On September 13, 2017 OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:OMED), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel anti-cancer therapeutics, reported that the first patient has been dosed in the company’s Phase 1a clinical trial of GITRL-Fc (OMP-336B11) (Press release, OncoMed, SEP 13, 2017, View Source [SID1234520507]). GITRL-Fc is an investigational immuno-oncology therapeutic candidate designed to leverage the natural trimeric ligand to modulate the tumor microenvironment by inhibiting T-regulatory cells and activating T-effector cells.

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 1st generation immuno-oncology agents, which work by blocking the activation of inhibitory receptors on T cells, have produced impressive results in a number of tumor types," said Kyriakos Papadopoulos, M.D. at South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics (START) in San Antonio, TX and a lead investigator for the Phase 1a study. "GITRL-Fc is designed to directly agonize the GITR T cell activation receptor, resulting in increased T-effector cells and a reduction in the number of T-regulatory cells. OncoMed’s agent has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in pre-clinical studies, and as a result, we are excited to initiate this Phase 1a clinical trial of GITRL-Fc."

The Phase 1a open-label clinical trial is designed to assess the safety and tolerability of escalating doses of GITRL-Fc in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Secondary objectives for the trial include characterization of the pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity and anti-tumor efficacy. Pharmacodynamic and potential predictive biomarkers focused on changes in immune system activation will also be explored. GITRL-Fc will be administered as a single agent every two weeks at escalating dose levels. Once a maximum-tolerated dose has been achieved, an expansion cohort will enroll patients with certain tumor types. The trial will be conducted at five centers in the U.S. and is expected to enroll approximately 30 patients.

"GITRL-Fc is a fusion protein consisting of the fully human natural trimer GITR ligand linked to an Fc. Pre-clinical experiments have suggested that this agent may be a more potent agonist of the GITR trimer receptor than bivalent agonist antibodies," said Robert Stagg, Pharm.D., OncoMed’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Research and Development. "As a result, we are very pleased to have initiated this Phase 1a trial which will help to define the maximum tolerated dose, safety and preliminary efficacy of this immuno-oncology agent."

About GITRL-Fc
GITR (glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related protein) is a costimulatory molecule that has been shown to be involved in inhibiting the suppressive activity of T-regulatory cells and extending the survival of T-effector cells. Leveraging OncoMed’s proprietary linkerless gene trimer technology, OncoMed has developed a differentiated approach to targeting the GITR/GITRL axis by creating a fusion protein with an Fc-linked fully human trimer ligand that may be more amenable to the natural receptor’s trimeric structure. GITRL-Fc is designed to modulate the tumor microenvironment by inhibiting T-regulatory function and activating T-effector cells. In preclinical studies, a surrogate GITRL-Fc showed superior GITR signaling activation, T-cell proliferation and cytokine production in human T-cell models as compared to two anti-GITR mAbs in competitive development and demonstrated potent in vivo anti-tumor activity. GITRL-Fc is currently being studied in a Phase 1a study in patients with solid tumors. OncoMed is independently developing GITRL-Fc.

On September 13, 2017 Moleculin Biotech, Inc., (NASDAQ: MBRX) ("Moleculin" or the "Company"), a preclinical pharmaceutical company focused on the development of anti-cancer drug candidates, some of which are based on license agreements with The University of Texas System on behalf of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, reported it has engaged contract research organization ("CRO") Bioscience SA ("Bioscience") to prepare for a proof-of-concept clinical trial in Poland to study its drug candidate WP1220 for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma ("CTCL") (Press release, Moleculin, SEP 13, 2017, View Source [SID1234520506]).

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!

"We believe we are in a position to move quickly to develop WP1220," commented Walter Klemp, Chairman and CEO of Moleculin. "We have a complete IND-enabling data package already, so we should be able to make application soon to the Polish regulatory authorities for a clinical trial authorization. In this case, we believe a proof-of-concept trial in Poland can be completed sooner and for less investment than in the US, giving us a very efficient means to develop yet another asset in our portfolio. As well, success with this trial could help us position WP1220 for accelerated approval in the US."
CTCL is a rare life-threatening skin cancer with limited treatment options. Pre-clinical studies have suggested that some CTCL cell lines may be particularly sensitive to inhibition of the activated form of STAT3, something for which the Company believes WP1220 is especially well suited. The Company’s initial approach will be to administer WP1220 as a topical drug to Stage 1 through 2a patients in an effort to inhibit the progression of the disease.

On September 13, 2017 Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:IOVA), a biotechnology company developing novel cancer immunotherapies based on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) technology, reported the approval of the Company’s Clinical Trial Application (CTA), by the competent authority (CA) in the Netherlands, for a Phase 2 trial of LN-145 for the treatment of patients with recurrent, metastatic or persistent cervical carcinoma (Press release, Iovance Biotherapeutics, SEP 13, 2017, View Source [SID1234520504]). Iovance initiated the submission of CTAs in multiple countries in Europe starting in August 2017 in support of clinical trials in cervical carcinoma and metastatic melanoma.

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!

"We intend to use the data from our Phase 2 trials in support of global registration for TIL therapy to treat patients with melanoma and cervical carcinoma. We are very enthusiastic to have our first CTA approved by the CA and look forward to initiating our trials in Europe to offer TIL therapy to these metastatic melanoma and cervical carcinoma patients in addition to those in the US. The encouraging data generated by the National Cancer Institute showing responses in three of the nine cervical cancer patients treated with TIL therapy, with two continuing to have a complete response at 46 months and 54 months of follow up, supports the potential for LN-145 in the treatment of cervical cancer," said Dr. Maria Fardis, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Iovance Biotherapeutics.

LN-145 is an adoptive cell transfer (ACT) therapy that utilizes an autologous TIL manufacturing process. C-145-04 is a Phase 2, multicenter, single-arm, open-label interventional study that will enroll up to 47 patients and will assess the safety and efficacy of LN-145 for the treatment of patients with recurrent, metastatic, or persistent cervical carcinoma. The cell transfer therapy used in this study involves patients receiving a non-myeloablative (NMA) lymphocyte depleting preparative regimen, followed by infusion of autologous TIL and the administration of a regimen of up to six doses of IL-2.

On September 13, 2017 Clovis Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLVS) reported that comprehensive data from the Phase 3 ARIEL3 study of rucaparib for maintenance treatment of advanced ovarian cancer were published online today in The Lancet (Press release, Clovis Oncology, SEP 13, 2017, View Source [SID1234520503]). The ARIEL3 study successfully achieved its primary and key secondary endpoints – improved progression-free survival (PFS) by both investigator review and blinded independent central review (BICR), respectively – in each of the three populations studied, as well as its exploratory endpoints.

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!

ARIEL3 is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial of rucaparib that enrolled 564 women with platinum-sensitive, high-grade ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer. The primary efficacy analysis evaluated three prospectively defined molecular sub-groups in a step-down manner: 1) tumor BRCA mutant (tBRCAmut) patients, inclusive of germline and somatic mutations of BRCA (n=196); 2) HRD patients, including BRCA-mutant patients and BRCA wild-type with high loss of heterozygosity, or LOH-high patients (n=354), and, finally, 3) the intent-to-treat population, or all patients treated in ARIEL3 (n=564). The study achieved its primary endpoint of improved PFS by investigator review in each of three populations. PFS was also improved in the rucaparib group compared with placebo by BICR, a key secondary endpoint, in all three populations. In addition, rucaparib improved objective response rate vs placebo among evaluable trial participants in all three study populations.

"The publication of the ARIEL3 data in this prestigious, peer-review journal reinforces the importance of identifying new therapies that provide meaningful clinical benefit to women with advanced ovarian cancer, and speaks to the high quality of the study design and the data we were able to deliver," said Patrick J. Mahaffy, President and CEO of Clovis Oncology. "We extend our sincere thanks to the study investigators and authors, as well as the many patients, who supported and participated in ARIEL3."

"The extension in PFS in the ARIEL3 intent-to-treat population demonstrates that patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian carcinoma can derive robust clinical benefit from rucaparib maintenance treatment, regardless of their mutational status," said Robert L. Coleman, M.D., professor and vice chair, clinical research, in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Reproductive Medicine at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the U.S. principal investigator for the ARIEL3 study. "Additionally, the ARIEL3 study was intentionally designed to deliver multiple, key insights that will help inform treatment decisions and management of advanced ovarian cancer patients going forward."

According to the paper published today, treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in the ARIEL3 rucaparib group were generally managed with dose modifications and not associated with increased mortality or morbidity compared with the placebo group. Safety data from ARIEL3 demonstrate consistency with prior rucaparib studies.

In December 2016, Rubraca became the first PARP inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as monotherapy for treatment of patients with deleterious BRCA mutation (germline and/or somatic) associated advanced ovarian cancer who have been treated with two or more prior chemotherapies. During the fourth quarter of 2016, a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) was submitted and accepted in Europe for Rubraca in the same ovarian cancer-treatment indication.

Based on the ARIEL3 findings, Clovis Oncology plans to submit a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. FDA for a second line or later maintenance treatment indication in ovarian cancer by the end of October 2017. In early 2018, the Company plans to file an MAA in Europe for the maintenance treatment indication upon receipt of a potential approval for the treatment indication.

About the ARIEL3 Clinical Trial

The ARIEL3 pivotal study of rucaparib is a confirmatory randomized, double-blind study comparing the effects of rucaparib against placebo to evaluate whether rucaparib given as a maintenance treatment to platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer patients can extend the period of time for which the disease is controlled after a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy. The study enrolled 564 patients with high-grade epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer. To be eligible for the study, participants had to have received at least two prior platinum-based treatment regimens, been sensitive to the penultimate platinum regimen, and achieved a complete or partial response to their most recent platinum-based regimen. There were no genomic selection criteria for this study. Trial participants were randomized 2:1 to receive 600 milligrams of rucaparib twice daily (BID) or placebo.

About Rucaparib

Rucaparib is an oral, small molecule inhibitor of PARP1, PARP2 and PARP3 being developed in ovarian cancer as well as several additional solid tumor indications. In December 2016, rucaparib became the first PARP inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as monotherapy for treatment of patients with deleterious BRCA mutation (germline and/or somatic) associated advanced ovarian cancer who have been treated with two or more prior chemotherapies. Studies open for enrollment or under consideration include ovarian, prostate, breast, pancreatic, gastroesophageal, bladder, lung and urothelial cancers. Clovis is also developing rucaparib in patients with mutant BRCA tumors and other DNA repair deficiencies beyond BRCA – commonly referred to as homologous recombination deficiencies, or HRD. Clovis holds worldwide rights for rucaparib.

About Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is the sixth deadliest cancer amongst women in Europe,i where more than 65,000 women are diagnosed annually.ii Ovarian cancer is challenging to treat, and most women will relapse after surgery and chemotherapy. The 80 to 85 percent of women diagnosed in the later stages of the disease (III and IV) have particularly poor outcomes.iii Approximately one in four women with ovarian cancer have a germline or somatic BRCA mutation,iv and new treatment options are needed to treat unique patient populations.