On July 21, 2021 Viracta Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: VIRX), a precision oncology company targeting virus-associated malignancies, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared Viracta’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application to proceed into a Phase 1b/2 trial in patients with EBV+ recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (RM-NPC) and other EBV+ solid tumors (Press release, Viracta Therapeutics, JUL 21, 2021, View Source [SID1234585007]). The global Phase 1b/2 trial is designed to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of Viracta’s all-oral combination regimen in advanced EBV+ solid tumors (including EBV+ RM-NPC), and in combination with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab in EBV+ RM-NPC. Initiation of the trial is expected in the second half of 2021.

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"Clearance of this IND application is a crucial milestone that underscores the broader applicability of our therapeutic approach to treating patients with EBV-associated malignancies," said Lisa Rojkjaer, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Viracta. "EBV is the primary etiologic agent for NPC, one of the most commonly reported head and neck cancers worldwide. Patients with RM-NPC have a poor prognosis, with no standard treatment options for second or later lines of therapy, and median overall survival of less than 20 months. PD-L1 is known to be highly expressed by NPC and preliminary response rates of 20%-30% have been reported with PD-1 inhibitors for RM-NPC. Given the encouraging activity seen in our Phase 1b/2 trial of nanatinostat and valganciclovir in patients with EBV+ recurrent lymphomas, we now turn to evaluating this combination in patients with other EBV+ malignancies and explore potential synergies with checkpoint inhibition."

Ivor Royston, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Viracta, added, "Expansion into our solid tumor program is an important component of our clinical and corporate strategy, and one that could significantly expand our addressable patient population and unlock significant value to shareholders. Our all-oral combination regimen represents a promising new therapeutic approach to patients with EBV+ solid tumors, and I’m very pleased that the program is progressing as planned and look forward to its continued advancement."

The Phase 1b dose escalation portion of the trial is designed to evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics, and determine the recommended Phase 2 dosing regimen of nanatinostat and valganciclovir for expansion in patients with EBV+ solid tumors. In Phase 2, the safety, preliminary efficacy and potential pharmacodynamic markers of nanatinostat and valganciclovir together and in combination with pembrolizumab will be evaluated in EBV+ RM-NPC patients.

About Nanatinostat

Nanatinostat (VRx-3996) is an orally available histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor being developed by Viracta. Nanatinostat is selective for specific isoforms of Class I HDACs, which is key to inducing viral genes that are epigenetically silenced in EBV-associated malignancies. The nanatinostat and valganciclovir combination is being investigated in multiple subtypes of relapsed/refractory EBV+ lymphoma in two ongoing Phase 2 trials, one of which is a registration-enabling global, multicenter, open-label basket trial.