Avenzo Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation to AVZO-1418 (DB-1418), a potential best-in-class EGFR/HER3 bispecific antibody-drug conjugate (BsADC). The designation specifically covers treatment of patients with unresectable, locally advanced, or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R mutation whose disease has progressed on or after therapy with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).
Clinical Development Progress
AVZO-1418 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 first-in-human, open-label clinical study designed to assess the safety, tolerability, and preliminary clinical activity of the bispecific ADC. The study is examining AVZO-1418 both as a single agent and in combination therapy in patients with advanced solid tumors.
"We are excited to receive this Fast Track designation from the FDA, underscoring the promise of AVZO-1418, especially for patients with EGFR-Mutated TKI-Pretreated NSCLC," said Mohammad Hirmand, M.D., Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Avenzo Therapeutics. "This designation has the potential to help expedite the development of AVZO-1418, which we continue to rapidly advance in Phase 1."
Regulatory Advantages
The Fast Track designation provides several potential benefits for AVZO-1418's development pathway. These include more frequent meetings with the FDA to discuss the drug's development plan and ensure collection of appropriate data needed to support drug approval, as well as more frequent written communication from the FDA regarding clinical trial design and biomarker use.
Additionally, the designation makes AVZO-1418 eligible for Accelerated Approval and Priority Review if relevant criteria are met, and enables Rolling Review of a Biologic License Application or New Drug Application by the FDA.
Company Pipeline
Avenzo Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing next-generation oncology therapies. The company's pipeline includes potential best-in-class small molecules and antibody-drug conjugates. Beyond AVZO-1418, the company is developing AVZO-021 and AVZO-023, which are novel, highly potent and selective inhibitors of CDK2 and CDK4, respectively, key enzymes involved in cell cycle regulation.
AVZO-021, the company's lead drug candidate, is being studied in a Phase 1 study for advanced solid tumors and in combinations in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer. AVZO-023 is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 study for advanced solid tumors and in combinations in HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer.
The company's second ADC drug candidate, AVZO-103, is a potential best-in-class Nectin4/TROP2 bispecific ADC being studied in a Phase 1/2 study for advanced solid tumors. Avenzo is headquartered in San Diego, California.
