• Starpharm jumps after disclosing interim Phase 1/2 results
  • Chimeric Therapeutics to commence Phase 1b clinical trial
  • Island Pharma gets key patent grant in the US

 

Starpharma jumps after positive Phase 1/2 results

Starpharma (ASX:SPL) jumped as high as 35% this morning after announcing that interim clinical data from its Phase 1/2 clinical trial of DEP irinotecan will be presented at a key international oncology conference.

The data being presented for DEP irinotecan are obtained from heavily pre-treated, advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) or platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer patients.

These patients had exhausted all available standard-of-care treatments, having received an average of up to six prior treatment regimens and 31 cycles.

Some of the key results that will be presented include durable responses for up to 72 weeks in CRC patients receiving DEP irinotecan monotherapy, with a disease control rate (DCR) of 48%.

Data will also show a 100% disease control rate in patients receiving DEP irinotecan in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV).

It will also show that DEP irinotecan-treated patients experienced no severe diarrhoea, a problematic adverse event affecting more than 20% of patients treated with conventional irinotecan.

Patients and clinicians also reported significantly improved tolerability and quality of life with DEP irinotecan, compared to their experience with conventional irinotecan, including Camptosar.

“Based on the trial data, I believe DEP irinotecan represents a well-tolerated and promising treatment alternative for patients with colorectal cancer, and potentially others, including platinum-resistant ovarian cancer,” said Dr Natalie Cook, the Principal Investigator of the study.

The presentation will take place in Boston, US, from 11 to 15 October.

 

Chimeric to commence Phase 1b trial

Chimeric Therapeutics (ASX:CHM) also jumped 13% this morning after announcing an agreement with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to support its Phase 1b clinical trial for CHM 0201 in newly diagnosed AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia).

The Phase 1b trial, which will be called the ADVENT-AML (NCT05834244) study is designed to enrol up to 20 subjects with newly diagnosed AML who are not eligible for intensive chemotherapy or allogeneic stem cell transplant.

ADVENT-AML will be the first trial to evaluate the synergy in combining the current standard of care of Azacitidine with Venetoclax.

The study has received IND clearance by the FDA and is expected to be open for enrolment at MD Anderson by year-end 2023.

AML is the most common acute leukemia in adults with a median age at diagnosis between 65-72 years.

CHM 0201 (also called CORE-NK platform) meanwhile is a clinically validated NK cell platform candidate.

Data from the complete phase 1A clinical trial was published in March 2022, demonstrating safety and efficacy in blood cancers and solid tumours.

 

Island granted key US patent

Island Pharmaceuticals (ASX:ILA) gained 5% this morning after being granted a key patent in the US covering methods of preventing or delaying the onset of the symptoms of dengue fever.

The patent protects Island’s lead asset, ISLA-101, until 16 April 2034.

Island says the patent underpins its drug-repurposing strategy to rapidly develop antiviral therapies with a key focus being mosquito borne viral diseases, such as dengue fever.

With major outbreaks continuing to be reported around the world and the number of dengue fever cases increasing, the need for new approaches and treatments such as the ISLA-101 program is more imperative than ever.

“This makes IP protection fundamental to our success as we advance towards the commencement of clinical trials,” says Island CEO, Dr David Foster.

 

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