On August 26, 2019 The Ivy Brain Tumor Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute and Salarius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: SLRX), reported a collaborative partnership to test Salarius’ therapeutic candidate, Seclidemstat, for the treatment of glioblastoma (Press release, The Ivy Brain Tumor Center, AUG 26, 2019, View Source [SID1234538970]). The organizations will launch what they believe is the most comprehensive pre-clinical study to date, evaluating the effect of targeting LSD1 (lysine-specific histone demethylase 1A), a key enzyme that has increased expression in tumors of brain cancer patients.

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Seclidemstat is a reversible LSD1 inhibitor that works by inhibiting LSD1’s enzymatic and protein-scaffolding functions. It is currently being tested by Salarius in a Phase 1 study for refractory or relapsed Ewing’s sarcoma and a Phase 1 study for Advanced Solid Tumors. Seclidemstat is among the most clinically advanced reversible LSD1 inhibitors in development, and its potential effect on glioblastoma represents a promising new therapeutic treatment option.

"Seclidemstat is highly differentiated LSD1 inhibitor with unique properties that may enable efficacy in a broader range of cancer types. Seclidemstat and/or its analogs have shown the potential for synergies with chemotherapies and other targeted agents. This gives us hope that Seclidemstat may be effective in treating a number of aggressive cancers, including glioblastoma," said Dr. Nader Sanai, director of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center. "Our shared goal with Salarius is to address the lag in new drug development for malignant brain tumors by accelerating early-phase clinical trials for first-in-class agents like Seclidemstat."

The Ivy Brain Tumor Center’s advanced pre-clinical capabilities include well-characterized patient-derived xenograft animal models and state-of-the-art pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics core facilities. A key component to this latest endeavor will be to leverage the Ivy Center’s core capabilities in collaboration with Salarius to perform in-house survival studies, advanced animal imaging, toxicology assessment, and in vivo pharmaco-metabolic analyses.

Should the pre-clinical phase provide sufficient evidence for positive drug effects, the program will move to the subsequent clinical evaluation of Seclidemstat. This will take place within the context of a Phase 0 clinical trial, in which researchers will quickly learn if the new regimen is having the desired impact on a patient’s individual tumor.

"Salarius is well positioned and highly-motivated to provide a new therapeutic option for a number of cancers with high unmet medical need," said David Arthur, President and Chief Executive Officer of Salarius Pharmaceuticals. "We are inspired by the Ivy Brain Tumor Center’s unwavering commitment to pursuing advances in glioblastoma treatment and look forward to this creative and vital research partnership."

For more information about the Ivy Brain Tumor Center and the drug development partnership, please visit, www.ivybraintumorcenter.org.