On May 04, 2016 RedHill Biopharma Ltd. (NASDAQ:RDHL) (TASE:RDHL) ("RedHill" or the "Company"), a biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on development and commercialization of late clinical-stage, proprietary, orally-administered, small molecule drugs for inflammatory and gastrointestinal diseases and cancer, report that the U.S. National Cancer Institute ("NCI") has awarded the Medical University of South Carolina ("MUSC") a $1.8 million grant to support a broad range of studies on the feasibility of targeting sphingolipid metabolism for the treatment of a variety of solid tumor cancers (Press release, RedHill Biopharma, MAY 4, 2016, View Source [SID:1234511893]).
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One component of the studies includes a planned Phase II study with YELIVA(TM) (ABC294640) for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma ("HCC"), the most common primary malignant cancer of the liver1. YELIVA(TM) is a proprietary, first-in-class, orally-administered sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) selective inhibitor.
The Phase II study, planned to be initiated in the third quarter of 2016, will be conducted at MUSC and additional clinical sites and is intended to evaluate the efficacy and safety of YELIVA(TM) as a second-line monotherapy in patients with advanced HCC. The study is planned to enroll up to 39 patients who have experienced tumor progression following treatment with first-line single-agent sorafenib (Nexavar). Carolyn D. Britten, MD, Director of Hematology/Oncology Division in the Department of Medicine at MUSC and Associate Director for Clinical Investigations at the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, will act as Principal Investigator for the study.
Prof. Ran Oren, MD, Head of the Institute of Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases at Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, and a Member of RedHill’s Advisory Board, Said: "Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, with one of the highest mortality rates among cancers. It arises most frequently in patients suffering from chronic liver disease and poses an increasing problem in the Western world due to hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections, alcoholic cirrhosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis resulting from high obesity rates. Curative treatments, such as hepatic resection and liver transplant, are available only to patients diagnosed with early HCC. While these treatments offer good prognosis, they are extremely limited in their application. Over two-thirds of HCC patients in the developed world are diagnosed at advance stages of the disease, emphasizing the strong need for novel therapeutic treatments for both early and late stage HCC."
The NCI grant covers a five-year period. The Phase II HCC study will be further supported by additional funding from RedHill, which acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to YELIVA(TM) from Apogee Biotechnology Corp. ("Apogee").
HCC is the most common primary malignant cancer of the liver. It is the sixth most prevalent cancer and the third most frequent cause of cancer-related death worldwide2. Annual worldwide incidence of liver cancer was estimated to have reached 782,000 cases in 2012, with mortality of 746,000; the corresponding U.S. numbers are 30,000 and 24,000, respectively3. Most patients with HCC suffer from liver cirrhosis, which develops following long periods of chronic liver disease. The majority of HCC cases are associated with hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections. Additional causes for HCC include heavy alcohol consumption, obesity, diabetes, tobacco smoking, metabolic syndrome leading to fatty liver and hemachromatosis. The prognosis of patients with HCC is affected by the disease stage at diagnosis and by the underlying liver function. Few treatment options exist for patients diagnosed at an advanced stage, representing the majority of HCC patients. Sorafenib (Nexavar) is a targeted drug approved for the treatment of HCC in patients who are not candidates for surgery and do not have severe cirrhosis. The worldwide and U.S. markets for the treatment of HCC are estimated to reach approximately $895 million and $471 million in 2017, respectively4.
RedHill previously announced positive top-line results from a Phase I study with YELIVA(TM) in patients with advanced solid tumors, the majority of which were gastrointestinal cancer patients, including pancreatic, colorectal and cholangiocarcinoma cancers. Top-line results demonstrated that YELIVA(TM) can be safely administered to cancer patients at doses that provide circulating drug levels that are predicted to have therapeutic activity, based on levels required in preclinical models. Final results are expected in the coming weeks. The Phase I study included the first-ever longitudinal analysis of plasma sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) levels as a potential pharmacodynamic biomarker for activity of a sphingolipid-targeted drug. The administration of YELIVA(TM) resulted in a rapid and pronounced decrease in S1P levels over the first 12 hours, with return to baseline at 24 hours, consistent with clearance of the drug, with several patients having prolonged stabilization of disease.
A Phase I/II clinical study was initiated in June 2015 in the U.S. evaluating YELIVA(TM) in patients with refractory/relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), including in patients with HIV-related DLBCL. The study is being conducted at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in New Orleans and is supported by a grant awarded to Apogee from the NCI Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, as well as additional support from RedHill.
A Phase I/II study with YELIVA(TM) for the treatment of refractory or relapsed multiple myeloma is planned to be initiated in the second quarter of 2016. The study will be conducted at Duke University Medical Center. The study is supported by a $2 million grant from the NCI Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) awarded to Apogee in conjunction with Duke University, with additional support from RedHill.
A Phase II clinical study to evaluate YELIVA(TM) as a radioprotectant to prevent mucositis in cancer patients undergoing therapeutic radiotherapy is planned to be initiated in the U.S. during the second half of 2016, subject to regulatory and other conditions.
The Phase I/II clinical studies in patients with DLBCL and multiple myeloma, as well as the Phase I clinical study in cancer patients with advanced solid tumors are registered on www.ClinicalTrials.gov, a web-based service by the U.S. National Institute of Health which provides public access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies.
About YELIVA(TM) (ABC294640):
YELIVA(TM) (ABC294640) is a Phase II-stage, proprietary, first-in-class, orally-administered, sphingosine kinase-2 (SK2) selective inhibitor with anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities, targeting multiple oncology, inflammatory and gastrointestinal indications. By inhibiting the SK2 enzyme, YELIVA(TM) blocks the synthesis of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P), a lipid signaling molecule that promotes cancer growth and pathological inflammation. SK2 is an innovative molecular target for anticancer therapy because of its critical role in catalyzing the formation of S1P, which is known to regulate cell proliferation and activation of inflammatory pathways. YELIVA(TM) was originally developed by U.S.-based Apogee Biotechnology Corp. and completed multiple successful pre-clinical studies in oncology, inflammation, GI and radioprotection models, as well as the ABC-101 Phase I clinical study in cancer patients with advanced solid tumors. A Phase I/II clinical study evaluating YELIVA(TM) in patients with refractory/relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been initiated in the U.S. The development of YELIVA(TM) was funded to date primarily by grants and contracts from U.S. federal and state government agencies awarded to Apogee Biotechnology Corp., including the U.S. National Cancer Institute, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), the U.S. Department of Defense and the FDA Office of Orphan Products Development.