Monte Rosa Therapeutics Inc. plans a signal-verifying phase II trial next year after making known the positive interim data from an ongoing phase I/II trial testing molecular glue degrader MRT-2359 in combination with androgen receptor (AR) inhibitor Xtandi (enzalutamide, Astellas Pharma Inc.). The investigation targeted heavily pretreated patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer bearing AR mutations.
Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd.’s radiotracer RAD-101 met the primary endpoint in 92% of patients in the phase IIb imaging trial in brain metastases, according to interim results. To date, 11 of the 12 patients treated with RAD-101 (F18-Pivalate) achieved concordance with MRI (the primary endpoint) as assessed by PET imaging of brain metastases. The results showed significant and selective tumor uptake, and images confirm metabolic activity in brain metastases compared to equivocal MRI findings.
China’s clinical trial volume has surged to nearly U.S. scale and now tops Europe, sitting at about 80% of U.S. levels and roughly 10% above the EU in 2024.
Positive top-line phase III data for Immunome Inc.’s oral, once daily treatment for progressing desmoid tumors have prompted the company to say it plans to submit an NDA to the U.S. FDA in the second quarter of next year. Varegacestat, an oral gamma secretase inhibitor, hit its primary endpoint by significantly improving progression-free survival compared to placebo. The small molecule produced a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement vs. placebo with its 84% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death.
Sanofi SA reported more hitches in the development of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor tolebrutinib, saying the phase III Perseus study failed to meet its primary endpoint in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) and that the ongoing U.S. regulatory review in non-relapsing secondary progressive MS likely will extend beyond the targeted PDUFA date of Dec. 28.
Arcus Biosciences Inc. and partner Gilead Sciences Inc. are scrapping phase III work with anti-TIGIT antibody domvanalimab after an independent data monitoring committee said the drug will fail in gastric and esophageal cancers.
Rezolute Inc.’s phase III Sunrize study of its only candidate, ersodetug, a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to allosteric site on insulin receptors, missed its primary and secondary endpoints in treating the ultra-rare disease congenital hyperinsulinism.
AC Immune SA plans talks with regulators based on positive interim safety and efficacy results from the phase II Vacsyn trial of its wholly owned anti-alpha-synuclein (a-syn) active immunotherapy ACI-7104.056 in early Parkinson’s disease (PD). The firm said that for the first time, data support targeting a-syn pathology via such a strategy. Disease-related biomarker results that suggest PD slowing include a-syn cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels and neurofilament light (NfL).
Eli Lilly and Co.’s latest phase III results for the obesity and overweight populations suggest its triple agonist, retatrutide, can deliver significant weight loss that, in turn, leads to reduced osteoarthritis knee pain.
Novartis AG’s monoclonal antibody, ianalumab (VAY-736), when added to standard-of-care eltrombopag, extended disease control of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) by 45%, according to data presented Dec. 9 during a late-breaker abstract session at the 67th American Society of Hematology’s annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.