Alliance Foundation Trials Opens Global Trial Investigating First-in-Class Palbociclib in HR+, HER2+ Metastatic Breast Cancer

On August 22, 2017 The Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC (AFT), in conjunction with Pfizer and six international cancer research groups, reported the launch of PATINA – a randomized, open-label, Phase 3 clinical study of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK 4/6) inhibitor palbociclib (also known as IBRANCE) (Press release, Pfizer, AUG 22, 2017, View Source [SID1234520297]). The PATINA trial will evaluate palbociclib in combination with anti-HER2 therapy and endocrine therapy versus standard therapy as a first-line treatment for patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer. The trial randomized its first patient on July 26, 2017.

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"The PATINA trial offers an exciting opportunity for a new global collaborative initiative among clinical trial groups aimed at improving the treatment of women with metastatic breast cancer," said Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC, and group chair and principal investigator of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. "Our partnership with the Mastering Breast Cancer Initiative, PrECOG, the German Breast Group, Fondazione Michelangelo, SOLTI Breast Cancer Research Group and the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZBCTG) makes this trial available to patients across the U.S., Europe, Australia and New Zealand. PATINA is the first study of the Mastering Breast Cancer Initiative which is an umbrella organization that includes multiple clinical trials whose participants will contribute medical information and biological specimens for future research. This initiative was created in order to understand the natural history of breast cancer and how it evolves over time with the overall goal to develop new treatments for this patient population."

In the U.S., IBRANCE is indicated for the treatment of HR+, HER2-negative (HER2-) advanced or metastatic breast cancer in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as initial endocrine-based therapy in postmenopausal women, or fulvestrant in women with disease progression following endocrine therapy. Since its initial FDA approval in 2015, more than 60,000 patients have been treated with IBRANCE in the U.S. alone.

Pre-clinical data and preliminary results from early phase clinical trials point to the potential efficacy of palbociclib when combined with anti-HER2 therapies and endocrine therapy. About 10-15% of patients with metastatic breast cancer are HR+, HER2+.1 Palbociclib is currently not approved for use in this patient population in any country.

"The current PATINA study is built on strong pre-clinical and clinical rationale demonstrating the potential of palbociclib when given in combination with endocrine therapy and anti-HER2 therapies," said Otto Metzger, MD, principal investigator of the trial for AFT and Medical Oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. "We hope that this trial will show that the addition of palbociclib to the first-line treatment of HR+, HER2+ disease will help delay the onset of therapeutic resistance to endocrine therapy, complement the benefits of anti-HER2 therapy and ultimately improve patient outcomes. The study also includes a comprehensive molecular characterization of the disease when patients enter the study and at the time of disease progression."

"We are pleased to partner with these prominent research groups to explore the use of palbociclib in first-line HR+, HER2+ disease," said Charles Hugh-Jones, MD FRCP, Chief Medical Officer, Pfizer Oncology. "PATINA is the first randomized, Phase 3 trial of a CDK 4/6 inhibitor in this setting. Collaborations of this kind are critical to advance our understanding of how we can treat breast cancer, and they represent an important part of Pfizer’s clinical development program for palbociclib."

The PATINA trial is a pivotal, open-label, international, multicenter, randomized Phase 3 study. The trial is open to women or men with HR+, HER2+ metastatic breast cancer following completion of induction with anti-HER2 based chemotherapy. Participants will be randomized (selected by chance) to one of two treatment arms following 6-8 cycles of chemotherapy with anti-HER2 therapy. One study arm will treat patients with palbociclib (at a dose of 125 mg orally once daily for 21 days followed by seven days off treatment in a 28-day cycle) and standard anti-HER2 therapy and endocrine therapy until disease progression. The other study arm will treat patients with standard anti-HER2 therapy and endocrine therapy until disease progression. About 500 participants will be recruited worldwide.

Alliance Foundation Trials, LLC, under the auspices of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology, has brought together a collaborative group of breast cancer specialists from around the world to team up with a pharmaceutical sponsor to form a public-private cancer research partnership aimed at bringing more innovative therapies to patients in more efficient ways.

For questions about this trial, please contact the PATINA study at [email protected].

Availability

Currently, the new study is open to physicians and medical facilities throughout the U.S. if they are associated with the Alliance Foundation and PrECOG oncology research groups. The study will be available to non-U.S. sites this fall through an extended academic core network that includes the German Breast Group (GBG), Fondazione Michelangelo, SOLTI Breast Cancer Research Group, and the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group (ANZBCTG).

Information on the PATINA study can be found on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) registry of clinical trials, www.clinicaltrials.gov (Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT02947685), and on the PATINA website at www.patina-trial.com.

Funding and Sponsorship

Pfizer, the manufacturer of palbociclib (IBRANCE), is providing funding support for this trial. AFT is the global sponsor of this trial which will be conducted in the U.S., Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand.

First Patient Dosed in Phase 3 MORPHO Trial Evaluating Gilteritinib as Maintenance Therapy Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant in Patients with FLT3 Mutation-positive Acute Myeloid Leukemia

On August 22, 2017 Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Yoshihiko Hatanaka, "Astellas") reported that the first patient was dosed in the registrational Phase 3 MORPHO trial of gilteritinib, the fourth Phase 3 trial underway in the gilteritinib clinical development program (Press release, Astellas, AUG 22, 2017, View Source [SID1234520296]). The MORPHO trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center trial that compares gilteritinib to placebo as maintenance therapy over a period of two years following hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) in patients with FLT3 internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutation-positive (FLT3/ITD+) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in remission after induction therapy. The primary endpoint is relapse-free survival (RFS), and the study is being conducted in collaboration with the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network (BMT CTN).

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"We know that FLT3+ AML patients face potentially worse outcomes than those with other mutations, and while some patients may experience remission following a stem cell transplant, many unfortunately relapse," said trial investigator and BMT CTN Study co-chair Mark J. Levis, M.D., Ph.D., of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University. "Given this reality, it is exciting to study gilteritinib in patients following a stem cell transplant."

Gilteritinib has demonstrated inhibitory activity against FLT3 ITD as well as FLT3 tyrosine kinase domain (TKD), two common types of FLT3 mutations that are seen in approximately one third of patients with AML. Further, gilteritinib has also demonstrated inhibition of AXL, which is reported to be associated with therapeutic resistance.

AML is a cancer that impacts the blood and bone marrow and is most commonly experienced in older adults. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2016 there were an estimated 21,000 new cases of AML diagnosed in the United States and about 10,600 cases resulted in death.

"The initiation of the MORPHO trial is another significant milestone for Astellas and for patients as therapeutic options can be very limited for this FLT3+ AML population," said Steven Benner, M.D., senior vice president and global therapeutic area head, oncology development, Astellas. "We are committed to patients with FLT3+ AML and currently have underway four Phase 3 trials to explore the potential benefit of gilteritinib for patients suffering from such an aggressive form of blood cancer characterized by both genetic and resistance mutations."

Astellas is currently investigating gilteritinib in various AML patient populations through several Phase 3 trials, including the registrational ADMIRAL trial in relapsed/refractory FLT3+ AML.

The safety and efficacy of the agent discussed herein are under investigation and have not been established. There is no guarantee that the agent will receive regulatory approval and become commercially available for the uses being investigated. Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) which is included in this press release are not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice.

Blueprint Medicines to Present Updated Data from Ongoing Phase 1 Clinical Trial of BLU-554 in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma at ESMO 2017 Congress and 11th ILCA Annual Conference

On August 21, 2017 Blueprint Medicines Corporation (NASDAQ: BPMC), a leader in discovering and developing targeted kinase medicines for patients with genomically defined diseases, reported that updated data from its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating BLU-554 in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) will be presented in oral presentations at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2017 Congress on September 10, 2017 in Madrid, Spain and at the 11th International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) Annual Conference on September 17, 2017 in Seoul, South Korea (Press release, Blueprint Medicines, AUG 21, 2017, View Source;p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2294896 [SID1234520303]). BLU-554 is a potent and highly selective inhibitor of FGFR4.

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At ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) and ILCA, Blueprint Medicines anticipates presenting updated safety and clinical activity data from its ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of BLU-554. As of the most recent data cutoff date of August 18, 2017, 38 patients with FGFR4 pathway activation, as indicated by FGF19 overexpression, were evaluable for clinical activity, and an objective response rate of 16 percent (95 percent confidence interval 6-31 percent) was observed in this population.

"The preliminary BLU-554 data announced today continue to provide support for selective FGFR4 inhibition as a novel targeted treatment approach in biomarker-selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma," said Andy Boral, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer of Blueprint Medicines. "As we evaluate the results for BLU-554 in the context of historical data for currently approved therapies showing response rates of less than 10 percent, we are encouraged that radiographic tumor reductions were observed in a refractory population with progressive disease and few or no remaining therapeutic options. We look forward to sharing a comprehensive update on the ongoing BLU-554 clinical trial, as well as the path forward for further development, in September."

Details of the presentations are as follows:

2017 ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper) Congress

Presentation Title: Phase 1 Safety and Clinical Activity of BLU-554 in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)
Session Title: Developmental Therapeutics
Date & Time: Sunday, September 10, 2017 from 5:30 – 5:45 p.m. CET (11:30 – 11:45 a.m. ET)
Abstract ID: 365O
Location: Cordoba Auditorium, IFEMA, Feria de Madrid

11th ILCA Annual Conference

Presentation Title: Clinical Activity Of BLU-554, A Potent, Highly-Selective FGFR4 Inhibitor In Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) With FGFR4 Pathway Activation
Session Title: General Session 5
Date & Time: Sunday, September 17, 2017 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. KST (Saturday, September 16, 2017 from 10:30 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. ET)
Abstract No: O-032
Location: Grand Hyatt Seoul

Syros Receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for SY-1425 for Treatment of AML

On August 21, 2017 Syros Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SYRS), a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery and development of medicines to control the expression of disease-driving genes, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to SY-1425 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Press release, Syros Pharmaceuticals, AUG 21, 2017, View Source [SID1234520301]). SY-1425, an oral first-in-class selective retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARα) agonist, is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial in genomically defined subsets of patients with AML and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

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"Treatment of AML remains a significant unmet medical need, with many patients lacking adequate therapeutic options," said David A. Roth, M.D., Syros’ Chief Medical Officer. "We believe that SY-1425 may provide a meaningful benefit for subsets of AML patients whose disease is driven by abnormally high expression of the RARA or IRF8 genes. Receiving orphan drug designation is an important regulatory milestone in the development of SY-1425. We’re pleased with the continued progress of the ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial, and we look forward to presenting initial clinical data in the fourth quarter of this year."

The FDA’s Office of Orphan Drug Products grants orphan status to support development of medicines for the treatment of rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Orphan drug designation may provide certain benefits, including a seven-year period of market exclusivity if the drug is approved, tax credits for qualified clinical trials and an exemption from FDA application fees.

Using its gene control platform, Syros discovered subsets of AML and MDS patients with super-enhancers associated with RARA or IRF8. Syros identified proprietary biomarkers related to these super-enhancers. These super-enhancers are believed to drive overexpression of the RARA or IRF8 genes, locking cells in an immature, undifferentiated and proliferative state, leading to disease. In preclinical studies, SY-1425 promoted differentiation of AML cells with high RARA or IRF8 expression and inhibited tumor growth and prolonged survival in patient-derived xenograft models of AML with high RARA expression. Syros estimates that about one-third of AML and MDS patients have either the RARA or IRF8 biomarker, or both.

The ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial of SY-1425 is assessing the safety and efficacy of SY-1425 as a single agent in four AML and MDS patient populations, as well as in combination with azacitidine, a standard-of-care therapy, in newly diagnosed AML patients who are not suitable candidates for standard chemotherapy. All patients in the trial are prospectively selected using biomarkers for high expression of RARA or IRF8. Additional details about the trial can be found using the identifier NCT02807558 at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Argos Therapeutics Announces Interim Analysis of Phase 3 ADAPT Trial to be Presented at ESMO 2017 Congress

On August 21, 2017 Argos Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:ARGS), an immuno-oncology company focused on the development and commercialization of individualized immunotherapies based on the Arcelis precision immunotherapy technology platform, reported that an interim analysis of data from the ongoing Phase 3 ADAPT clinical trial evaluating Rocapuldencel-T for the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) will be presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2017 Congress to be held Sept. 8 — 12 in Madrid, Spain (Press release, Argos Therapeutics, AUG 21, 2017, View Source [SID1234520295]).

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The oral presentation, entitled, "Interim Analysis of the Phase 3 ADAPT Trial Evaluating Rocapuldencel-T (AGS-003), an Individualized Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Newly-Diagnosed Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma (mRCC)," will be given by Robert Figlin, MD, Professor and Chairman, Division of Hematology and Oncology at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and co-principal investigator for the ADAPT trial, on Monday, Sept. 11th at 12:00pm CEST. The presentation will provide an overview of the study data set as of the time of the interim analysis that was conducted by an independent data monitoring committee (IDMC) in February 2017, including previously disclosed data as well as additional subsequent analyses based upon the data set. Dr. Figlin will also discuss the rationale for continuing the ADAPT trial.

For more information, please visit View Source