Five-year survival rates for people with metastatic colorectal cancer haven’t budged much in recent decades but new data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual conference pushed the boundary enough to be notable.
The world’s biggest cancer-focused conference began June 3 as more than 40,000 attendees are expected at the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) annual gathering. The conference is being held in live in Chicago and is also available virtually. Among the more than 2,500 abstract presentations in about 120 subject subcategories are potential breakthroughs in treating non-small-cell lung cancer from Immutep Ltd., Cullinan Oncology Inc. and Surface Oncology Inc. Each company has seen upticks in their stock value, some as much as 10%, during the week as the conference approached and their data are presented.
In one of the year’s biggest deals, Bristol Myers Squibb Co. (BMS) is buying Turning Point Therapeutics Inc. for about $4.1 billion to get at a potential cancer blockbuster, repotrectinib. The oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Turning Point’s lead asset, targets ROS1 and TRK in treating ROS1-positive metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer. Once the deal closes, BMS’ acquisition of Turning Point would be the second largest of the year. The biggest remains Pfizer Inc.’s purchase of San Diego’s Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc. for $6.7 billion in March.
Poor phase II top-line data for Immunic Inc.’s lead candidate, vidofludimus calcium (IMU-838) hammered the stock June 2 as the study of the selective oral DHODH inhibitor missed its primary endpoint of clinical remission in treating moderate to severe ulcerative colitis. The failure means Immunic won’t pursue a phase III study on its own in the indication, but it won’t affect the company’s planned phase III studies of IMU-838 in treating relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS) and a phase II in treating progressive MS.
Mirati Therapeutics Inc. posted new data for its highly anticipated KRAS cancer fighter, adagrasib (MRTX-849), showing mixed results compared to its already-marketed competition, Lumakras (sotorasib) from Amgen Inc. The new data came from a cohort of patients with KRAS-G12C non-small-cell lung cancer enrolled in Mirati’s registration-enabling phase II Krystal-1 study. Each had received at least one prior systemic therapy, most with a PD-1/L1 inhibitor following or in combination with chemotherapy.
Nurix Therapeutics Inc. has started its first phase Ib expansion cohort for treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia with NX-2127 but it is facing the headwind of a drop in share price. Shares (NASDAQ:NRIX) of the San Francisco-based company closed 22.7% lower at $7.88 each on May 26. Share prices in the past 12 months have drifted lower since their crest of $26.69 each on Sept. 9, 2021.
Solid phase III top-line results from a study in India for treating stroke with PMZ-1620 (sovateltide) have prodded Pharmazz Inc. to rethink its path to the clinic in the U.S. While the privately held company plans to apply for marketing authorization from the Indian Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, it also had planned to talk to the FDA about launching a phase II study. But since the new data are so solid, it may ask for an IND for a phase III study in the U.S., with the expectation that the number of participants would jump from 158 in the Indian study to as many as 400 to 500 participants in the U.S. and Europe, Anil Gulati, Pharmazz’s CEO and founder, told BioWorld.
Dermavant Sciences Inc. has received its first FDA approval with the agency’s blessing of Vtama (tapinarof) for treating plaque psoriasis in adults. The treatment is also the first FDA-approved, steroid-free topical medication in its class in addition to being the first psoriasis novel topical chemical entity introduced to the market in the past 25 years.
A year after the World Health Organization's (WHO) Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response called for reforms to make COVID-19 the last pandemic, the panel remains solidly frustrated in its lack of progress. The WHO’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, emphatically agreed on May 18, saying he was taken aback by data showing COVID-19 cases rose in four out of the six WHO regions just in the past week.
The U.S. FDA sent a refuse to file letter to Nymox Pharmaceutical Corp. regarding its NDA for fexapotide triflutate, a pro-apoptotic protein intended for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia. The letter noted that more long-term safety data was needed for the application, the company said.
