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Sunesis Pharmaceuticals Announces Support of First-Ever Acute Myeloid Leukemia Awareness Month in June

On May 25, 2016 Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNSS) reported its support for the first-ever Acute Myeloid Leukemia Awareness Month to be held in June. The goal of the campaign, which is being sponsored by CancerCare, is to put a spotlight on the disease, a rare and difficult-to-treat blood cancer that typically affects older adults (Press release, Sunesis, MAY 25, 2016, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2172293 [SID:1234512773]).

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Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow and can worsen quickly if left untreated. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is estimated that there will be 19,950 new cases of acute myeloid leukemia in 2016 and an estimated 10,430 people will die from the disease. AML is more common in older adults, who are also the most difficult to treat, with 67 as the median age of diagnosis. While progress in treating leukemia has been made, there has been only one AML treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the past 30 years (and that drug was subsequently withdrawn from the market).

Patricia J. Goldsmith, CEO of CancerCare, said, "AML Awareness Month will feature in-depth information about AML on the organization’s website, including a video that features NBA broadcaster Craig Sager who is battling the disease, as well as his son, Craig, Jr., who donated his bone marrow twice in an effort to save his father. The website will also offer people living with AML and their caregivers easy-to-use, informative resources to understand their condition. We thank Sunesis Pharmaceuticals for their unrestricted educational grant which has helped to support the development of these resources."

"We are delighted to be supporting CancerCare’s efforts to raise awareness of acute myeloid leukemia," said Daniel Swisher, Chief Executive Officer of Sunesis. "Because it is a rare disease with an older patient population, there has been little attention focused on AML. As a company that is determined to deliver a new treatment option for this disease, we want to support the AML community by helping to provide more education and information for patients and caregivers."

Goldsmith added, "The AML community’s voice has not always been heard because the disease itself is so rare and the mortality rate is so high. We hope to put a spotlight on AML in June and help focus attention on the urgent need these patients and their families have for hope."

Patients and caregivers can find educational resources on AML online at www.cancercare.org; an unrestricted educational grant from Sunesis has helped to support the development of the informational resources on AML which also includes a patient and caregiver workshop webinar to be held on June 17.

About CancerCare

Founded in 1944, CancerCare is the leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical and financial challenges of cancer. Our comprehensive services include counseling and support groups over the phone, online and in-person, educational workshops, publications and financial and co-payment assistance. All CancerCare services are provided by oncology social workers and world-leading cancer experts. Headquartered in New York, NY, CancerCare maintains three additional locations in Norwalk, CT, Ridgewood, NJ and Syosset, NY.

Iceni Pharmaceuticals launches as new company focusing on repurposing therapies in the field of oncology

On May 25, 2016 Iceni Pharmaceuticals reported its launch as a new company, focusing on developing repurposed and reformulated cancer therapies (Press release, iceni, MAY 25, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512803]).

The company’s lead product Cilcane (generic name cilengitide) is being repurposed by Iceni as a first-in-class treatment for multiple myeloma. Iceni has demonstrated in pre-clinical studies that Cilcane is effective as a combination therapy when given with proteasome inhibitors such as bortezomib, and that this approach may also be applicable to breast and other cancers. Iceni has a broad intellectual property portfolio covering the formulation and methods of use of Cilcane. Cilengitide was formerly in late-stage clinical trials in glioblastoma with Merck Serono.

Iceni Pharmaceuticals is planning a Phase II safety/efficacy trial of Cilcane starting in 2017 aimed at relapsed refractory patients who have already received one prior therapy of proteasome inhibitor. The Company has appointed several leading authorities on cilengitide and multiple myeloma to its scientific advisory board, including:

Annalisa Jenkins, previously Head of Global Research & Development at Merck Serono, during the time cilengitide was in development.
Dr Bruno Osterwalder, previously Senior VP (Oncology) at Merck Serono.
Gareth Morgan, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRCPath, professor of medicine and pathology and director of the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), one of the world’s foremost myeloma treatment centres.
Dr Horst Kessler, Munich Technical University, and a named inventor of cilengitide.
Dr John March, CEO at Iceni Pharmaceuticals, commented: "We are excited by the prospect of repurposing cilengitide as a novel combination therapy for the treatment of multiple myeloma and building on its established safety profile to improve the clinical outcome and quality of life of patients. Our prestigious team of world renowned scientific advisors are testament to the belief in the product and its potential."

The company’s new corporate website is available at www.icenipharma.com

GlycoMimetics Announces Publication of New Preclinical Data with GMI-1271 in Science Translational Medicine

On May 25, 2016 GlycoMimetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: GLYC) reported that the peer-reviewed journal, Science Translational Medicine, has published preclinical research in its May 25 issue pointing to a potential clinical application for GMI-1271 in the treatment of breast cancer (Press release, GlycoMimetics, MAY 25, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512787]). The published study details research in an in vivo model that showed the company’s drug candidate, GMI-1271, a novel E-selectin antagonist, inhibits breast cancer metastasis.

The study provides important new detail on how metastasis from breast cancer can lead to relapse, even if the primary cancer is in remission. The research highlights a possible new application of GMI-1271, currently in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in AML, as a potential treatment for solid tumors. Data from the study also suggest a possible therapeutic avenue to test GMI-1359, a GlycoMimetics drug candidate that targets both E-selectin and CXCR4, for use as a potential treatment for certain cancers.

"The preclinical data published in an important peer-reviewed journal demonstrate key roles for both E-selectin and CXCR4 in progression of metastatic breast cancer," said John Magnani, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer of GlycoMimetics and co-author of the study. "The data also provide further evidence of the in vivo activity of GMI-1271 and suggest possible uses of GMI-1271 and GMI-1359 in solid tumors. This is an encouraging development as we progress through preclinical and clinical research of our drug candidates, and provides further rational for developing antagonists against both E-selectin and CXCR4."

The researchers found that breast cancer cells accumulate in regions of the protective bone marrow, an environment rich in E-selectin and SDF-1 (which binds to CXCR4, another molecule associated with cancer cell adhesion and proliferation). GMI-1271, by inhibiting E-selectin, blocks trafficking of breast cancer cells into bone marrow regions where metastasis can become dormant and protected from chemotherapy treatment. At the same time, researchers found that inhibition of CXCR4 as well as of E-selectin could mobilize and excise dormant metastasis from these protective niches and block their reentry, thereby potentially eliminating a common site for metastases and source of relapsed disease. These effects indicate a potential role in treatment of breast cancer not only for GMI-1271, but also for GMI-1359, which inhibits the actions of both E-selectin and CXCR4.

GlycoMimetics plans to file an investigational new drug (IND) application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the third quarter of this year for its combined E-selectin-CXCR4 antagonist GMI-1359, initially for treatment of hematologic malignancies.

About GMI-1271

GMI-1271 is designed to block E-selectin (an adhesion molecule on cells in the bone marrow) from binding with AML cells as a targeted approach to disrupting well-established mechanisms of leukemic cell drug resistance within the bone marrow microenvironment. Preclinical research points to the drug’s potential role in moving cancerous cells out of the protective environment of the bone marrow where they hide and escape the effects of chemotherapy. In preclinical studies using animal models of AML, the results of which were presented at meetings of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper), GMI-1271 was also associated with a reduction of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and chemotherapy-induced mucositis.

About GMI-1359

GMI-1359 is a compound that targets both E-selectin and CXCR4, which aid in cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy. The compound is in preclinical evaluation. GMI-1359 is a potent dual antagonist of both E-selectin and CXCR4, demonstrating anti-tumor activity in preclinical models of pancreatic cancer, FLT-3+ acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and prostate cancer. GlycoMimetics plans to file an IND for GMI-1359 in the third quarter of 2016.

8-K – Current report

On May 24, 2016 a wholly-owned subsidiary of Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Spectrum"), Allos Therapeutics Inc. (the "Company"), and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. ("Teva"), reported that it has entered into a settlement agreement to resolve their patent litigation relating to Folotyn (pralatrexate injection) (Filing, 8-K, Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, MAY 25, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512774]).

As a result of the settlement, Teva will be permitted to market a generic version of Folotyn in the United States on December 1, 2022 or earlier under certain circumstances. Details of the settlement are confidential, and the parties will submit the agreement to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. The parties will request that the court enter an order, in which it will dismiss the Company’s litigation against Teva. The Company’s litigation against other generic filers continues. This litigation is described in further detail in Part II, Item 1 of Spectrum’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2016.

Seattle Genetics Initiates Pivotal Phase 3 Trial of Vadastuximab Talirine (SGN-CD33A) for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

On May 25, 2016 Seattle Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: SGEN) reported initiation of a pivotal phase 3 clinical trial, called CASCADE, evaluating vadastuximab talirine (SGN-CD33A; 33A) in combination with azacitidine (Vidaza) or decitabine (Dacogen) in older patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (Press release, Seattle Genetics, MAY 25, 2016, View Source [SID:1234512772]).

33A is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeted to CD33 utilizing Seattle Genetics’ newest technology, comprising an engineered cysteine antibody (EC-mAb) stably linked to a highly potent DNA binding agent called a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimer. CD33 is expressed on leukemic blasts in nearly all AML patients and expression is generally consistent regardless of age, cytogenetic abnormalities or underlying mutations. Azacitidine and decitabine are hypomethylating agents (HMAs) commonly used in the treatment of older AML patients.

"Acute myeloid leukemia, or AML, is a devastating disease representing a significant unmet medical need. It impacts approximately 20,000 people in the U.S. each year, with few effective treatment options. Older AML patients have a particularly poor prognosis as the majority have high risk disease characteristics and a median survival of ten months or less with available therapies," said Clay Siegall, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Seattle Genetics. "We have a robust development strategy, with several ongoing clinical trials across multiple lines of therapy in myeloid malignancies to explore 33A as a treatment option broadly in AML. This pivotal phase 3 CASCADE trial is a significant corporate milestone and an important step in our goal to improve outcomes for AML patients."

The phase 3 CASCADE study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, global clinical trial. It is designed to evaluate if 33A in combination with azacitidine or decitabine can extend overall survival compared to azacitidine or decitabine alone in older patients with newly diagnosed AML. Patients will be randomized on a 1:1 ratio to be treated with an HMA plus 33A or an HMA plus placebo. The secondary endpoints include the comparison of composite complete remission rate (complete remission and complete remission with incomplete hematologic recovery; CR/CRi), event-free and leukemia-free survival, duration of response, safety, and 30- and 60-day mortality rates. The phase 3 trial will enroll approximately 500 patients globally. For more information about the trial, including enrolling centers, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Interim results from the ongoing phase 1 study evaluating 33A in combination with HMAs in frontline AML and as monotherapy in primarily relapsed AML were presented at the 2015 American Society of Hematology (ASH) (Free ASH Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and Exposition. Data from the phase 1 33A combination trial demonstrated that 15 of 23 (65 percent) evaluable patients achieved CR/CRi. At a median follow-up of 7.7 months, median survival had not yet been reached, and 72 percent of patients remained alive and on study.

Updated data from the ongoing phase 1 study of 33A in combination with HMAs will be presented in an oral presentation at the 2016 European Hematology Association (EHA) (Free EHA Whitepaper) Congress taking place June 9 – 12, 2016, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

In addition to the phase 3 CASCADE trial, Seattle Genetics is evaluating 33A broadly across multiple lines of therapy in patients with AML and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), including the following ongoing trials:

A phase 1 trial of 33A monotherapy and in combination with HMAs in AML patients who have relapsed/declined intensive frontline therapy or are newly diagnosed;
A phase 1b trial in combination with standard-of-care intensive chemotherapy (7+3), consisting of cytarabine and daunorubicin, for younger fit patients with AML;
A phase 1/2 trial in patients with relapsed or refractory AML evaluating 33A monotherapy as a pre-conditioning regimen prior to an allogeneic stem cell transplant and also for use as maintenance therapy following transplant; and,
A phase 1/2 trial of 33A in combination with azacitidine in patients with previously untreated MDS.
More information about SGN-CD33A and ongoing clinical trials can be found at www.ADC-CD33.com.

With more than 15 years of experience and innovation, Seattle Genetics is the leader in developing ADCs. ADCs are monoclonal antibodies that are designed to selectively deliver cell-killing agents to tumor cells. This approach is intended to spare non-targeted cells and, thus, reduce many of the toxic effects of traditional chemotherapy while enhancing antitumor activity.

About Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia, also called acute myelocytic leukemia or AML, is an aggressive type of cancer of the bone marrow and blood that progresses rapidly without treatment. AML is a cancer that starts in the cells that are supposed to mature into different types of blood cells. AML starts in the bone marrow (the interior part of bones, where new blood cells are made) and quickly moves into the blood. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2016 approximately 20,000 new cases of AML (mostly in adults) will be diagnosed and nearly 10,500 deaths will occur from AML (almost all will be in adults).

About Vadastuximab Talirine (SGN-CD33A)

Vadastuximab talirine (SGN-CD33A; 33A) is a novel ADC targeted to CD33 utilizing Seattle Genetics’ newest ADC technology. CD33 is expressed on most AML and MDS blast cells. The CD33 antibody is attached to a highly potent DNA binding agent, a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) dimer, via a proprietary site-specific conjugation technology to a monoclonal antibody with engineered cysteines (EC-mAb). PBD dimers are significantly more potent than systemic chemotherapeutic drugs and the site-specific conjugation technology (EC-mAb) allows uniform drug-loading of the cell-killing PBD agent to the anti-CD33 antibody. The ADC is designed to be stable in the bloodstream and to release its potent DNA binding agent upon internalization into CD33-expressing cells.