On January 10, 2025 Tyra Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: TYRA), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation precision medicines that target large opportunities in Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor (FGFR) biology, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for TYRA-300 allowing the company to proceed with a Phase 2 clinical trial of TYRA-300 in low-grade, intermediate risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (IR NMIBC) (Press release, Tyra Biosciences, JAN 10, 2025, View Source [SID1234649605]). This program will be led by newly appointed Dr. Erik Goluboff, SVP, Clinical Development of TYRA, who brings more than thirty years of experience as an academic urologic oncologist, principal investigator, practicing urologist and most recently Principal Medical Lead for GU/GI cancers at Genentech/Roche.
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TYRA-300 is a potential first-in-class, investigational, oral, FGFR3-selective inhibitor designed to avoid the toxicities associated with inhibition of FGFR1, FGFR2 and FGFR4, while being agnostic for the FGFR3 gatekeeper mutations. FGFR3 is the most frequently altered gene in NMIBC, with 60-80% of IR NMIBC showing alterations. TYRA-300 is expected to be evaluated in three Phase 2 studies: SURF302 for IR NMIBC, BEACH301 for pediatric achondroplasia (ACH) and SURF301 for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC).
SURF302 will be an open-label Phase 2 clinical study evaluating the efficacy and safety of TYRA-300 in participants with FGFR3-altered low-grade, IR NMIBC. The study will enroll up to 90 participants at multiple sites primarily in the United States. Participants will be randomized initially to treatment with TYRA-300 at 50 mg once-daily (QD) (Cohort 1) or treatment with TYRA-300 at 60 mg QD (Cohort 2). Following a review of efficacy and safety, an additional dosing cohort may be evaluated. The primary endpoint is complete response (CR) rate at three months. Secondary endpoints include time to recurrence, the median duration of response, recurrence free survival (RFS), progression free survival (PFS), safety and tolerability.
"Receiving FDA IND clearance is an important milestone in the advancement of TYRA-300 and for patients with NMIBC who urgently need better tolerated therapeutic options," commented Doug Warner, Chief Medical Officer of TYRA. "We look forward to leveraging Erik’s impressive background to guide our development plans in NMIBC. We expect to initiate patient dosing in the second quarter of this year, with initial three-month CR data to follow."
Dr. Goluboff joins TYRA from Genentech/Roche, where he was Principal Medical Lead for GU/GI cancers and was responsible for driving business and pipeline opportunities in those indications. Prior to Genentech/Roche, Dr. Goluboff held positions of increasing responsibility at AstraZeneca, including most recently as Global Clinical Head for IMFINZI (durvalumab) and tremelimumab for GU, GYN and tumor agnostic. Before joining industry, he held urology professorships at Columbia and Mount Sinai and managed thousands of patients from diagnosis to late line disease, medically and surgically, with bladder, prostate, and kidney cancers. He was a principal investigator for multiple clinical trials and has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers. He received his B.A. from Columbia University, an M.D. from Johns Hopkins, and an M.B.A. from NYU’s Stern School of Business. Dr. Goluboff completed his surgical internship at Johns Hopkins Hospital and his urology residency and urologic oncology fellowship at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center.
"For the last thirty years, I have dedicated my career to helping patients with bladder cancer as a urologic oncologist, a principal investigator running clinical trials, and as a drug developer seeking new and more effective therapies for patients with urologic cancers," added Dr. Goluboff. "I believe that TYRA-300 is the most compelling agent in development for the treatment of IR NMIBC, with a proven mechanism of action and more attractive tolerability profile than pan-FGFR inhibitors, which made joining TYRA a very exciting opportunity. I look forward to advancing TYRA-300 through the Phase 2 SURF302 study and delivering benefit to patients in need."
About Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
In the United States, it is estimated that there are more than 730,000 people living with bladder cancer. Many of these patients have intermediate risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (IR NMIBC) and experience recurrence episodes throughout the course of their disease. Treatment for IR NMIBC and disease recurrence is a surgical procedure called transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) combined with intravesical-administered chemotherapy. Repeat TURBT procedures and intravesical-administered chemotherapy can impact patients’ quality of life and overall health, leading to a significant unmet medical need for better tolerated therapeutic options. TYRA-300 is the only orally administered investigational agent in clinical development for IR NMIBC.
About TYRA-300
TYRA-300 is the Company’s lead precision medicine program stemming from its in-house SNÅP platform. TYRA-300 is an investigational, oral, FGFR3-selective inhibitor currently in development for the treatment of cancer and skeletal dysplasia, including achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia. In oncology, TYRA-300 is being evaluated in metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC) and intermediate risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (IR NMIBC). In mUC, TYRA-300 is being evaluated in a multi-center, open label Phase 1/2 clinical study, SURF301 (Study in Untreated and Resistant FGFR3+ Advanced Solid Tumors) (NCT05544552). The study is designed to determine the optimal and the recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of TYRA-300, as well as to evaluate the preliminary antitumor activity of TYRA-300. In October 2024, TYRA reported interim clinical proof-of-concept data in mUC from SURF301. TYRA has received IND clearance from the U.S. FDA to proceed with its SURF302 clinical trial in patients with IR NMIBC. In skeletal dysplasia, TYRA-300 has demonstrated positive preclinical results in achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia, and TYRA has received IND clearance from the U.S FDA to proceed with its BEACH301 clinical trial in children with achondroplasia.