimetinib. The recommended dose of binimetinib is 45 mg (three 15 mg tablets) twice daily corresponding to a total daily dose of 90 mg approximately 12 hours apart. Dose modification: The management of adverse reactions may require dose reduction, temporary interruption or treatment discontinuation (for complete information, please refer to SmPC 4.2 section). Method of administration: For oral use. The capsules of encorafenib are to be swallowed whole with water. They may be taken with or without food. The concomitant administration of encorafenib with grapefruit juice should be avoided. The tablets of binimitinib are to be swallowed whole with water. They may be taken with or without food.

Contraindications: Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1 of the BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI SmPc.

Special warnings and precautions for use: Encorafenib and binimetinib have to be given in combination. Before taking encorafenib in combination with binimetinib, patients must have BRAFV600 mutation confirmed by a validated test. For complete information on the following special warnings and precautions for use: Patients who have progressed on a BRAF inhibitor, patients with brain metastases. Left ventricular dysfunction, Haemorrhage, ocular toxicities. QT Prolongation, New primary malignancies, Cutaneous and non-cutaneous malignancies, Liver laboratory abnormalities, Hepatic impairment, Renal impairment, CK elevation and rhabdomyolysis, Hypertension, Venous thromboembolism (VTE), Pneumonitis/Interstitial lung disease, Lactose intolerance, please refer to BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI SmPC 4.4 section.

Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction: Encorafenib is primarily metabolised by CYP3A4. Therefore, concomitant administration of encorafenib with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors should be avoided. Agents that are CYP3A4 substrates (inhibitor and inducer) should be co-administered with caution. Binimetinib is primarily metabolised through UGT1A1 mediated glucuronidation. Therefore, inducers and inhibitors of UGT1A1 should be co-administered with caution. For complete information, please refer to SmPC, 4.5 section.

Undesirable effects: Summary of safety profile: At the recommended dose (n=274) in patients with metastatic melanoma, the most common adverse reactions (≥ 25%) occurring in patients treated with encorafenib administered with binimetinib were fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, retinal detachment, abdominal pain, arthralgia, blood CK increased and myalgia. For complete information, please refer to BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI SmPC 4.8 section.

For complete information please refer to the full SmPC which can be found at: View Source

About COLUMBUS
The COLUMBUS trial (NCT01909453) is a two-part, international, randomised, open-label, Phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of BRAFTOVI (encorafenib) in combination with MEKTOVI (binimetinib) compared with vemurafenib and encorafenib monotherapy in 921 patients with locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic melanoma with BRAFV600 mutation.12 The primary endpoint of the trial was median progression-free survival (PFS); all secondary efficacy analyses, including the prospectively planned analysis overall survival (OS), are descriptive in nature. More than 200 sites across North America, Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia participated in the COLUMBUS trial.

The EC decision is based on results from the Phase 3 COLUMBUS trial, which demonstrated that the combination improved median PFS, compared with vemurafenib alone (14.9 months versus 7.3 months, respectively: HR 0.54, 95% CI, 0.41–0.71; p<0.001).1–3 As presented at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) in June 2018, treatment with BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI achieved a median OS of 33.6 months, compared with 16.9 months for patients treated with vemurafenib as a monotherapy (HR 0.61, 95% CI, 0.47–0.79; p<0.0001) in the planned analysis of OS in the COLUMBUS trial.1–2,4 Adverse events leading to discontinuation that were suspected to be related to the study treatment occurred in 6% of patients.3,4 The most common Grade 3–4 adverse events, seen in more than 5% of patients, were: increased gamma-glutamyltransferase (9%), increased creatine phosphokinase (7%) and hypertension (6%).3,4