FORMA THERAPEUTICS ACHIEVES CLINICAL CANDIDATE LICENSING MILESTONE FOR AN EPIGENETIC COMPOUND IN STRATEGIC ALLIANCE WITH CELGENE CORPORATION

On June 17, 2015 FORMA Therapeutics reported that they have successfully met a preclinical development candidate milestone in their strategic collaboration agreement with Celgene Corporation, announced in April 2014, under which FORMA and Celgene will discover, develop and commercialize drug candidates (Press release, Forma Therapeutics, JUN 17, 2015, View Source [SID:1234509340]).

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This collaboration enables Celgene to evaluate named clinical candidate profiles and elect to license development and commercialization rights in a stepwise manner, upon FORMA’s successful completion of defined preclinical activities. Celgene has obtained an exclusive EU license for a defined clinical program and related compounds, in exchange for an undisclosed payment to FORMA. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, FORMA will advance this program through Phase 1, and Celgene will be responsible thereafter for all further global clinical development for each licensed candidate. Phase 1 studies will begin in the second half of 2015.

Paolo Paoletti, M.D., Research and Development Committee Chair for FORMA’s Board of Directors added, "FORMA’s highly differentiated clinical candidate in the exciting area of epigenetics will be advanced for both solid and liquid tumors which may improve the lives of patients worldwide. The joint collaboration with Celgene and their steadfast commitment to oncology provides FORMA with a unique opportunity to advance an innovative pipeline of novel therapies."

Medivation and Astellas Announce Enrollment of the First Patients in Advanced Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry

On June 17, 2015 Medivation and Astellas reported that the first patients have been enrolled in TRUMPET (Treatment Registry for Outcomes in CRPC Patie nts), a prospective observational patient registry designed to better understand the unique needs and treatment patterns for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) (Press release, Medivation, JUN 17, 2015, View Source [SID:1234505447]). The registry will enroll and evaluate 2,000 patients diagnosed with CRPC from urology and oncology sites across the United States. The study will also collect data from the primary caregivers of patients, including spouses, family members and/or friends.

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"While there have been many treatment advances in prostate cancer over the past few years, there is still a great deal for us to learn. The insights from TRUMPET can directly impact our research and increase our understanding of important treatment considerations," said Jeffrey Bloss, M.D., senior vice president, Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc. "This registry provides an important building block to support our commitment to providing effective, evidence-based cancer care for patients and their caregivers."

TRUMPET will follow patients with CRPC and participating caregivers for up to six years to gather information about the management of the disease, including patterns of care, treatment decisions and settings, and physician referral patterns. The registry will also track information about patient health-related quality of life outcomes, work productivity and treatment satisfaction, as well as caregiver health-related quality of life outcomes associated with managing a patient with CRPC.

"As a direct result of advances in therapies available to treat patients with CRPC, treatment decisions have become more complex than ever," said David F. Penson, M.D., M.P.H., chair, department of urologic surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "TRUMPET will expand our scientific understanding of CRPC to help healthcare professionals, patients and their loved ones make more informed decisions about their care."

TRUMPET is currently enrolling eligible patients and their caregivers; the study will be completed in 2020.

Seattle Genetics Announces Multiple ADCETRIS® (Brentuximab Vedotin) Data Presentations at the International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma

On June 17, 2015 Seattle Genetics reported several ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) data presentations at the 13th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma (ICML) being held June 17 to 19, 2015, in Lugano, Switzerland (Press release, Seattle Genetics, JUN 17, 2015, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2060135 [SID:1234505449]). ADCETRIS is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) directed to CD30, which is expressed in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (sALCL) and several other types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Seven oral presentations and one poster at ICML demonstrate the breadth of the clinical development program for ADCETRIS. Data include an additional analysis of the phase 3 AETHERA clinical trial showing that up to 16 cycles (approximately one year) of ADCETRIS consolidation therapy following autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) significantly extended progression-free survival (PFS) versus placebo for those patients with primary-refractory HL. In addition, data from several corporate and investigator-sponsored trials with ADCETRIS showed activity in a variety of HL and NHL treatment settings. ADCETRIS is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for relapsed HL and sALCL and was granted conditional marketing authorization by the European Commission for relapsed or refractory HL and sALCL.

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"Since the initial FDA approval of ADCETRIS in 2011 for the treatment of relapsed HL and sALCL, it has been approved in more than 55 countries, and our clinical development program has expanded to include more than 30 corporate and investigator-sponsored clinical trials in CD30-expressing malignancies," said Clay B. Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. "The ADCETRIS data presented at ICML support our broad development plans for ADCETRIS. In the near-term, we anticipate an FDA decision on its use in the AETHERA setting as a post-transplant consolidation therapy, and, ultimately, our goal is to move even earlier into the treatment paradigm and redefine frontline treatment of HL with the addition of ADCETRIS."

Analysis of primary-refractory Hodgkin lymphoma patients in a randomized, placebo-controlled study of brentuximab vedotin consolidation after autologous stem cell transplant (Seattle Genetics and Takeda; Abstract #120, oral presentation Friday, June 19, 2015, at 11:50 a.m. CEST)

Data were reported from an additional analysis of the phase 3 AETHERA clinical trial evaluating PFS by investigator in patients who were refractory to frontline treatment. Previously published data suggest primary-refractory HL patients have poor outcomes following ASCT, as demonstrated by the historical two-year PFS and three-year overall survival rates of less than 40 percent and 50 percent, respectively. Of the 329 patients enrolled in the AETHERA trial, 60 percent (196 patients) were primary-refractory to frontline treatment.

Results of the analysis demonstrated:

Two-year PFS rates per investigator among primary-refractory patients on the ADCETRIS and placebo arms were 60 percent and 42 percent, respectively, consistent with the primary analysis in the full intent-to-treat population.

Subgroup analyses of patients by disease characteristics as well as number of risk factors showed that PFS was improved broadly across subgroups, including patients with B-symptoms, extranodal involvement and those who received more than two systemic anticancer treatments pre-ASCT.

Adverse events in primary-refractory patients who received ADCETRIS were consistent with the known safety profile.

Additional AETHERA data were included in a poster presentation reporting the frequency of healthcare resource utilization (HRU) among patients on the two treatment arms of the trial. Preliminary reports suggest a trend toward lower HRU in patients treated with ADCETRIS compared with placebo.

ADCETRIS is currently not approved for use in the AETHERA treatment setting. Based on the positive results from the AETHERA trial, a supplemental Biologics License Application (BLA) for ADCETRIS in the post-ASCT consolidation treatment of HL patients at high risk of relapse or progression was accepted for filing by the FDA. The FDA granted Priority Review for the application and the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date is August 18, 2015.

Additional ADCETRIS corporate and investigator presentations are included below and full abstracts can be found in the ICML Educational and Abstract Book accessed on the ICML website at www.lymphcon.ch.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Healthcare utilization in the AETHERA trial: phase 3 study of brentuximab vedotin in patients at increased risk of residual Hodgkin lymphoma post ASCT (Seattle Genetics and Takeda; Abstract #177, poster presentation)

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Brentuximab vedotin plus AVD for non-bulky limited stage classical Hodgkin lymphoma: A phase 2 trial (Investigator-sponsored; Abstract #087, oral presentation at 5:15 p.m. CEST)

Preliminary efficacy and safety of brentuximab vedotin and AVD chemotherapy followed by involved-site radiotherapy in early stage, unfavorable risk Hodgkin lymphoma (Investigator-sponsored; Abstract #088, oral presentation at 5:25 p.m. CEST)

Sequential brentuximab vedotin and AVD for older Hodgkin lymphoma patients: Initial results from a phase 2 multicenter study (Investigator-sponsored; Abstract #089, oral presentation at 5:35 p.m. CEST)

A phase 1 study of brentuximab vedotin (Bv) and bendamustine (B) in patients with relapsed or refractory Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) and anaplastic large T-Cell lymphoma (ALCL) (Investigator-sponsored; Abstract #090, oral presentation at 5:45 p.m. CEST)

Brentuximab vedotin demonstrates antitumor activity in CD30+ DLBCL (Seattle Genetics; Abstract #091, oral presentation at 5:55 p.m. CEST)

Updated results of a phase 2 trial of brentuximab vedotin combined with RCHOP in frontline treatment of pts with high-intermediate/high-risk DLBCL (Seattle Genetics; Abstract #092, oral presentation at 6:05 p.m. CEST)

ADCETRIS is not currently approved for use in frontline HL, in combination with bendamustine for relapsed or refractory HL and sALCL, or in DLBCL.

About ADCETRIS

ADCETRIS is being evaluated broadly in more than 30 ongoing clinical trials, including four phase 3 studies, in earlier lines of its approved HL and sALCL indications as well as in many additional types of CD30-positive malignancies, including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, B-cell lymphomas and mature T-cell lymphomas.

ADCETRIS (brentuximab vedotin) is an ADC comprising an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody attached by a protease-cleavable linker to a microtubule disrupting agent, monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), utilizing Seattle Genetics’ proprietary technology. The ADC employs a linker system that is designed to be stable in the bloodstream but to release MMAE upon internalization into CD30-expressing tumor cells.

ADCETRIS for intravenous injection received accelerated approval from the FDA and approval with conditions from Health Canada for two indications: (1) the treatment of patients with HL after failure of ASCT or after failure of at least two prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimens in patients who are not ASCT candidates, and (2) the treatment of patients with sALCL after failure of at least one prior multi-agent chemotherapy regimen. The indications for ADCETRIS are approved under accelerated approval based on overall response rate. An improvement in patient-reported outcomes or survival has not been established. Continued approval for these indications may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in confirmatory trials.

ADCETRIS was granted conditional marketing authorization by the European Commission in October 2012 for two indications: (1) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory CD30-positive HL following ASCT, or following at least two prior therapies when ASCT or multi-agent chemotherapy is not a treatment option, and (2) the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory sALCL. ADCETRIS has received marketing authorization by regulatory authorities in more than 55 countries. See important safety information below.

Seattle Genetics and Takeda are jointly developing ADCETRIS. Under the terms of the collaboration agreement, Seattle Genetics has U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights and Takeda has rights to commercialize ADCETRIS in the rest of the world. Seattle Genetics and Takeda are funding joint development costs for ADCETRIS on a 50:50 basis, except in Japan where Takeda will be solely responsible for development costs.

BioInvent progresses collaboration with leading U.S. biotechnology company

On June 17, 2015 BioInvent International (OMXS: BINV) announces that its partnership with a leading U.S. biotechnology company advances to next phase (Press release, BioInvent, JUN 17, 2015, http://www.bioinvent.com/media-centre/press-releases/release/?ReleaseID=838A03317B4A0E87 [SID:1234506546]). The collaboration aims to discover novel therapeutic antibodies to be incorporated into the U.S. company’s CAR-T programs.

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The unnamed biotech company signed earlier this year a license to get access to BioInvent’s unique ability to discover antibodies with the antibody library n-CoDeR. The first of up to three targets covered by the agreement has now been identified and the work to develop appropriate antibodies can thus be initiated.

Under the license agreement BioInvent may receive revenue in the form of potential clinical milestone payments and royalties on future sales of any product developed as a result of the collaboration. In addition, BioInvent is in the early phase of the collaboration entitled to limited compensation for the work to identify antibodies against the first target.

"We are excited to start the identification of appropriate antibodies using our unique technology platform. We are delighted to be partnering with one of the world’s most innovative biotechnology companies on a project of such potential significance." stated Michael Oredsson, CEO of BioInvent.

This kind of agreement allow us to further strengthen BioInvent’s prominent position within the immuno-oncology field and to use our n-CoDeR library in new clinical applications. At the same time it contributes to offset costs relating to our internal development of innovative antibody-based cancer drugs", concluded Michael Oredsson.

CAR-Ts are T cells that have been removed from the body and attached through genetic engineering to an antibody fragment that recognizes a specific tumor protein. The result is a cancer immunotherapy drug with the killing power of a greatly enhanced T cell, combined with the tumor-targeting ability of an antibody.

FORMA THERAPEUTICS ANNOUNCES ACHIEVEMENT OF MULTIPLE COLLABORATION MILESTONES WITH BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM FOR MODULATING PROTEIN-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS

On June 17, 2015 FORMA Therapeutics reported the achievement of several discovery milestones in their alliance with Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) for the discovery of novel drug candidates against protein-protein interactions (PPI) for the treatment of cancer. Financial milestones payable to FORMA for this achievement have not been disclosed (Press release, Forma Therapeutics, JUN 17, 2015, View Source [SID:1234509337]).

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"FORMA’s continued successes within the BI partnership, an agreement originally announced in January 2012 and with milestones achieved in 2014, underscore our ability to make tractable progress in the challenging area of protein-protein interactions," said Steven Tregay, Ph.D., President and CEO, FORMA Therapeutics. "Investment in creative and talented individuals, as well as fully exploiting various technology platforms, has provided FORMA with keen insights into three-dimensional protein structure and druggable binding pockets. We are quite pleased to have contributed to BI’s drug discovery pipeline by identifying a panel of novel scaffolds across multiple targets."