On November 18, 2016 Argos Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:ARGS) ("Argos"), an immuno-oncology company focused on the development and commercialization of individualized immunotherapies based on the Arcelis technology platform, and its partner Cellthera Pharm ("Cellthera"), a subsidiary of Pharmstandard focused on personalized therapeutics, reported the presentation of data on a murine ("mouse") model developed by Cellthera to determine functional activity of a therapy modeled after Argos’ AGS-003 individualized immunotherapy (Press release, Argos Therapeutics, NOV 18, 2016, View Source [SID1234516678]). The data were presented at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) 31st Annual Meeting, which was held November 11-13 in National Harbor, Maryland.

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The data presented demonstrated the favorable effects of the AGS-003-like therapy as a single agent and in combination with sunitinib and a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor in a murine model of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). "Our model provides some exciting survival data using an AGS-003-like therapy in a murine kidney cancer model that has proven useful in exploring combinations with other agents in a relevant preclinical setting," said Dr. Alexander Shuster, chairman of Cellthera. In this experiment the agents were administered alone or together 7 days prior to the inoculation of tumor cells and then each group was followed for tumor reduction and survival. Dr. Shuster continued, "The prophylactic mouse data show the superiority of the AGS-003-like therapy as a single agent versus control in both survival and enhanced control of tumor growth. Furthermore, the AGS-003-like therapy when combined with sunitinib or a PD-1 checkpoint inhibitor outperformed each agent alone, and the combination of all three therapies demonstrated the strongest survival advantage."

Argos is currently evaluating AGS-003 in combination with standard of care agents in the pivotal ADAPT Phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Enrollment in this 462-patient study was initiated in February 2013 and completed in July 2015. The Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) for this study most recently recommended continuation of the study following a meeting in June 2016, with the next IDMC meeting planned for February 2017. In addition, AGS-003 is being studied in Phase 2 investigator-initiated clinical trials as neoadjuvant therapy for RCC and for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

"These mouse data support the expectation of enhanced clinical benefit for the combination of AGS-003 with checkpoint inhibitors and, importantly, also show that amplified total tumor RNA is essential to the anti-tumor activity of Arcelis-derived dendritic cells," noted Dr. Charles Nicolette, chief scientific officer and vice president of research and development at Argos. "Additionally, the observation in mice that the AGS-003-like therapy and sunitinib are each active separately and lead to improved control of tumor growth when combined bodes well for our ongoing Phase 3 ADAPT trial in advanced renal cell carcinoma where AGS-003 is initially being combined with sunitinib."

A copy of this and other Argos-related publications can be found at:
View Source

About the Arcelis Technology Platform
Arcelis is a precision immunotherapy technology that captures both mutated and variant antigens that are specific to each patient’s individual disease. It is designed to overcome immunosuppression by producing a specifically targeted, durable memory T-cell response without adjuvants that may be associated with toxicity. The technology is potentially applicable to the treatment of a wide range of different cancers and infectious diseases and is designed to overcome many of the manufacturing and commercialization challenges that have impeded other personalized immunotherapies. The Arcelis process uses only a small disease sample or biopsy as the source of disease-specific antigens and the patient’s own dendritic cells, which are optimized from cells collected by a leukapheresis procedure. The proprietary process uses RNA isolated from the patient’s disease sample to program dendritic cells to target disease-specific antigens. These activated, antigen-loaded dendritic cells are then formulated with the patient’s plasma and administered via intradermal injection as an individualized immunotherapy.

On November 17, 2016 Triphase Accelerator Corporation, a private drug development company dedicated to advancing novel compounds through Phase 2 proof-of-concept, reported that Celgene Corporation, through an affiliate, has acquired the company’s assets related to its proteasome inhibitor, marizomib (MRZ), which is in development for glioblastoma and relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma (Press release, Celgene, NOV 17, 2016, View Source [SID1234527214]).

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Under the terms of the agreement, Celgene will make an upfront payment plus additional regulatory, approval and sales milestone payments. Specific financial terms were not disclosed. "This acquisition validates the potential of marizomib based on early clinical results. Our vision is to become a leading early stage oncology drug development company, and this first opt-in by Celgene brings us a step closer to achieving that goal," said Mohit Trikha, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, Triphase Accelerator Corporation. "Just as importantly, this transaction affords us the opportunity to accelerate our efforts on advancing other assets in our pipeline."

"Consistent with our deep commitment and passion for the patients, glioblastoma is an area of significant unmet medical need, and Celgene is committed to helping these patients. We are pleased with Triphase Accelerator’s rapid and high quality work to date, and we value the exceptional collaboration we have with them to advance marizomib," said Celgene’s President of Hematology Oncology, Michael Pehl.

Going forward Celgene has full responsibility for the development of marizomib and will pay Triphase to complete the ongoing clinical studies with marizomib, including a Phase 1 study in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma, a Phase 2 study in recurrent glioma and a Phase 1 study in newly diagnosed glioma.

About Marizomib
Marizomib is a novel, brain-penetrant proteasome inhibitor, which inhibits all three proteasome subunits.

Triphase Accelerator is developing marizomib in both intravenous (IV) and oral formulations as a proteasome inhibitor for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The IV formulation has been evaluated in more than 300 patients in multiple clinical studies in patients with solid and hematologic malignancies, either as a single agent or in combination with dexamethasone, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, or an immunomodulatory drug.

The company is currently evaluating marizomib in a proof-of-concept clinical study in combination with bevacizumab (Avastin) in patients with Grade IV malignant glioma (glioblastoma), and has received Orphan Drug designation for marizomib in glioblastoma in the United States from the FDA. In addition, Triphase Accelerator is currently developing marizomib in combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, and has received Orphan Drug designation for marizomib in multiple myeloma in the United States and the European Union. Triphase Accelerator is also evaluating an oral formulation in preclinical studies.

Marizomib has not been approved for any use in any country.

On November 15, 2016 Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: CLRB) (the "company"), an oncology-focused, clinical stage biotechnology company, reported it has selected INC Research (Nasdaq: INCR), a leading, global Phase I to IV contract research organization, to oversee its NCI-supported Phase II clinical trial of CLR 131 in patients with multiple myeloma and select hematologic malignancies (Filing, 8-K, Cellectar Biosciences, NOV 17, 2016, View Source [SID1234516654]). The company anticipates that its $2M NCI grant will cover approximately 50 percent of the study’s cost, and the terms of the grant allow Cellectar to pursue an additional $3M for a pivotal Phase III trial of the company’s lead radiotherapeutic compound.

Cellectar plans to leverage the results of its 80-patient, Phase II study to optimally design its pivotal trial of CLR 131 in multiple myeloma and other hematologic malignancies. The multi-armed study will include relapse/refractory patients with multiple myeloma (MM), chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL), lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL), marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), and potentially diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), who have been treated with standard therapy for their underlying malignancies. The company recently accelerated its guidance and announced plans to initiate the trial during the first quarter of 2017.

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"INC Research has outstanding experience in cancer clinical research and a strong reputation within the hematology community. With strong investigator relationships, proven operational expertise and a commitment to high-quality data, they are the ideal partner for this important trial," said Jim Caruso, president and CEO of Cellectar. "Given the accelerated initiation of our Phase II study to the first quarter of 2017 and that we will utilize as many as 15 participating sites, we can confidently plan on providing initial efficacy data in the second half of 2017."

About CLR 131
CLR 131 is an investigational compound under development for a range of hematologic malignancies. It is currently being evaluated in a Phase I clinical trial in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. The company plans to initiate a Phase II clinical study to assess efficacy in a range of B-cell malignancies in the first quarter of 2017. Based upon preclinical and interim Phase I study data, treatment with CLR 131 provides a novel approach to treating hematological diseases and may provide patients with therapeutic benefits, including overall response rate (ORR), an improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall quality of life. CLR 131 utilizes the company’s patented PDC tumor targeting delivery platform to deliver a cytotoxic radioisotope, iodine-131 directly to tumor cells. The FDA has granted Cellectar an orphan drug designation for CLR 131 in the treatment of multiple myeloma.

About Phospholipid Drug Conjugates (PDCs)
Cellectar’s product candidates are built upon its patented cancer cell-targeting delivery and retention platform of optimized phospholipid ether-drug conjugates (PDCs). The company deliberately designed its phospholipid ether (PLE) carrier platform to be coupled with a variety of payloads to facilitate both therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The basis for selective tumor targeting of our PDC compounds lies in the differences between the plasma membranes of cancer cells compared to those of normal cells. Cancer cell membranes are highly enriched in lipid rafts, which are glycolipoprotein microdomains of the plasma membrane of cells that contain high concentrations of cholesterol and sphingolipids, and serve to organize cell surface and intracellular signaling molecules. PDCs have been tested in over 70 different xenograft models of cancer.

About Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is the second most common blood or hematologic cancer with approximately 30,000 new cases in the United States every year. It affects a specific type of blood cells known as plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce antibodies to help fight infections. While treatable for a time, multiple myeloma is incurable and almost all patients will relapse or the cancer will become resistant/refractory to current therapies.

On November 17, 2016 Spectrum Pharmaceuticals (NasdaqGS: SPPI), a biotechnology company with fully integrated commercial and drug development operations with a primary focus in Hematology and Oncology, reported that scientists from MD Anderson Cancer Center will be presenting data from a preclinical study evaluating poziotinib in lung cancer at the 17th International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) World Conference on Lung Cancer taking place in Vienna, Austria, December 4-7, 2016 (Press release, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, NOV 17, 2016, View Source [SID1234516662]).

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"Poziotinib has shown promising efficacy in preclinical models of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with exon 20 insertion mutations," said John Heymach, MD, PhD, Chairman, Professor, and David Bruton Junior Chair in Cancer Research, Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. "Tumors with these mutations have generally not been responsive to approved EGFR inhibitors, and there is an unmet need for better therapies for these patients. Computational modeling suggests that poziotinib may overcome steric hindrance of the drug binding pocket induced by the exon 20 insertion mutations. Based on these results, we are in the process of initiating a Phase 2 study in lung cancer that we plan to start in the near future."

"Poziotinib has already shown promising data in breast cancer, and we are excited that it may now have application in lung cancer as well," said Rajesh C. Shrotriya, MD, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals. "Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. Due to the mutations in the genes, lung cancer often becomes unresponsive to treatments. Patients who have exon 20 insertion mutations have few options, if any. We look forward to working closely with MD Anderson Cancer Center to continue development of this drug in this area of unmet medical need."

17th IASLC World Conference on Lung Cancer

Abstract Title:
Poziotinib overcomes de novo resistance of EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations in NSCLC
Oral Presentation Schedule:
December 7, 2016 Session "Novel Strategies in Targeted Therapies"
Abstract Link:
View Source

About Poziotinib

Poziotinib is a novel, oral pan-HER inhibitor that irreversibly blocks signaling through the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR, HER) Family of tyrosine-kinase receptors, including HER1 (erbB1; EGFR), HER2 (erbB2), and HER4 (erbB4), and importantly, also HER receptor mutations; this, in turn, leads to the inhibition of the proliferation of tumor cells that overexpress these receptors. Mutations or overexpression/amplification of EGFR family receptors have been associated with a number of different cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), breast cancer, and gastric cancer.

On November 16, 2016 ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARIA), a rare cancer-focused innovative biotechnology company, reported that clinical data on brigatinib, its investigational anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, will be presented at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) 17th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) being held in Vienna, December 4 to 7, 2016 (Press release, Ariad, NOV 16, 2016, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2223132 [SID1234516644]).

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"We are excited that updated data from the ALTA trial on brigatinib in patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer will be presented at WCLC this year. We continue to be encouraged by the activity and safety profile seen in the ALTA trial, and especially the correlation between investigator and independent review assessments of response and response durability. ALTA data to be presented at the meeting will include approximately three months of additional follow-up as compared to the abstract," stated Timothy P. Clackson, Ph.D., president of research and development and chief scientific officer at ARIAD.

The ALTA trial

The ALTA (ALK in Lung Cancer Trial of AP26113) trial enrolled 222 patients with ALK-positive (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had been treated with and experienced disease progression on their most recent crizotinib therapy. Patients were randomized one-to-one to receive either 90 mg of brigatinib once per day (QD) (Arm A), or 180 mg QD, preceded by a lead-in dose of 90 mg QD for seven days (Arm B). In addition, patients were stratified by presence of brain metastases at baseline and best response to prior crizotinib therapy.

The primary endpoint of the ALTA trial is investigator-assessed confirmed objective response rate (ORR) as measured by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). Key secondary endpoints include progression-free survival (PFS), confirmed ORR assessed by an independent review committee (IRC), CNS response and PFS, duration of response, safety and tolerability.

Brigatinib received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for the treatment of patients with ALK+ NSCLC whose tumors are resistant to crizotinib, and was granted orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of ALK+ NSCLC. The FDA has accepted brigatinib’s New Drug Application and has granted ARIAD’s request for Priority Review and set an action date of April 29, 2017 under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA). ARIAD intends to submit a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for brigatinib to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in early 2017.

Abstract Highlights on ALTA Trial Update
Data as of February 29, 2016 with Independent Review Committee (IRC) Data as of May 16, 2016

Accepted as a poster presentation, this abstract reports updated clinical data from the ALTA trial. A total of 222 patients with ALK+ NSCLC treated with prior crizotinib therapy were randomized in the study (110 patients in Arm B at the 180 mg dose level with a seven-day lead-in at 90 mg and 112 patients in Arm A at the 90 mg dose level). The last patient was enrolled in the study in September 2015.
The median follow-up was 8.3 months in Arm B and 7.8 months in Arm A.
Investigator-assessed confirmed ORR in Arm B was 54 percent. IRC-assessed confirmed ORR in Arm B was 53 percent. Investigator-assessed confirmed ORR in Arm A was 45 percent. IRC- assessed confirmed ORR in Arm A was 48 percent.
Investigator-assessed median PFS was 12.9 months and 9.2 months in Arm B and Arm A, respectively.
IRC-assessed median PFS was 15.6 months and 9.2 months in Arm B and Arm A, respectively.
The most common treatment-emergent adverse events (AEs), grade 3 or higher, (Arm B/A) were (excluding neoplasm progression): hypertension (6%/6%), increased creatine phosphokinase (CPK) (9%/3%), pneumonia (5%/3%), and increased lipase (3%/4%).
A subset of pulmonary AEs with early onset occurred in six percent of all patients (in 3% of patients, events were grade 3 or higher); no such events occurred after dose escalation to 180 mg QD in Arm B.
Abstract Highlights from Update on Clinical Data from Patients with Baseline CNS Metastases from Phase 1/2 and ALTA Trials
Data as of February 29, 2016 in ALTA Trial, and November 16, 2015 in Phase 1/2 Trial

Accepted as an oral presentation, this abstract reports clinical data from the Phase 1/2 and ALTA trials of brigatinib in patients with ALK+ NSCLC who had brain metastases at baseline.
In the Phase 1/2 trial, patients with advanced malignancies, including ALK+ NSCLC, received 30-300 mg of brigatinib per day. Efficacy in both trials and safety in ALTA are reported for patients with intracranial CNS metastases at baseline.
In the Phase 1/2 trial of brigatinib, 50/79 (63%) of ALK+ NSCLC patients had IRC-assessed baseline brain metastases. In the ALTA trial, 153/222 (69%) of ALK+ NSCLC patients had IRC-assessed baseline brain metastases. The efficacy analysis of Phase 1/2 trial data was based on an evaluable population (patients with at least one on-study brain scan, n=46), and the analysis of ALTA trial data was based on the intention-to-treat (ITT) population (n=153).
For patients with measurable brain lesions, the confirmed intracranial objective response rate was 53 percent (8/15) in the Phase 1/2 trial, and confirmed intracranial objective response rates were 67 percent (12/18) in Arm B and 42 percent (11/26) in Arm A in the ALTA trial.
There were 31 patients in the Phase 1/2 trial with only non-measurable lesions, and of these, 35 percent had complete resolution of lesions. In ALTA, there were 55 patients in Arm B and 54 in Arm A with only non-measurable lesions; of these, 18 percent and seven percent of patients, respectively, had complete resolution of lesions.
For patients with brain metastases at baseline, median intracranial PFS was 15.6 months in the Phase 1/2 trial (n=46); and 12.8 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.0 – not reached) and 15.6 months (95% CI 7.3-15.7 months) in ALTA Arm B and Arm A, respectively (n=73/ n=80).
In the ALTA trial, the most common treatment-emergent AEs, grade 3 or higher (excluding neoplasm progression), in patients with baseline brain metastases were (n=151 treated; Arm B/A): increased CPK (11%/1%), hypertension (7%/4%), increased lipase (3%/3%), and pneumonia (4%/1%).
For both presentations, ALTA data to be presented at the conference in Vienna will be based on an updated analysis, with a data cutoff date of May 31, 2016. These updated data will be included in the MAA application.

The schedule and meeting location for the sessions at WCLC, together with the abstract information and ARIAD’s investor event and NSCLC symposium, are listed below (all times are Central European Time Zone):

Brigatinib Oral Presentation

Title:
Brigatinib Activity in Patients with ALK+ NSCLC and Intracranial CNS Metastases in Two Clinical Trials
Abstract No/ID: 4374; Oral ID: OA08.06
Presenter: Scott Gettinger, M.D. (Yale Cancer Center)
Oral Session: Targeted Therapies in Brain Metastases
Session Date & Time: Monday, December 5, 2016, 16:00 – 17:30
Presentation Time: 11:57 a.m. to 12:09 p.m.
Location: Schubert 1

Brigatinib Posters

Title:
Brigatinib in Crizotinib-Refractory ALK+ NSCLC: Central Assessment and Updates from ALTA, a Pivotal Randomized Phase 2 Trial

Abstract No/ID: 4046; Poster ID: P3.02a-013
Presenter: D. Ross Camidge, M.D., Ph.D. (Colorado University Cancer Center)
Poster Session: PS03
Date & Time: Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 14:30 – 15:45
Location:
Hall B, poster area

Title:
Indirect Naive Comparison of Post-Crizotinib Treatments for ALK+ Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Abstract No/ID: 4459; Poster ID: P3.02a-017
Presenter: Karen L. Reckamp, M.D. (City of Hope)
Poster Session: PS03
Date & Time: Wednesday, December 7, 2016, 14:30 – 15:45
Location: Hall B, poster area

AP32788 Poster

Title:
A Phase 1/2 Trial of the Oral EGFR/HER2 Inhibitor AP32788 in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
Abstract No/ID: 5047; Poster ID: P2.06-007
Presenter: Robert C. Doebele, M.D., Ph.D. (University of Colorado)
Poster Session: PS02
Date & Time: Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 14:30 – 15:45
Location: Hall B, poster area

Investor and Analyst Briefing and Webcast

A webcast briefing will be held to review the updated brigatinib clinical data from the WCLC. Details will be provided at a later date.

NSCLC Global Symposium at WCLC

ARIAD will host a symposium titled, "Current and emerging treatments for patients with ALK+ NSCLC," that is open to all registered WCLC attendees. This symposium will be co-hosted by D. Ross Camidge, M.D., Ph.D., director of thoracic oncology at the University of Colorado and Professor Christoph Zielinski, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Clinical Division of Oncology, Medical University Vienna, Austria. They will be joined by Pasi A. Jänne, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA, to review ALK inhibitor sequencing, the role of mutation testing, and current and future potential ALK inhibitors.

Date: Sunday, December 4, 2016
Time: 12:00 to 13:30 p.m. (CET)
Location: Strauss 3, Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, Vienna
Congress:
17th World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC) hosted by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (www.IASLC.org)