On December 1, 2022 Theratechnologies Inc. ("Theratechnologies" or the "Company") (TSX: TH) (NASDAQ: THTX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies, reported that it has decided to pause the enrollment of patients in its Phase 1 clinical trial of TH1902, the Company’s lead investigational peptide drug conjugate (PDC) for the treatment of sortilin-expressing cancers (Press release, Theratechnologies, DEC 1, 2022, View Source [SID1234624704]). The Company plans to submit an amendment to its protocol to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval.
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Theratechnologies voluntarily made the decision to pause enrollment and revisit the study design after consulting with its investigators. Efficacy results observed thus far were not convincing enough to pursue enrolling patients and did not outweigh the adverse events seen in some patients. As previously reported, these adverse events consist mainly of neuropathy and eye toxicity.
The current intent for the protocol amendment is to modify the dosage regimen to optimize the delivery of TH1902, with lower doses at more frequent intervals. The Company continues to investigate the results obtained thus far in the Phase 1 clinical trial.
"While we are disappointed with these developments, we remain committed to advancing our SORT1+ Technology platform and will continue investigating its potential in the treatment of advanced cancers," said Christian Marsolais, Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Theratechnologies.
About SORT1+ Technology and TH1902
Theratechnologies is currently developing a platform of proprietary peptides called SORT1+ TechnologyTM for cancer drug development targeting SORT1 receptors. The SORT1 receptor plays a significant role in protein internalization, sorting and trafficking. It is highly expressed in cancer cells compared to healthy tissue, which makes SORT1 an attractive target for cancer drug development. Expression of SORT1 is associated with aggressive disease, poor prognosis and decreased survival. It is estimated that the SORT1 receptor is expressed in 40% to 90% of cases of endometrial, ovarian, colorectal, triple-negative breast and pancreatic cancers.
TH1902 is currently Theratechnologies’ lead investigational PDC candidate for the treatment of cancer derived from its SORT1+ Technology. It is the Company’s proprietary peptide linked to docetaxel – a commonly used cytotoxic agent used to treat many cancers. The FDA granted fast track designation to TH1902 as a single agent for the treatment of all sortilin-positive recurrent advanced solid tumors that are refractory to standard therapy.