NanOlogy announces First Patient Enrolled in a Phase 1/2 Clinical Trial of NanoDoce® for Treatment of Bladder Cancer

On April 9, 2019 NanOlogy, a clinical-stage oncology company, reported the first patient has been enrolled in a clinical trial of NanoDoce (sterile submicron particle docetaxel suspension) for treatment of bladder cancer (Press release, NanOlogy, APR 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234535081]). The Phase 1/2 dose-rising trial will evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of NanoDoce for patients with high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC).

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In 2019, an estimated 80,000 new cases of bladder cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and an estimated 18,000 will die from the disease. Despite being one of the top five cancer diagnoses in the U.S., the last drug FDA approved for NMIBC was more than a decade ago. Of all cancers, bladder cancer tends to have the highest lifetime treatment costs due to the frequency of recurrence, progression to MIBC often requiring removal of the bladder (cystectomy), and lifetime cost of care thereafter.

In the NanOlogy clinical trial, following transurethral resection of the bladder tumor, subjects will receive direct injections of NanoDoce into the base of the index tumor resection site in combination with an intravesical instillation of NanoDoce. Additional intravesical instillations of NanoDoce will be administered to NMIBC subjects while MIBC subjects will follow institutional standard of care.

The local delivery of submicron particle docetaxel suspension [NanoDoce] represents an important step in evaluating new therapies for the treatment bladder cancer", said Dr. Donald Lamm, MD, President of BCG Oncology and principal investigator on the trial. "Preclinical studies suggest the submicron particle technology improves both the penetration of drug into the bladder wall and its duration of activity. If this investigational drug can be proven to delay or prevent disease progression and need for cystectomy, it would contribute significantly to the quality of life of patients with this disease."

An abstract from preclinical studies of NanoDoce was presented in February at the 2019 Genitourinary Cancer Symposium. In one of the studies, NanoDoce administered via intratumoral injection resulted in prolonged, high concentration of drug in tumor tissue, significant tumor regression, and immune cell infiltration in a xenograft animal model of transitional cell bladder carcinoma. The immune cell infiltration is of particular interest to NanOlogy for future research into the role NanoDoce may play in combination with immunoncology therapy for the treatment of advanced disease.

This work is in addition to extensive preclinical and clinical development programs underway by NanOlogy in peritoneal/ovarian cancers, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, pancreatic mucinous cysts, renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and cutaneous metastases.

All NanOlogy investigational drugs are progressing under FDA’s streamlined 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. The NanOlogy submicron particle technology platform is based on a patented production process that reduces the size of paclitaxel and docetaxel API crystals by up to 400 times into stable submicron particles of pure drug with exponentially increased surface area and unique geometry. The submicron particles are so unique they are protected under a composition of matter patent (US 9,814,685) valid until 2036, which provides new molecular entity-like advantages without the risks and timeline associated with NME drug development.

PIXUVRI® (pixantrone) Receives Positive CHMP Opinion to Convert Conditional Approval into Standard Marketing Authorization in Patients with Aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell Lymphoma

On April 9, 2019 Servier reported that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion for PIXUVRI (pixantrone) to convert its conditional approval into a standard marketing authorization as a single agent for the treatment of adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma (Press release, Servier, APR 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234535080]). The CHMP’s opinion will now be sent to the European Commission (EC) for the adoption of the decision.

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In 2012, in recognition of the lack of standard of care and the poor prognosis for patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma, the EMA gave a conditional marketing authorization for PIXUVRI as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma.1 Conditional marketing authorizations are granted in the EU to speed access to products that address unmet medical needs and where availability would result in a significant public health benefit.

"Patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma have limited treatment options," said Prof Pier Luigi Zinzani from the University of Bologna Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology in Bologna, Italy. "In this patient population, PIXUVRI offers a treatment option in later lines."

The positive opinion from the CHMP is based on data from the global clinical development of PIXUVRI.

The pivotal study, PIX301 was an open-label, randomized, Phase III study comparing PIXUVRI monotherapy with physician’s choice of treatment in 140 patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 50% of whom had been previously treated with rituximab. PIXUVRI was shown to be beneficial in these patients: 20% of patients responded completely to PIXUVRI compared with 5.7% of patients receiving other agents (p=0.021).2,3

To satisfy requirements of the conditional authorization, a further Phase III clinical study, PIX306, was completed to provide additional efficacy data to confirm the benefit of PIXUVRI in patients that had received prior treatment with rituximab. In the study PIX306, all patients were previously treated with rituximab, and the treatment was possible as a second line. While the superiority of PIXUVRI over comparator was not met, both PFS and OS results in patients with ≥ 2 prior treatment lines are comparable, when indirectly compared to the PIXUVRI treated population in the pivotal study PIX301.3,4

The most common side effects with PIXUVRI are neutropenia, leukopenia, lymphopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, vomiting, skin discolouration, alopecia, chromaturia and asthenia.2

"Aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma is a devastating disease for which treatment options are limited. Servier is committed to providing PIXUVRI to these patients so we are very pleased with today’s announcement," said Patrick Therasse, Head of Servier Research and Development Oncology Department. "At Servier, oncology is one of our priorities. We will continue to work hard to get new therapeutic options to people affected by cancer."

#ENDS#

About non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)

NHL is a blood cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is defined as a network of vessels and glands that run throughout the body.5 The lymphatic system is a key component of the immune system, as it plays a role in destroying old or abnormal cells and fighting bacteria and other infections.6

NHL can occur in different parts of the body from the lymph nodes in the neck to the liver or spleen, but also in other organs such as the stomach, small bowel, bones, brain, testicles or skin.7 Around 168,000 new cases of NHL are diagnosed in the United States and Europe every year.

About PIXUVRI (pixantrone)

PIXUVRI is indicated in the European Union as monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with multiply relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma.8 PIXUVRI is a cytotoxic medicine that works by interfering with the DNA within cells and preventing them from making more copies of DNA. This means that the cancer cells cannot divide and eventually die.1

PIXUVRI is mentioned in the ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) guidelines as an anthracycline-like drug with reduced cardiotoxicity, which demonstrated some efficacy in heavily treated patients.9

More detail is available in the summary of the European public assessment report (EPAR) on the EMA website at www.ema.europa.eu.

Servier commercializes PIXUVRI under a license from CTI BioPharma.

OncoSec to Present at H.C. Wainwright Global Life Sciences Conference

On April 9, 2019 OncoSec Medical Incorporated (OncoSec) (NASDAQ:ONCS), a company developing intratumoral cancer immunotherapies, reported that Dan O’Connor, President, Director & Chief Executive Officer, will present a company overview at the H.C. Wainwright Global Life Sciences Conference on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, at 2:10 p.m. GMT / 10:10 a.m. EDT in London, United Kingdom (Press release, OncoSec Medical, APR 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234535079]).

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A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available on the Investors section of OncoSec’s website at ir.oncosec.com, where it will be archived for approximately 30 days.

Allergan to Report First Quarter 2019 Financial Results and Host Conference Call and Webcast

On April 9, 2019 Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN) reported it will release first quarter 2019 financial results on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, prior to the open of U.S. Financial Markets (Press release, Allergan, APR 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234535078]).

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Allergan will host a conference call and webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 7, 2019 to discuss its financial results. The dial-in number to access the call is U.S./Canada (877) 251-7980, International (706) 643-1573, and the conference ID is 7466378.

A replay of the conference call will also be available beginning approximately two hours after the call’s conclusion and will remain available through 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time on June 7, 2019. The replay may be accessed by dialing (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406 and entering the conference ID 7466378.

To access the webcast, please visit Allergan’s Investor Relations website at View Source;. A replay of the webcast will also be available on Allergan’s Investor Relations website.

Moleculin Announces Successful Expansion of its Leukemia Drug Program

On April 9, 2019 Moleculin Biotech, Inc., (Nasdaq: MBRX) ("Moleculin" or the "Company"), a clinical stage pharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of drug candidates targeting highly resistant tumors, reported it has successfully expanded the clinical supply of Annamycin for its on-going clinical trials via BSP Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. (www.bsppharmaceuticals.com) in Latina, Italy (Press release, Moleculin, APR 9, 2019, View Source [SID1234535075]).

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"Securing production supply for a liposomal anthracycline like Annamycin is no trivial matter, which is why we partnered last year with a quality supplier like BSP, who will be able to supply Annamycin in commercial quantities going forward," commented Walter Klemp, Moleculin’s Chairman and CEO. "They have worked diligently to establish production capability and are now supplying our Annamycin drug for our clinical trials in the U.S. and the EU. We believe having a partnership with a pharmaceutical manufacturer the caliber of BSP mitigates our development risk and better positions us to further advance the clinical development of Annamycin as we work to develop effective solutions for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia."