Provectus Biopharmaceuticals Announces Acceptance of Abstract for Poster Presentation at 31st SITC Annual Meeting

On September 27, 2016 Provectus Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: PVCT, www.provectusbio.com), a clinical-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company ("Provectus" or the "Company"), reported that the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) (Free SITC Whitepaper) has accepted an abstract for a poster presentation related to the use of PV-10, an investigational ablative immunotherapy under development by Provectus for solid tumor cancers, in the treatment of pancreatic cancer (Press release, Provectus Pharmaceuticals, SEP 27, 2016, View Source [SID:SID1234515422]).

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The abstract, "Intralesional injection with Rose Bengal and systemic chemotherapy induces anti-tumor immunity in a murine model of pancreatic cancer," describes research undertaken at Moffitt Cancer Center by a team of scientists led by Shari Pilon-Thomas. The exact time and place of the poster presentation has yet to be determined. The full abstract will be available on line at SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper)ancer.org on November 8 according to conference organizers.

The 31st SITC (Free SITC Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Associated Programs will be held November 9-13 at the Gaylord National Hotel & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

ProNAi Licenses Oncology Drug Targeting DNA Damage Response Checkpoint Kinase 1 (Chk1) from CRT Pioneer Fund, UK

On September 27, 2016 ProNAi Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: DNAI), a clinical-stage drug development company advancing targeted therapeutics for the treatment of patients with cancer, reported that it has obtained an exclusive license from the CRT Pioneer Fund LP for worldwide rights to develop and commercialize PNT737 (formerly CCT245737), a highly selective, orally available, small molecule inhibitor of Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) (Press release, ProNAi Therapeutics, SEP 27, 2016, View Source [SID:SID1234515467]). PNT737 is being investigated in two recently initiated Phase 1 clinical trials, currently sponsored and managed by the Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development, led by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT02797977 and NCT02797964).

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Under the terms of the agreement, ProNAi will pay the CRT Pioneer Fund an upfront payment of US$7.0 million. ProNAi will take on sponsorship and management of the clinical development of the agent from Cancer Research UK’s Centre for Drug Development and pay a fee of up to $2.0 million upon the successful transfer of the two ongoing Phase 1 clinical trials to the Company. Additional payments in the aggregate amount of up to US$319.5 million may become payable upon achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones. ProNAi will also owe CRT Pioneer Fund high single to low double digit royalties on net sales.

"This transaction adds another high-quality asset to our pipeline. PNT737 targets the DNA Damage Response (DDR) network, a promising approach to treating cancer based on recent leading-edge discoveries in cancer biology," said Dr. Nick Glover, President and CEO of ProNAi. "Cancer cells often depend on activated Chk1, a central cell cycle checkpoint regulator in the DDR network, as a strategy to survive and replicate despite accumulating extensive DNA damage due to replicative stress or in response to chemotherapeutic intervention. PNT737 is a potent and selective inhibitor of Chk1 that targets a potential Achilles’ heel of cancer cell proliferation and survival."

PNT737 was discovered and initially developed by scientists in the Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in collaboration with Sareum Holdings plc (LSE AIM: SAR), with funding provided by Cancer Research UK, the ICR and Sareum. The program was licensed in September 2013 to the CRT Pioneer Fund, a specialist cancer investment fund established by Sixth Element Capital LLP (6EC), Cancer Research Technology (CRT) and the European Investment Fund (EIF) and managed by 6EC.

"This is another significant milestone on the development path for this promising Chk1 inhibitor. We recently initiated a Phase 1 single agent monotherapy study and a Phase 1 study of PNT737 in combination with DNA-targeting chemotherapies. ProNAi has a world-class oncology development team and is well-capitalized, and we believe these studies and the ongoing development strategy for this drug are in excellent hands," added Robert James, Managing Partner of 6EC.

Dr. Udai Banerji, Cancer Research UK Reader in Molecular Cancer Pharmacology at the ICR and Consultant at The Royal Marsden, stated: "This is an exciting opportunity to investigate a novel anticancer agent targeting the aberrant tumor DDR pathway. Two PNT737 clinical trials are now underway and, as Principal Investigator of these studies, I look forward to working closely with ProNAi to optimize the development path for this promising drug candidate."

Professor Paul Workman, Chief Executive and President of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: "I’m very pleased that ProNAi has secured the licence to take forward development of PNT737. This drug – which was discovered here at the ICR – represents an exciting new approach to targeting Chk1 and one that holds significant potential for treating several tumor types. I anticipate this agreement will help accelerate development of PNT737 and lead to an expanded program of clinical trials, to maximize the chances of patient benefit as quickly as possible."

Clinical development is currently taking place in facilities funded by Cancer Research UK, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at The Royal Marsden and ICR, and the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre Network. ProNAi anticipates expanding on the current clinical program underway for PNT737, including into the United States, with the expectation of filing an Investigational New Drug application in the second half of 2017. To support broader studies, ProNAi plans to conduct research designed to explore markers of sensitivity to PNT737 that may facilitate patient selection and to identify additional therapeutic combination strategies.

"The ICR and The Royal Marsden are world renowned for their work together in cancer research and this is a great opportunity for our team to collaborate on the early clinical development of a promising anti-cancer agent, where we can potentially employ innovative development strategies and leverage emerging science," said Dr. Barbara Klencke, Chief Development Officer of ProNAi. "A possible development path for PNT737 is the treatment of tumors carrying mutations in genes known to contribute to DNA damage and genomic instability – a key hallmark of cancer. The significant and persistent DNA damage caused by these mutations, coupled with Chk1 inhibition, may result in death of the cancer cells, a synergistic effect referred to as ‘synthetic lethality’. Similarly, excessive DNA damage can be induced with certain chemotherapies or radiation, highlighting the potential for synergies between these modalities and Chk1 inhibition."

"ProNAi is also advancing PNT141, a Cdc7 inhibitor that regulates DNA replication and the DDR network in a different, potentially complementary way to PNT737. Inhibiting both Chk1 and Cdc7 simultaneously may be advantageous and presents the potential for novel combination strategies for PNT737 and PNT141," added Dr. Christian Hassig, Senior Vice President, Research at ProNAi.

About PNT737 and Chk1
PNT737 is a highly selective, orally available, small molecule inhibitor of Checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1).
DNA is continuously subject to damage through a variety of endogenous and exogenous mechanisms and, in turn, cells have developed complex processes to resolve this DNA damage. Chk1 is a central regulator in the DDR network of cellular pathways that detect and repair DNA damage. Chk1 impacts multiple cell cycle checkpoints, temporarily inhibiting the progression of cell replication and division in order for DNA repair processes to be undertaken.

Malignant cells tolerate substantially greater levels of DNA damage than would be acceptable in healthy cells. Cancer cells survive and replicate, despite accumulating DNA damage due to replicative stress, via an over-reliance on select components of the DDR network, including Chk1. As such, inhibition of Chk1 by PNT737 may be synthetically lethal to cancer cells and of potential benefit in the treatment of certain cancers.

Certain standard chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy also induce DNA damage in order to kill cancer cells. There exists potential for synergy between these standard therapies and Chk1 inhibitors such as PNT737.

Daiichi Sankyo to Present at ESMO 2016 Late-Breaking Clinical Data for Novel HER2-Targeting Antibody Drug Conjugate in T-DM1 Pre-Treated Breast Cancer

On September 27, 2016 Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) reported that safety and preliminary efficacy phase 1 data evaluating DS-8201a, a novel HER2-targeting antibody drug conjugate, will be presented during a late-breaking poster discussion session during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) (Free ESMO Whitepaper) 2016 Congress from October 7 -11 in Copenhagen, Denmark (Press release, Daiichi Sankyo, SEP 27, 2016, View Source [SID:SID1234515463]).

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"We are looking forward to presenting these results for DS-8201a to the scientific community at ESMO (Free ESMO Whitepaper)," said Antoine Yver, MD, MSc, Executive Vice President and Global Head, Oncology Research and Development, Daiichi Sankyo. "Additionally, for the first time we will be showcasing our innovative in-house antibody drug conjugate technology that was used to develop DS-8201a."

LBA17: Single Agent Activity of DS-8201a, a HER2-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate, in Breast Cancer Patients Previously Treated with T-DM1: Phase 1 Dose Escalation
Results from part 1 (dose escalation) of a two-part phase 1 study of DS-8201a by Kenji Tamura, MD, PhD, Chairman, Department of Breast and Medical Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo will be presented on Sunday, October 9 at 4:30 pm CEST. The primary objective of the dose escalation part of the study was to examine the safety and tolerability of DS-8201a along with determining the maximum tolerated dose. Secondary objectives include evaluating the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of DS-8201a. Additional sub-group analyses of preliminary efficacy of DS-8201a in advanced or metastatic breast cancer patients previously treated with ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) will be presented.

About DS-8201a
DS-8201a is an investigational antibody drug conjugate comprised of a humanized anti-HER2 antibody attached by a peptide linker to a novel topoisomerase I inhibitor, utilizing Daiichi Sankyo’s proprietary payload and linker-payload technology. It is currently in phase 1 clinical development for HER2 expressing advanced or metastatic breast cancer or gastric cancer and other HER2 expressing solid cancers.

The second part (dose expansion) of the phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of DS-8201a is currently underway, and will enroll patients in the United States and Japan into one of four treatment cohorts: patients with HER2+ breast cancer previously treated with T-DM1; patients with HER2+ gastric or gastroesphageal junction adenocarcinoma previously treated with trastuzumab; patients with HER2-low expressing breast cancer; and, patients with other solid cancers that express HER2. For more information about the study visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

Zymeworks and Daiichi Sankyo Announce Immuno-Oncology Cross-Licensing Agreement and Bi-Specific Antibody Collaboration

On September 28, 2016 Zymeworks Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing innovative multi-functional protein-based therapeutics including bi-specific antibodies and drug conjugates for the treatment of cancer, and Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) reported that they have entered into a cross-licensing and collaboration agreement to develop proprietary cancer immuno-oncology products (Press release, Daiichi Sankyo, SEP 28, 2016, View Source [SID:SID1234515462]).

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Under the terms of the agreement, Daiichi Sankyo will acquire a license to Zymeworks’ Azymetric and Effector Function Enhancement and Control Technology (EFECT) platforms to develop a bi-specific antibody therapeutic, for which Zymeworks will receive an upfront technology access fee and research support. Zymeworks will also be eligible to receive payments upon the achievement of preclinical, clinical and commercial milestones, as well as up to double-digit tiered royalties on global product sales.

Additionally, Zymeworks will license immuno-oncology antibodies from Daiichi Sankyo, with the right to research, develop and commercialize multiple bi-specific products globally in exchange for royalties on product sales. Further financial details are not disclosed.

"We are very excited to enter into this cross-licensing agreement with Daiichi Sankyo," said Ali Tehrani, Ph.D., President and CEO of Zymeworks. "The in-licensing component of the transaction will enable Zymeworks to expand its therapeutic pipeline in the near term by accelerating a number of our immuno-oncology programs into the clinic and to ultimately provide more effective and targeted treatments to patients. Additionally, we believe that the licensing of Zymeworks’ platforms to Daiichi Sankyo further demonstrates the potential of the Azymetric and EFECT technologies for the discovery and development of next-generation multi-functional biologics."

"Targeting two drivers of disease with a single monoclonal antibody is a key scientific advance that may help change the standard of care for patients with cancer," said Antoine Yver, MD, MSc, Executive Vice President and Global Head, Oncology Research and Development, Daiichi Sankyo. "We are looking forward to strengthening our expertise in bi-specific immuno-oncology by working closely with Zymeworks on this collaboration."

About the Azymetric Platform
Bi-specific antibodies developed using the Azymetric platform resemble conventional mono-specific antibodies while being able to simultaneously bind to two different targets resulting in additive or synergistic therapeutic responses. Azymetric antibodies spontaneously assemble into a single molecule with two different Fab domains comprising of unique heavy and light chain pairings. Azymetric antibodies are manufactured using conventional monoclonal antibody processes and can be easily adapted to rapidly screen target and sequence combinations for bi-specific activity in the final therapeutic format, thereby significantly reducing drug development timelines.

About the EFECT Platform
The EFECT platform is a library of antibody Fc modifications engineered to modulate the activity of the antibody-mediated immune response, which includes both the up and down-regulation of effector functions. This platform is compatible with traditional monoclonal and well as Azymetric bi-specific antibodies to further enable the customization of therapeutic responses for different diseases.

X4 Pharmaceuticals Announces Initiation of Phase 1b Study of X4P-001 in Patients with Resectable Stage III and Stage IV Melanoma

On September 27, 2016 X4 Pharmaceuticals, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel CXCR4 inhibitor drugs to improve immune cell trafficking and increase the ability for T-cells to track and destroy cancer, reported dosing of the first patient in its Phase 1b study of X4P-001 in patients with resectable Stage III and Stage IV melanoma (Press release, X4 Pharmaceuticals, SEP 27, 2016, View Source [SID:SID1234515440]). X4P-001 is the Company’s lead CXCR4 inhibitor drug candidate, and is also in clinical development for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

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This Phase 1b multi-center study in patients with resectable Stage III and Stage IV melanoma will evaluate the safety and tolerability of X4P-001 alone and in combination with the immuno-oncology therapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab), an approved PD-1 inhibitor for patients with advanced melanoma and certain other cancers. In addition, the study will include analyses of participants’ tumor biopsies to assess changes in the tumor microenvironment. Preliminary results from the study are expected in 2017.

"Immuno-oncology therapies have been a breakthrough for some melanoma patients. However, not all patients respond to the existing immuno-oncology approaches, and we believe that characteristics of the tumor microenvironment may be an important factor in response to treatment," said Robert Andtbacka, MD, a surgeon and investigator with the Huntsman Cancer Institute of the University of Utah, associate professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, and Principle Investigator of the X4P-001 study in melanoma. "This study will allow us to evaluate how inhibition of CXCR4 may alter the landscape of the microenvironment providing insights into improving immune surveillance and tumor response in melanoma."

"We are excited to be working with leading researchers in melanoma and immuno-oncology, led by Dr. Andtbacka, to undertake this innovative protocol to study changes in the tumor microenvironment with administration of X4P-001 and its potential benefit to patients with advanced melanoma," said Paula Ragan, PhD, President and CEO of X4. "Results from this study will allow us to assess the utility of X4P-001 alone and in combination with checkpoint modulators, opening the possibility to study X4P-001 in additional tumor types. X4 aims to further understand the mechanism and activity of X4P-001 in the hopes of advancing new therapies that substantially increase durable long term responses and overall survival in melanoma and other advanced cancers."

About X4P-001
X4P-001 is an oral, small molecule inhibitor of CXCR4, or C-X-C receptor type 4, the receptor for the chemokine CXCL12 (also known as stromal derived factor-1, or SDF-1). Recent studies demonstrate that CXCR4/CXCL12 is a primary receptor-ligand pair that cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells express and use to block normal immune function and promote angiogenesis through the trafficking of T-effector and T-regulatory cells, as well as myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), in the tumor microenvironment.1, 2 Pre-clinical studies have demonstrated X4P-001 activity alone and in combination with approved cancer therapies resulted in an increased tumor-specific immune response and significant inhibition of tumor growth. X4P-001 has been tested in over 70 subjects in four clinical trials in healthy volunteers and HIV-infected patients to date and was shown to be well tolerated.

About Melanoma
Cutaneous malignant melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in men and the sixth most common cancer in women in the United States. When discovered early, melanoma is highly curable with 10-year overall survival rates approaching 95% for stage I melanoma and 45-77% for stage II melanoma3. However, patients with stage III and IV melanoma, the prognosis is much worse. The 10-year survival rate for stage IV melanoma is 10-15%4. Adjuvant therapies for patients with resectable stage III melanoma include immunomodulating drugs, such as high dose interferon-α therapy and anti-CTLA-4 antibody therapy. Unmet needs remain to establish and improve overall survival in patients with advanced resectable melanoma, as well as improving objective response rates in patients who do not respond to existing treatments.