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Ascentage Pharma's Lisaftoclax Receives FDA Clearance for Global Phase III Trial in CLL/SLL

  • Ascentage Pharma received FDA clearance to proceed with a global registrational Phase III clinical trial for lisaftoclax (APG-2575) in previously BTKi-treated CLL/SLL patients.
  • The novel Bcl-2 inhibitor demonstrated promising efficacy in earlier studies, with ORRs of 100% in treatment-naïve patients and 98% in relapsed/refractory patients when combined with acalabrutinib.
  • Lisaftoclax could potentially become the second Bcl-2 inhibitor approved globally, addressing significant unmet medical needs in CLL/SLL treatment.
  • Clinical data from three studies were presented at ASH 2023, showing efficacy across multiple hematologic malignancies including AML and multiple myeloma.

Merck and Daiichi Sankyo Form $22 Billion Alliance for Three Novel Antibody-Drug Conjugates

• Merck will pay Daiichi Sankyo $4 billion upfront plus $1.5 billion in continuation payments, with potential additional milestone payments reaching a total of $22 billion.
• The collaboration focuses on three investigational antibody-drug conjugates: patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd), and raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd), targeting multiple solid tumors.
• Patritumab deruxtecan has received Breakthrough Therapy Designation for EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer, with a biologics license application planned by March 2024.

Samuraciclib Shows Promise in Advanced Breast Cancer Patients After CDK4/6 Inhibitor Failure

  • Phase I clinical trials demonstrate samuraciclib, a selective CDK7 inhibitor, has an acceptable safety profile with manageable gastrointestinal side effects and shows clinical activity in various advanced solid tumors.
  • In HR+/HER2- breast cancer patients who progressed on CDK4/6 inhibitors, the combination of samuraciclib with fulvestrant achieved a clinical benefit rate of 36% and median progression-free survival of 3.7 months.
  • Exploratory analysis revealed patients without TP53 mutations had significantly longer progression-free survival (7.4 months vs 1.8 months), suggesting TP53 status may serve as a potential biomarker for treatment response.

Tango Therapeutics Initiates Phase 1/2 Trial of TNG462 for MTAP-Deleted Solid Tumors

  • Tango Therapeutics has dosed the first patient in a phase 1/2 clinical trial of TNG462, a potentially best-in-class MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibitor targeting MTAP-deleted solid tumors.
  • MTAP deletions occur in 10-15 percent of solid tumors and currently have no FDA-approved treatments specifically designed for this genetic alteration.
  • TNG462 selectively targets cancer cells with MTAP deletion while sparing normal cells, and demonstrated deep tumor regressions in preclinical models across multiple cancer types.
  • The company is also advancing TNG908, a brain-penetrant PRMT5 inhibitor, in a separate ongoing phase 1/2 study to address a broader range of indications.

Avutometinib-Defactinib Combination Shows 45% Response Rate in Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

  • A phase II trial of avutometinib combined with defactinib demonstrated a 45% response rate in patients with advanced low-grade serous ovarian cancer, nearly twice as effective as current best treatments.
  • Patients with KRAS mutations showed particularly strong responses at 60%, while those without mutations still achieved a 29% response rate, both significantly higher than standard therapy response rates of 0-14%.
  • The dual RAF/MEK inhibitor combination proved over four times more effective than avutometinib alone, with previous phase I data showing an average progression-free survival of 23 months.
  • Low-grade serous ovarian cancer affects approximately 700 women annually in the UK and represents about 10% of all ovarian cancer cases, typically affecting younger women with poor response to conventional treatments.

Vorasidenib Shows Promise as First Targeted Therapy for IDH-Mutant Low-Grade Gliomas

  • Vorasidenib, the first targeted therapy developed specifically for brain cancer, more than doubled progression-free survival in patients with recurrent grade 2 glioma carrying IDH1/IDH2 mutations, extending the time without disease progression from 11.1 months to 27.7 months.
  • The international INDIGO trial involving 331 patients demonstrated that vorasidenib delayed the need for chemotherapy and radiation by nearly 17 months compared to placebo, with 85.6% of patients going 18 months before requiring next treatment.
  • The drug showed excellent tolerability with limited adverse effects, offering a new treatment option for younger patients typically in their 30s and 40s who face cognitive deficits from standard radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
  • Results from this phase 3 study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at ASCO, are expected to establish a new standard of care for IDH-mutant low-grade gliomas pending FDA approval.

Revumenib Shows Breakthrough Results in Advanced Acute Myeloid Leukemia Trial

  • Revumenib, a novel menin inhibitor, achieved complete remission in 30% of heavily pretreated acute myeloid leukemia patients in the phase 1 AUGMENT-101 trial.
  • The drug works by disrupting the menin-MLL1 protein complex, reprogramming leukemia cells back into normal blood cells or causing them to die.
  • Twelve patients who achieved remission successfully underwent stem cell transplants, with nine remaining in remission at last analysis.
  • The treatment targets specific genetic alterations (KMT2A rearrangements and NPM1 mutations) found in 30-40% of AML cases, potentially benefiting up to 50% of all acute myeloid leukemias.

Revumenib Shows Promise in Phase 1 Trial for KMT2A-Rearranged and NPM1-Mutated Acute Leukemia

  • Revumenib, a first-in-class menin inhibitor, demonstrated a 30% complete remission rate in heavily pretreated patients with KMT2A-rearranged or NPM1-mutated acute leukemia, with 78% achieving undetectable measurable residual disease.
  • The oral therapy works by disrupting the menin-KMT2A interaction, downregulating key leukemogenic genes and promoting differentiation of leukemic cells, addressing a critical unmet need for these poor-prognosis genetic subtypes.
  • While QT interval prolongation was the most common treatment-related adverse event (53%), the phase 1 trial established recommended phase 2 dosing with manageable safety profile, supporting further development of this targeted therapy.

Tagrisso Plus Savolitinib Shows Promising 49% Response Rate in EGFR-Mutated Lung Cancer with MET Resistance

• Preliminary results from the SAVANNAH Phase II trial demonstrated that Tagrisso (osimertinib) plus savolitinib achieved a 49% objective response rate in EGFR-mutated NSCLC patients with high levels of MET overexpression who progressed on Tagrisso.
• MET was identified as the most common resistance biomarker in EGFR-mutated lung cancer, with 62% of patients screened showing MET overexpression and/or amplification after progression on Tagrisso.
• The combination therapy showed the highest response rate (52%) in patients with high MET levels who had not received prior chemotherapy, potentially offering a less toxic alternative to the current standard of chemotherapy after targeted therapy failure.

Cullinan Oncology and Taiho Pharmaceutical Forge $275M Strategic Collaboration for EGFR Inhibitor CLN-081/TAS6417

  • Taiho Pharmaceutical will acquire Cullinan Pearl for $275 million upfront plus up to $130 million in regulatory milestones, gaining exclusive global rights to CLN-081/TAS6417 outside the U.S.
  • CLN-081/TAS6417 is an oral, irreversible EGFR inhibitor targeting exon 20 insertion mutations in non-small cell lung cancer, which affect approximately 2-3% of NSCLC patients globally.
  • The companies will jointly develop and co-commercialize the drug in the U.S. with equal profit sharing, while Taiho will commercialize in territories outside the U.S. and China.

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