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Synta Announces Presentations at the 16th Annual World Conference on Lung Cancer

On September 8, 2015 Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA) reported that presentations related to ganetespib, a novel, potent small molecule inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) in Phase 3 development, and STA-12-8666, the Company’s leading candidate from its proprietary Hsp90 inhibitor Drug Conjugate (HDC) Program, will be presented at the 16th Annual World Conference on Lung Cancer at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado (Press release, Synta Pharmaceuticals, SEP 8, 2015, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2085888 [SID:1234507416]).

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Details of the presentations are provided below:

Mini Oral Presentations:

HSP90 Inhibitor Ganetespib Radiosensitizes Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells and Inhibits Lung Cancer Stem Cells

Date and Time: Tuesday, September 8, 10:45 AM – 12:15 PM MT
Location: Mile High Ballroom 2c – 3c, MINI14.08
Presenter: Vera Levina, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh

The Novel HSP90 Inhibitor-SN-38 Conjugate (STA-12-8666), Is Highly Active in Preclinical Models of Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC)

Date and Time: Wednesday, September 9, 6:30 -8:00 PM MT
Location: Rooms 605+607, MINI37.02
Presenter: Yanis Boumber, M.D., Ph.D., University of New Mexico

Poster Presentations:

Ganetespib Resistance in KRAS Mutant NSCLC Is Mediated through Reactivation of the RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/MTOR Pathways

Date and Time: Tuesday, September 8, 9:30AM – 5:00 PM MT
Location: Exhibit Hall (Hall B+C), Poster P2.04-101
Presenter: Timothy F. Burns, M.D., University of Pittsburgh

A Phase Ib/II Trial of Doxorubicin with Ganetespib, a Novel Hsp90 Inhibitor, in Advanced Solid Tumors, with Dose Expansion in Small Cell Lung Cancer

Date and Time: Wednesday, September 9, 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM MT
Location: Exhibit Hall (Hall B+C), Poster P3.07-003
Presenter: Deepa Subramaniam, M.D., Georgetown University

Celsion Announces Highlights from Symposium at the International Liver Cancer Association 2015 Annual Conference

On September 8, 2015 Celsion Corporation (NASDAQ: CLSN), an oncology drug development company, reported highlights from presentations by three leading experts in the treatment of intermediate primary liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and Celsion’s pivotal Phase III OPTIMA Study of ThermoDox, the Company’s proprietary heat-activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin, in combination with optimized radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (Press release, Celsion, SEP 8, 2015, View Source [SID:1234507414]). The symposium, entitled "Intermediate HCC: Cure vs. Palliation," was held on September 5, 2015 at the International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) 9th Annual Conference in Paris, France and was moderated by Professor Riccardo Lencioni, MD, FSIR, EBIR, Executive Committee member of the ILCA Governing Board.

The three presentations included:

"Current Management of Intermediate HCC: Unmet Medical Needs," by Ronnie T.P. Poon, MD, MBBS, MS, PhD, FRCS (Edin), FACS, Medical Director at the Hong Kong Integrated Oncology Center, Honorary Professor of Surgery at the University of Hong Kong Queen Mary Hospital, and member of the ILCA Governing Board. Dr. Poon discussed strategies for treating different stages of HCC including intermediate stage HCC which has been previously thought to be incurable. New treatment strategies, most notably an optimized RFA procedure with the investigational drug, ThermoDox, show clear promise as a potential cure for intermediate HCC in the years ahead.

"Intermediate HCC Treatment Paradigms and Lessons Learned," by Ghassan K. Abou-Alfa, MD, Professor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Abou-Alfa reviewed results from recent clinical studies in intermediate stage primary liver cancer patients, including recent data from Celsion’s latest HEAT Study post-hoc analysis which suggests an overall survival benefit of more than two years in the large subgroup of patients treated with ThermoDox plus optimized RFA (RFA ≥ 45 minutes).

"OPTIMA Phase III Clinical Trial: Study Design and Protocols," by Riccardo Lencioni, MD, FSIR, EBIR, Professor and Director of Diagnostic Imaging and Intervention at Pisa University School of Medicine in Pisa, Italy, Lead European Principal Investigator for Celsion’s HEAT Study and member of the ILCA Governing Board. Dr. Lencioni reviewed the latest findings from the HEAT Study post-hoc analysis, which strongly supports the rationale for a minimum 45 minute ablation time when using ThermoDox and suggests that there could be an important curative role for optimized RFA and ThermoDox in intermediate HCC. Celsion is currently evaluating ThermoDox plus optimized RFA in its ongoing Phase III OPTIMA Study, currently enrolling patients in over 75 clinical sites globally.

"Results from the HEAT Study, one of the largest clinical trials ever conducted in primary liver cancer, reinforce the potential for ThermoDox in combination with an optimized RFA regimen as a curative treatment for this deadly cancer," said Professor Lencioni. "With median overall survival of more than 6.5 years, or 79 months, data from the HEAT Study post-hoc analysis suggest a greater than two year median survival advantage for treatment with ThermoDox plus optimized RFA, a meaningful finding given that few treatments are effective in prolonging survival in HCC."

As of July 15, 2015, data from the latest HEAT Study post-hoc overall survival analysis demonstrated that in a large, well bounded subgroup of patients (n=285, 41% of the HEAT Study patients), treatment with a combination of ThermoDox and optimized RFA provided an average 58% improvement in overall survival compared to optimized RFA alone. The Hazard Ratio (HR) at this analysis was 0.63 (95% CI 0.43 – 0.93) with a p-value of 0.0198. Median overall survival for the ThermoDox group has been reached, which translates into a 2.1 year survival benefit over the optimized RFA group (79 months for the ThermoDox plus optimized RFA group versus 53.6 months for the optimized RFA only group).

The presentations are available on Celsion’s website at View Source

About The International Liver Cancer Association

The International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) is the only international organization devoted exclusively to liver cancer research for experts from all related disciplines – medical, interventional and surgical oncology as well as hepatology. ILCA aspires to advance research in the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

About Celsion’s Phase III OPTIMA Study

Celsion’s Phase III OPTIMA Study is a global pivotal, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating ThermoDox, its proprietary heat-activated liposomal encapsulation of doxorubicin, in combination with optimized radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in HCC. The study is expected to enroll up to 550 patients in over 75 clinical sites in the North America, Europe, China and Asia Pacific, and will evaluate ThermoDox in combination with optimized RFA, which will be standardized to a minimum of 45 minutes across all investigators and clinical sites for treating lesions three to seven centimeters, versus standardized RFA alone. The primary endpoint for the trial is overall survival, which is supported by post-hoc analysis of data from the Company’s 701 patient HEAT Study, where optimized RFA has demonstrated the potential to significantly improve survival when combined with ThermoDox. The statistical plan for the OPTIMA Study calls for two interim efficacy analyses by an independent Data Monitoring Committee (iDMC).

ArQule Presents Additional Clinical Biomarker Data From Phase 2 Study of Tivantinib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma at International Liver Cancer Association Conference

On September 08, 2015 ArQule, Inc. (Nasdaq:ARQL) reported that additional analyses of plasma biomarkers support the prognostic and predictive role of MET status in this previously reported phase 2 trial in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Press release, ArQule, SEP 8, 2015, View Source [SID:1234507413]). The data was presented at the International Liver Cancer Association (ILCA) 9th Annual Conference on September 6th, 2015.

The phase 2 study, completed in the third quarter of 2011 and published in The Lancet Oncology medical journal in November 2012, enrolled 107 HCC patients who progressed or were intolerant to one prior systemic therapy. Multiple biomarkers were evaluated as part of the study, and MET status as determined by immunohistochemistry emerged as the strongest predictor of tivantinib benefit. In addition, the presentation noted that biopsies were more likely to be categorized as MET-high when taken after sorafenib therapy than before therapy. The presentation can be accessed in the "Investor and Media" section of our website, www.arqule.com, under "Recent Data Presentations."

"The biomarker data from this trial demonstrates that patients with MET-high tumors are more likely to benefit from tivantinib therapy," said Dr. Brian Schwartz, head of research and development at ArQule. "On the basis of the results from the phase 2 trial and in partnership with Daiichi Sankyo, we are conducting the pivotal phase 3 METIV-HCC trial that is enrolling MET-high HCC patients as determined by a required companion diagnostic test."

By the end of 2015 the pivotal phase 3 trial, METIV-HCC, is expected to complete enrollment of approximately 300 patients, randomized 2:1 treatment to best supportive care, with the primary end-point of overall survival.

About hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

Globally, liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer according to the World Cancer Research Fund International (782,000 new cases in 2012) and is the second cause of cancer related death (746,000 deaths in 2012). HCC accounts for about 90 percent of primary liver cancers. Cirrhosis, chronic hepatitis B and C and smoking are recognized worldwide as factors increasing the risk of HCC.

About MET and tivantinib (ARQ 197)

Tivantinib is an orally administered, selective inhibitor of MET, a receptor tyrosine kinase, which is currently in Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials. In healthy adult cells, MET can be present in normal levels to support natural cellular function, but in cancer cells, MET can be inappropriately and continuously activated. When abnormally activated, MET plays multiple roles in aspects of human cancer, including cancer cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. The activation of certain cell signaling pathways, including MET, has also been associated with the development of resistance to anti-EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) antibodies such as cetuximab and panitumumab.

Pre-clinical data have demonstrated that tivantinib inhibits MET activation in a range of human tumor cell lines and shows anti-tumor activity against several human tumor xenografts. In clinical trials to date, treatment with tivantinib has been generally well tolerated and has shown clinical activity in the tumors studied. Tivantinib has not yet been approved for any indication in any country.

In December 2008, ArQule and Daiichi Sankyo signed a license, co-development and co-commercialization agreement for tivantinib in the U.S., Europe, South America and the rest of the world, excluding Japan, China (including Hong Kong), South Korea and Taiwan.

New Translational Data Highlights Bavituximab’s Ability to Induce Signs of Immune Activation in Lung Cancer Tumor Samples With Negative PD-L1 Expression

On September 08, 2015 Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:PPHM) (NASDAQ:PPHMP), a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight cancer, reported positive new data from a translational study of bavituximab, the company’s investigational phosphatidylserine (PS)-signaling pathway inhibitor (Press release, Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, SEP 8, 2015, View Source [SID:1234507415]).

Findings demonstrated the ability of bavituximab, alone or in combination with docetaxel, to induce signs of immune activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patient-derived tumor samples, particularly when there was negative PD-L1 expression in the tumor sample. These data further support the potential mechanistic synergies for bavituximab with chemotherapy and checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. Results from the study are being presented as part of a mini-oral presentation at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer’s (IASLC’s) World Conference on Lung Cancer (WCLC), being held this week in Denver, Colorado.

Bavituximab is an investigational immunotherapy designed to assist the body’s immune system by targeting and modulating the activity of phosphatidylserine (PS), a highly immune-suppressive signaling molecule expressed broadly on the surface of cells in the tumor microenvironment. Peregrine’s PS signaling pathway inhibitor candidates, including bavituximab, reverse the immunosuppressive environment that many tumors establish in order to proliferate, while also fighting cancer by activating macrophages and cytotoxic T cells in tumors.

For the study presented at the WCLC, researchers from Nilogen Oncosystems and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, in collaboration with Peregrine, evaluated immune changes in 3D tumor microspheres generated from human NSCLC fresh tumors extracted at the time of surgery. These were tumor microspheres were treated with bavituximab alone, docetaxel alone, a combination of bavituximab and docetaxel, and a control. Bavituximab, alone and in combination with docetaxel, induced activation of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes as demonstrated by a statistically significant increase in key immune-stimulating cytokines such as IFN-ɣ, TNF-α, and GM-CSF with a corresponding decrease in secretion of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10. Importantly, the bavituximab-affected immune response activity appeared to correlate with low PD-L1 expression on the tumor samples.

"These new translational data suggest that bavituximab has the potential to activate a tumor specific immune response in patients with PD-L1 negative tumors that generally do not respond as well to immune checkpoint inhibitors. By doing so, it is believed that bavituximab may hold potential to increase the number of patients able to respond to PD-1 and PD-L1 targeting immunotherapies," said Jeff Hutchins, vice president preclinical development of Peregrine. "These findings continue to expand our collection of translational data supporting the mechanism of action for bavituximab and corroborate our wide range of previously published preclinical study results. Taken together, these data provide us with growing confidence for our bavituximab development programs, including the ongoing Phase III SUNRISE clinical trial in NSCLC which is evaluating the same treatment combination used in these studies."

Additional bavituximab-related presentations are also being delivered during the ongoing WCLC. An oral presentation is scheduled to discuss previously announced study findings demonstrating that a combination of bavituximab and an anti-PD-1 antibody was more effective at reducing tumor burden in preclinical lung cancer models than either treatment alone. This oral presentation will be delivered by Rolf A. Brekken, Ph.D., of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, on Wednesday, September 9. In addition, Peregrine is presenting a poster providing a general overview of the company’s ongoing SUNRISE (Stimulating ImmUne RespoNse thRough BavItuximab in a PhaSE III Lung Cancer Study) trial at the conference.

"A large and growing body of research continues to support our belief that, as a fundamental checkpoint inhibitor, bavituximab may have the potential to broadly enhance the therapeutic activity of a range of cancer treatments including chemotherapy, radiation and immunotherapies. These latest data being presented at the World Conference on Lung Cancer specifically highlight this synergistic potential in the area of checkpoint inhibitors by clearly illustrating the manner in which bavituximab is able to induce the appropriate immune responses required for a successful therapeutic response to anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 agents," said Steven W. King, president and chief executive officer of Peregrine. "We look forward to continuing our investigation of bavituximab in combination with other immuno-oncology agents through our ongoing collaborations with AstraZeneca, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and UT Southwestern."

About Bavituximab: A Targeted Investigational Immunotherapy
Bavituximab is an investigational chimeric monoclonal antibody that targets phosphatidylserine (PS). Signals from PS inhibit the ability of immune cells to recognize and fight tumors. Bavituximab, the lead compound in Peregrine’s immuno-oncology development program, blocks PS to alter this immunosuppressive signal and send an immune activating signal. Targeting PS with bavituximab has been shown to shift the functions of immune cells in tumors, resulting in anti-tumor immune responses.

Genentech to Present Data from 15 Medicines Across Its Portfolio of Cancer Immunotherapy and Targeted Medicines During the 2015 European Cancer Congress

On September 7, 2015 Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), reported that data from 138 abstracts will be presented at this year’s European Cancer Congress (ECC) from Sept. 25 – 29 in Vienna, Austria (Press release, Genentech, SEP 7, 2015, View Source [SID:1234507412]). Results will be presented from several clinical studies that are supporting ongoing regulatory discussions for three investigational medicines across specific types of lung, bladder and skin cancer (alectinib, atezolizumab and cobimetinib, which recently received its first approval in Switzerland where it is marketed as Cotellic). Building on its large portfolio of approved cancer medicines, these regulatory discussions represent significant progress for Genentech’s pipeline in the fields of cancer immunotherapy and targeted medicines.

"With our targeted medicines, cancer immunotherapies and the combination potential in our portfolio, we are committed to setting new standards for treating people with cancer," said Sandra Horning, M.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. "At the 2015 European Cancer Congress, new data will be presented for three investigational medicines that we hope will be approved within the next year, including atezolizumab for people with PD-L1 expressing lung and bladder cancers."

In addition to data for alectinib, atezolizumab and cobimetinib, results will be presented across multiple tumor types from Genentech’s cancer immunotherapy and targeted medicines pipeline including CEA-IL2v (RG7813), IDO Inhibitor (GDC-0919) and vanucizumab (anti-Ang2/VEGF, RG7221). The table below contains key abstracts featuring Genentech medicines, including late breaking abstracts that will be presented during the Congress.

Follow Genentech on Twitter via @Genentech and keep up to date with the 2015 European Cancer Congress news and updates by using the hashtag #ECC2015.