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MedNess: bite-size biopharma and medtech news

8th September, 2021

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MedNess This Week
HIGHLIGHTS
Onco-I-Analyse
Junshi Biosciences and Coherus complete rolling submission of BLA for Toripalimab in NPC
On 1st September, Junshi Biosciences and Coherus announced that the companies have completed the rolling submission of the Biologics License Application (BLA) to the US FDA for toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy as 1L and toripalimab monotherapy as 2L+ treatment for patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The submission is based on pivotal Phase 3 JUPITER-02 and Phase 1/2 POLARIS-02 trials.
Background: NPC is a rare but aggressive cancer of the head and neck. It is often diagnosed at advanced stages and has a high relapse rate in early stage. Chemotherapy is the only frontline treatment available with gemcitabine + cisplatin (GC) as the preferred and Category 1 treatment as per the NCCN. Immunotherapy is used in subsequent treatment lines as a Category 2B recommendation.
Details: JUPITER-02 evaluated toripalimab + SoC chemotherapy (GC) vs. GC alone in 289 patients with either primary metastatic or recurrent NPC that is not amenable for local-regional or curative treatment.
At an interim analysis, the trial met the primary endpoint by showcasing a statistically significant improvement in PFS by BICR review (mPFS: 11.7 vs. 8.0 months, HR: 0.52, p=0.0003). Improvements in PFS were regardless of PD-L1 expression. The combination also showed a 40% risk reduction in OS compared to chemotherapy alone.

POLARIS-02 evaluated toripalimab monotherapy in multiple cancers including 2L+ NPC. Toripalimab demonstrated mOS of 17.4 months, ORR of 20.5% with mDOR of 12.8 months in 190 patients.
Earlier, toripalimab combination therapy and monotherapy have been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designations (BTD) by the US FDA for 1L, recurrent, locally advanced or primary metastatic non-keratinizing NPC and recurrent or metastatic non-keratinizing NPC following progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy in August 2021 and September 2020, respectively.
Implications: In February 2021, Coherus collaborated with Junshi to co-develop and solely commercialize toripalimab in the US and Canada. Toripalimab is conditionally approved in China for NPC after failure of ≥2 prior lines of systemic therapy and is under review for 1L treatment.
Collated by : Shilpa Rawal, PhD
Drug Approvals
FDA Grants BRUKINSA® (Zanubrutinib) Approval in Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia
“The trial provided compelling evidence that BRUKINSA is a highly active BTK inhibitor in Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia, and compared to the first-generation BTK inhibitor, showed improved tolerability across a number of clinically important side effects. The approval of BRUKINSA provides an important new option for targeted therapy in Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia,” said Steven Treon, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the for Waldenström’s at the and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.
FDA Approves Updated Indication for KEYTRUDA® for Treatment of Certain Patients With Urothelial Carcinoma (Bladder Cancer)
“While the treatment landscape has evolved, an unmet need remains for appropriate patients newly diagnosed with certain types of advanced urothelial carcinoma who are not eligible for platinum-containing chemotherapy,” said Dr. Scot Ebbinghaus, vice president, clinical research, Merck Research Laboratories. “We are confident in the role KEYTRUDA will continue to play for these patients who have few other treatment options and are working with urgency to advance studies to help more patients living with bladder and other types of cancer.”
Regulatory News

FDA Orphan Drug Designation granted to Gavo-cel for the Treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma

  • FDA granted TCR2 Therapeutics Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) to gavo-cel for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.
  • New clinical data from the dose escalation portion of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial of gavo-cel in patients with treatment refractory mesothelin-expressing solid tumors will be highlighted as part of an oral presentation at the ESMO meeting and will include data for gavo-cel in malignant mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and cholangiocarcinoma.
Trial Results
FAILED TRIAL: Ph3 PANTHER (Pevonedistat-3001) trial didn’t meet primary endpoint of EFS in 1L high-risk MDS, CMML & low-blast AML patients
“While we are disappointed with this outcome, we are continuing to gain a greater understanding of the full data set and hope that findings from this Phase 3 study will provide information to help guide research and development for potential treatment options for these underserved patient populations,” said Chris Arendt, PhD, Head, Oncology Cell Therapy and Therapeutic Area Unit, Takeda. “We would like to thank the patients, families, advocacy organizations and investigators that participated in this trial, without whom this meaningful research would not have been possible. Takeda remains committed to conducting important research and transforming the lives of patients with cancer.”
Collated by : Richa Tewari, PhD 
MedNess IP News
Anavex2-73 for the Treatment of Alzheimer'S Disease from Anavex Life Sciences
On August 31, 2021, U.S. PTO approved Anavex’s leading drug candidate, ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The drug covers compositions of matter directed to crystalline ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine) and methods of treating Alzheimer’s disease using crystalline ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine). ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine) recently completed a successful Phase 2a clinical trial for Alzheimer’s disease and is currently in clinical studies in a larger Phase 2b/3 study for Alzheimer’s disease, among other studies (NCT03790709). The ‘754 patent adds important coverage for crystalline ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine) dosage forms for treating Alzheimer’s disease.
“We are extremely pleased with the continued development of the patent portfolio for ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine). This new issuance of the U.S. patent continues to expand the breadth and depth of our intellectual property and is another step in the development of a robust patent portfolio relating to ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine),” said Christopher U. Missling, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Anavex. ANAVEX®2-73 (blarcamesine) is an orally available, small-molecule activator of the sigma-1 receptor which, data suggest, is pivotal to restoring neural cell homeostasis and promoting neuroplasticity.[1]
Anavex Life Sciences Corp. (Nasdaq: AVXL) is a publicly-traded biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of differentiated therapeutics for the treatment of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Rett syndrome and other central nervous system (CNS) diseases, pain and various types of cancer.
Treatment of Autoimmune Disorders and Infections Using Antagonists of sgk1 Activity from Johns Hopkins University
On Sept. 01, 2021, U.S. PTO approved a new invention from Johns Hopkins University on treating Th2-mediated immune disorders and enhancing Th1-mediated immune responses in a subject comprising administering to the subject, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a serum-glucocorticoid regulated kinase 1 (SGK1) inhibitor and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. Methods for treating a wide range of autoimmune diseases are also taught. The present invention also provides methods for augmenting the treatment of subjects having viral or parasitic infections, or who have cancerous tumors.
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is an evolutionarily conserved serine-threonine kinase that integrates multiple environmental signals to regulate cell metabolism, proliferation, and survival. JHU laboratory has shown that mTOR can associate with two distinct protein complexes (mTORC1 and mTORC2) to drive the selective differentiation of CD4+ T cells. Through genetic deletion of various components of the mTOR pathway, have demonstrated that loss of either mTORC1 or mTORC2 can lead to the differentiation of distinct T effectors (Teff) subsets, such as T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 2 (Th2) cells. While Th1 cells secrete IFNγ and promote cell-mediated immunity, Th2 cells classically make interleukin-4 (IL4) and promote humoral immunity. JHU has shown that mice lacking mTORC2 through genetic deletion of Rictor in CD4+ T cells (T-Rictor−/−) fail to mount Th2-mediated immune responses, but Th1 differentiation remains intact.
AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, SQZ Biotech, and Horizon Therapeutics, Inc started rolling R&D using these strategies.
Click here for more IP news
 Collated by: Darpan Chakraborty, PhD
MedNess Business
BioPharma and MedTech
Asher Bio snags $108M series B for cis-targeted IL-2 immunotherapy programs
On Sept. 01, 2021, Asher Biotherapeutics, a Bay- Area-based biotechnology company developing precisely-targeted immunotherapies for cancer, autoimmune, and infectious diseases, announced the closing of an oversubscribed Series B financing, which already raised $108 million.
Asher Bio aims to advance a portfolio of cis-targeted IL-2 immunotherapy that activates CD8 effector T cells. By engaging two receptors on the same cell for activation, an immunomodulatory receptor for therapeutic action and a specific target receptor for directing the therapy to the desired cell type, Asher Bio’s cis-targeted immunotherapies seek to offer a new level of selectivity, with the potential to deliver superior clinical outcomes and an improved safety profile. The slate of side effects has always been a major concern for the IL-2 targeting therapeutic strategies. “Our platform is quite unique and is different from what a lot of other people are doing. Since our founding, we have made significant progress validating the modularity and broad applicability of our cis-targeting platform, achieving preclinical proof-of-concept for our first three pipeline programs, and building our team into a sustainable organization, with the depth and capabilities to exploit the full potential of our novel immunotherapies. This funding will enable us to accelerate the development of AB248, while continuing to drive our additional programs forward with urgency, as we aim to restore hope, health, and happiness in the lives of patients.” said Craig Gibbs, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Asher Bio.
The financing was led by Wellington Management Company LLP, and included new investors RA Capital Management, Marshall Wace, and others. With the piqued interest of investors and is now flush with cash to take the next step into human studies, Asher’s team of only 33 will look for massive expansion as the hiring numbers would go high very soon.
 
Disc Medicine, Blood disorder biotech gets $90M to bring two drugs into Ph2
On Sept. 02, 2021, Disc Medicine, a Cambridge biotech startup spun out of Atlas Venture, took GlyT1 inhibitor, a Roche drug that failed Phase III trail 7 years ago, as a treatment for neurological disorders, in a completely different direction: rare genetic disorders known as Erythropoietic Porphyrias (EP).
EP stems from the lack of an enzyme key to producing heme, the iron-containing molecule that’s part of hemoglobin in the blood. The major symptom of this disorder is hypersensitivity of the skin to sunlight and some types of artificial light, such as fluorescent lights (photosensitivity). After exposure to light, the photo-activated porphyrins in the skin cause bullae (blistering) and the fluid-filled sacs rupture, and the lesions often get infected. These infected lesions can lead to scarring, bone loss, and deformities. Disc Medicine aims to treat the rare disease by suppressing glycine, an amino acid that’s a critical component of heme. “If this all works, it will be the first time for a disease-modifying therapy that really goes to the root of the disease,” Chief Medical Officer Will Savage said.
Having already completed Phase 1 testing under Roche, EP Drug, bitopertin has become Disc Medicine’s most advanced program as measured by development stage. The company’s other clinical stage program, DISC-0974, began a Phase 1 test in July as a potential treatment for a chronic form of anemia caused by inflammatory conditions. This anemia is caused by elevated levels of hepcidin, a protein that regulates iron and causes the body to boost its stores of iron reserves. With the new cash infusion from OrbiMed led new investors like Arix Bioscience, Janus Henderson Investors, 5AM Ventures, Rock Springs Capital, and more, the team — now standing at 20 — expects to have multiple Phase II trials for bitopertin and DISC-0974 up and running, then secure proof-of-concept data in 2023.
 Collated by: Darpan Chakraborty, PhD
Editors' Desk
Richa Tewari, PhD
Oncology News
Shilpa Rawal, PhD
Onco I-Analyse
Arundithi Ananthanarayanan
MedNess Reviews
Divyaanka Iyer
HealthIT
Darpan Chakraborty
Social Media Manager
IP & BioPharma News
 
Nisha Peter, PhD
Managing Editor


 
Rinki Saha
BioPharma News
Managing Editor
Shalini Roy Choudhury
Genes and Therapy
Managing Editor
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