On September 24, 2020 Leap Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:LPTX), a biotechnology company focused on developing targeted and immuno-oncology therapeutics, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to DKN-01 for the treatment of patients with gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinoma whose tumors express high Dickkopf-1 protein (DKK1), following disease progression on or after prior fluoropyrimidine- and platinum- containing chemotherapy and if appropriate, human epidermal receptor growth factor (HER2)/neu-targeted therapy (Press release, Leap Therapeutics, SEP 24, 2020, View Source [SID1234565576]). DKN-01 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to and blocks the activity of DKK1 protein, a modulator of Wnt/Beta-catenin signaling.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
The Fast Track program is intended to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drug candidates and vaccines that treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. The purpose of Fast Track is to get important new drugs to the patient earlier. Programs with Fast Track designation may benefit from early and frequent communication with the FDA, in addition to a rolling submission of the marketing application. DKN-01 has also received Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer from the FDA.
"We are pleased with the FDA’s decision to grant Fast Track designation for the development of DKN-01 to treat patients with gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer whose tumors express high levels of DKK1," said Douglas E. Onsi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Leap. "The designation highlights the existing unmet medical need for new and effective treatments for this patient population. We believe that DKN-01 shows promise as a novel treatment option for biomarker-selected patients with these cancers, and this designation provides us with earlier and more frequent opportunities to interact with the FDA during the development of DKN-01."
DKN-01 is currently being evaluated in clinical trials for gastroesophageal, gynecologic, hepatobiliary, and prostate cancers. In September 2020, the first patient was dosed in the Company’s combination study of DKN-01 plus tislelizumab, BeiGene, Ltd.’s anti-PD-1 antibody, in patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer.
About DKN-01
DKN-01 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to and blocks the activity of the Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) protein, a modulator of Wnt/Beta-catenin signaling, a signaling pathway frequently implicated in tumorigenesis and suppressing the immune system. DKK1 has an important role in tumor cell signaling and in mediating an immuno-suppressive tumor microenvironment through enhancing the activity of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and downregulating NK ligands on tumor cells.
About gastric / gastroesophageal junction cancer
Gastric adenocarcinoma (gastric cancer) remains one of the most common and deadly cancers worldwide, especially among older malesi. Based on GLOBOCAN 2018 data, stomach cancer is the 5th most common neoplasm and the 3rd most deadly cancer, with an estimated 783,000 deaths globally in 2018i. Ninety-five percent of cancers of the stomach are adenocarcinomasi. Gastric cancer incidence and mortality are highly variable by region and highly dependent on diet and Helicobacter pylori infectioni. The gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) is the area where the esophagus and stomach join together. Given its anatomic location, GEJ adenocarcinomas have often been grouped together with either esophageal or gastric cancers in clinical trials.