On April 28, 2021 Amplia Therapeutics Limited (ASX: ATX), ("Amplia" or the "Company"), a company developing new approaches for the treatment for cancer and fibrosis, reported that data that it has received during its collaboration with Professor Paul Timpson of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney ("Garvan") (Press release, Amplia Therapeutics, APR 28, 2021, View Source;[email protected] [SID1234578670]).

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In March, Amplia announced that it had agreed terms for a collaboration with the Garvan. This collaboration has brought together Amplia’s clinical-stage FAK inhibitors with the Garvan’s unique insights into FAK biology and its clinical research network.

Amplia has now received data from work conducted under this collaboration in which AMP945 was tested in a range of different in vitro and in vivo experimental systems that have been established over many years in Professor Paul Timpson’s laboratory at the Garvan. These data have demonstrated that AMP945 impacts several key markers of disease, including the level of fibrosis and collagen maturity in the tumour environment in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, when combined with gemcitabine/Abraxane, which is a standard of care in pancreatic cancer, AMP945 enhances the activity of the chemotherapy as determined by key indicators of cell death and of cancer cell proliferation. Specifically, after a single round of treatment, AMP945, in combination with gemcitabine/Abraxane, caused a significant increase in levels of cleaved Caspase-3 which is a marker of cancer cell death. In addition, Ki67, a marker of cancer cell proliferation, was significantly decreased after dosing with both AMP945 and gemcitabine/Abraxane.

John Lambert, CEO of Amplia Therapeutics commented that "We are extremely happy to see such positive results coming out of the Timpson Lab with AMP945. These data provide further validation of our approach of using our proprietary FAK inhibitors to enhance the effectiveness of the current therapies for this difficult to treat disease. It is very encouraging to see that AMP945 is able to directly reduce the levels of fibrosis is these tumour models, as well as enhance the activity of gemcitabine/Abraxane, which is currently standard treatment for many pancreatic cancer patients."

In light of the positive data received from the Timpson Laboratory and the emerging clinical data from the Company’s Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers, Amplia has now started planning a Phase 2 clinical trial of AMP945 in pancreatic cancer patients. Amplia is currently working closely with a range of clinical advisors, clinical pharmacologists, statisticians and potential vendors to finalise the required regulatory applications and refine the study protocol. This ASX announcement was approved and authorised for release by the Board of Amplia Therapeutics.