Positive Trial Data with 100% Safe Delivery

Moleculin Announces Positive Trial Data with 100% Safe Delivery of p-STAT3 Inhibitor and Efficacy in Majority of Patients

Preliminary results from phase 1 clinical trial of WP1220 for treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (“CTCL”); supports phase 2 study.

“For years, p-STAT3 (the activated form of STAT3) has been considered an ‘undruggable’ target because of the difficulty of reaching and affecting this cell-signaling protein,” commented Walter Klemp, Moleculin’s Chairman and CEO. “Some consider it to be a master regulator of cancer-related gene transcription, so we believe the ability to show a therapeutic effect from a p-STAT3 inhibitor could be considered a significant breakthrough in cancer research.”

Results: There were 6 patients screened, and 5 patients enrolled between March and July 2019. Three are evaluable for both safety and efficacy after completing 3 months of treatment, with 2 ongoing and evaluable for safety. The only AE reported potentially related to study drug in one of the five patients was a mild contact dermatitis not requiring treatment. CAILS scores on index lesions were significantly decreased in the first 3 patients, who were stages IA, IB, and IIB, respectively, at entry. A composite score was obtained for all treated lesions for each patient, and percent changes were calculated from baseline to Day 84. There was a median reduction of 70.8% (range 62.1%-76.2%) for the 3 patients. Improvement was noted as early as 7 days after initiation of treatment, and maintenance of improvement was also shown at follow up (1 month after discontinuation, as per protocol). The fourth patient has also shown an initial reduction in the composite CAILS score after 56 days (26.7%), and is continuing on treatment. Evaluations of the biopsy samples for histopathology and status of p-STAT3 in treated lesions are in progress.

Conclusions: WP1220, an inhibitor of p-STAT3, has shown demonstrable safety and significant efficacy after at least 3 months of topical treatment in 3 patients with progressive MF, with a continuing trend towards improvement in additional patients currently in treatment. This is the first demonstration that inhibition of the STAT3 activation pathway with topical therapy has impacted the course of this disease. The trial is continuing, and updated and more comprehensive data from this study as well as assessment of STAT3 phosphorylation in treated lesions will be reported.

“This is the first topical delivery of a p-STAT3 inhibitor that we know of for CTCL, where there is a significant unmet need for improved treatment of the lesions associated with this potentially deadly skin cancer. But, we believe the significance of this data goes well beyond CTCL, as it speaks to the targeting of p-STAT3 as a general strategy. We are excited to share these preliminary results in association with ASH, especially because we believe showing activity here could have exciting implications for the future of STAT3 inhibitors in general. Although this is a relatively small pilot study, we believe the results justify an expansion to a larger patient population in a Phase 2 clinical trial,” added Dr. Sandra Silberman, CMO at Moleculin.

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Working to Bridge Gaps in Rare Disease Product Development

There are approximately 7,000 rare diseases affecting an estimated 30 million people in the United States. Many
of these diseases are serious or life-threatening and it is estimated that half affect children. Unfortunately, most rare diseases still do not have approved therapies.  In 2018 we saw a record number of novel drugs and biologics approved for rare diseases. In particular, there were 35 novel drugs and biologics approved in 2018 with orphan drug designation. This is the highest number since the passage of the Orphan Drug Act in 1983.

These approvals included drugs and biologics utilizing programs to facilitate and expedite development and review of medical products to address unmet medical need. Among the many new orphan therapies in 2018, the FDA approved the first drug to treat patients with a rare, inherited form of rickets, and the first orally-administered drug to treat Fabry disease. The FDA also approved a new biologic for patients when reversal of anticoagulation is needed due to life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding.

The FDA will host a public meeting on April 29, 2019: ”Patient Perspectives of the Impact of Rare Diseases: Bridging the Commonalities.” This provides the opportunity to hear patients’ and caregivers’ perspectives on how rare diseases impact their daily lives and to assess commonalities that may help the Agency and medical product developers further understand and advance the development of treatments for rare diseases. While the differences between rare diseases are critically important, it is also important to assess commonalities to synergize product development in rare diseases.

Additionally the grant review process will be enhanced by providing grant reviewers with patient perspectives gleaned from listening sessions with patients about rare diseases. These enhancements will build on new priorities in grant review. Specifically, to address the unmet needs for rare diseases, the Office of Orphan Products has made meaningful changes to both funding focus and review process for the Clinical Trial and Natural History grants programs. They are focusing on studies of rare diseases with unmet needs that use efficient and innovative trial designs, such as adaptive and seamless trial designs, use of modeling and simulations, incorporation of real world data, and basket and umbrella trials studying multiple rare diseases/products. Applicants are asked to incorporate patient input into their research proposals.

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Clinical Trial of B244 for the Treatment of Pediatric Atopic Dermatitis

AOBiome Therapeutics, Inc. a clinical-stage microbiome company focusing on the research and development of therapeutics for dermatological conditions, announced the administering of its lead product candidate, B244, to the first patient in the Company’s Phase 1b clinical trial to treat pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis (eczema). Data from the First Pediatric Study are Anticipated in the Second Half of 2019.

“There is a significant medical need for new therapies to treat children with atopic dermatitis due to the high and increasing incidence of the disease and the limited number of safe and efficacious options to treat this sensitive population,” said President & CEO, Todd Krueger.  In the United States, 13% of children (or 9.6 million) under the age of 18 years suffer from eczema. Of these, approximately one third have moderate to severe eczema. Additionally, many children who suffer from atopic dermatitis in their youth also go on to disproportionally suffer from certain diseases later in life, including 43% of children with severe atopic dermatitis before the age of 8 developing asthma and 45% developing allergic rhinitis according to one recent study.

The clinical trial is an open-label, multicenter, Phase 1b study of B244, a first-in-class, topical formulation of beneficial ammonia oxidizing bacteria (“AOB”), delivered as a topical spray twice daily and is designed to assess safety and tolerability in 36 pediatric patients aged 2 to 17 years with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis over a 28-day period. The AOB platform is a patented, proprietary, topical and intranasal formulation incorporating a single strain of beneficial AOB, Nitrosomonas eutropha. The platform is designed to repopulate the skin or nasal microbiome with AOB. Once deployed, AOB produces nitric oxide, a signaling molecule known to regulate inflammation and vasodilation.

“Our goal is to alleviate both the symptoms that are associated with atopic dermatitis and to utilize AOB’s nitric oxide-mediated anti-inflammatory abilities coupled with its capability to reduce levels of pathogenic bacteria as a dual-modality approach to treatment,” said CMO, Dr. Judith Ng Cashin, M.D. “Current therapies for atopic dermatitis can cause side effects such as stinging, burning, and thinning of skin, especially in pediatric patients. B244’s innovative nature represents a novel therapeutic opportunity to address the significant market need and to impact the lives of patients.”

In addition to the ongoing pediatric study, AOBiome is currently conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial investigating B244 for the treatment of adult atopic dermatitis with expected top-line data readout in 2019. See: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

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Dr. John S. Macdonald Honored at 2018 Luminary Awards

John S. Macdonald, MD, is the Senior Medical Advisor for AGICC (Academic GI Cancer Consortium) and the consolidated Oncology Consortia of Criterium groups, including: AMyC (Academic Myeloma Consortium), ATOMIC (Academic Thoracic Oncology Medical Investigators Consortium) and ABRCC (Academic Breast Cancer Consortium). He is a leading supporter and advocate of the Translational Research methodology.

Dr. Macdonald was one of a few select honorees at The Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers Annual Luminary Awards on November 30th, 2018.

Dr. Macdonald successfully developed and led the Comprehensive Cancer Center at St. Vincent’s in New York City between 1997 and 2007. He is widely recognized as an industry and academic expert in gastrointestinal oncology and has written and lectured on the advantages of translational research. In addition to his responsibilities at Saint Vincent’s, Dr. Macdonald served as Chief of Medical Oncology there, and as the Lynn Wood Neag Endowed Professor of Medicine at the New York Medical College. He is acknowledged as a leading educator in Medical Oncology. 

Macdonald pioneered the use of chemoradiation after surgical resection of gastric cancers. This treatment regimen, aptly named the “Macdonald Regimen,” has helped turn the idea of a cure into a reality for thousands of patients with gastric cancers. This has also paved the way for the development of new treatment options for gastric cancers.  “[Macdonald] is a groundbreaking researcher, dedicated educator, and outstanding clinician,” said Sunnie Kim, MD, of the Ruesch Center for the Cure of Gastrointestinal Cancers, prior to presenting Macdonald with his award. “He has changed the lives of countless patients with some of the deadliest cancers.”

Dr. Macdonald has authored over 400 articles, abstracts and book chapters and has been both published in, and editor of, many prestigious medical journals. Macdonald has received numerous awards and distinctions, including being named among Good Housekeeping’s Best 300 Doctors in America and, over a seven-year period, New York magazine’s Best Doctors in New York.

Visit the website to see Dr. Macdonald’s profile and all the Consortia groups.

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Hong Kong Dept of Health Approves Biktarvy® for HIV, following FDA and EC

In Phase 3 Clinical Trials, Biktarvy® Demonstrated High Efficacy and Zero Resistance Through 48 Weeks

The triple-combination, single-tablet therapy combines the potency of the novel integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) bictegravir, with the demonstrated safety and efficacy profile of a guideline recommended dual nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) backbone – Descovy® (emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg; FTC/TAF). BIC/FTC/TAF provides a convenient once-daily dosing STR without regards to food. Furthermore, BIC/FTC/TAF’s use is not restricted by the patient’s baseline viral load, CD4 cell count or HLA-B 5701 status.

“Safety and resistance profiles are important considerations for HIV patients, as the disease requires long-term care. In addition, potent treatments with convenient dosing can potentially improve adherence and outcomes for patients,” said Dr Chan Kai Ming, Specialist in Infectious Disease, Consultant in Internal Medicine, Union Hospital, Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong Dept of Health has approved Biktarvy® (bictegravir 50mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/tenofovir alafenamide 25 mg; BIC/FTC/TAF), a once-daily single tablet regimen (STR) for the treatment of HIV-1 infection in adults*. Hong Kong is the first market in Asia to approve Biktarvy. BIC/FTC/TAF was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 7, 2018 and the European Commission on June 21, 2018.

The approval was based upon data from four ongoing Phase 3 studies: Studies 1489 and 1490 in treatment-naive HIV-1 infected adults, and Studies 1844 and 1878 in virologically suppressed adults. The trials are comprised of a population of 2,414 participants, and BIC/FTC/TAF met its primary efficacy objective at 48 weeks in all four studies, with no participants in any of the four BIC/FTC/TAF studies developing treatment-emergent virologic resistance. There were no cases of renal discontinuation, proximal renal tubulopathy or Fanconi syndrome in the BIC/FTC/TAF arms at 48 weeks. Additional ongoing studies not included in the marketing authorization application involve dedicated studies in women, adolescents and children.

“We welcome the timely approval of BIC/FTC/TAF in Hong Kong, a novel treatment option for people living with HIV,” said Andrew Hexter, Vice President and GM for Gilead Sciences Asia. “We are committed to serving the needs of HIV patients and medical communities in Asia, and are working with public health authorities to make the treatment available in this region.”

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A Phase 2/3 Clinical Trial of Trigriluzole for Alzheimer’s Disease

The first patient has been enrolled in a Phase 2/3 clinical trial of trigriluzole (BHV-4157), a novel glutamate modulator for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of trigriluzole in patients diagnosed with AD of mild-to-moderate severity (Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 14-24 at screening), and is being conducted in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) at sites throughout the USA.Howard Feldman, MD, FRCP, Director of the ADCS and Professor of Neurosciences at University of California San Diego School of Medicine added, “The preclinical evidence for the active metabolite of trigriluzole to modulate glutamate and confer neuroprotective effects in patients with AD is compelling, and the new formulation of trigriluzole should improve its pharmaceutical properties with potential for efficacy in AD.”

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative dementia that accounts for 60 ? 80 percent of dementia cases. Alzheimer’s disease currently has no cure. Although there are FDA-approved medications for symptomatic treatment of AD, their clinical benefits are generally limited. Novel therapeutic approaches aimed at normalizing synaptic and extra-synaptic glutamate levels, such as trigriluzole, may offer the potential for symptomatic benefit in AD by improving cognitive function, as well as the potential for disease modification by preventing the loss of synapses.

The Phase 2/3 clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03605667) is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of trigriluzole in patients diagnosed with AD of mild-to-moderate severity (Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 14-24 at screening). Patients who have been taking stable doses of FDA-approved AD medications (AchEI also known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and/or memantine) for a minimum of three months prior to screening and who are willing to remain on the same regimen for the duration of the trial may be eligible to participate. Approximately 292 patients will be randomized on a 1:1 basis to receive 280 mg of trigriluzole or placebo, taken orally at bedtime. Duration of treatment will be 48 weeks.

About Trigriluzole
Trigriluzole is a third-generation prodrug and new chemical entity that modulates glutamate, the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the human body. Trigriluzole has a wide range of pharmacological actions, including interactions with several types of ion channels, cellular signaling mechanisms and facilitation of glutamate reuptake. Some potential targets related to trigriluzole’s mechanism of action include (1) reducing presynaptic glutamate release through actions at the voltage-gated ion channels, (2) facilitating glutamate uptake via EAATs located on glial cells, (3) enhancing transmission through synaptic AMPA receptors, (4) altering GABAergic neurotransmission, and (5) effecting neurotrophic agents such as BDNF. Several of these targets of trigriluzole balance abnormalities observed in human AD post-mortem tissue as well as in AD animal models. As such, trigriluzole potentially offers neuroprotective effects at the level of the synapse as well as improved synaptic functioning, mechanisms that could exert both symptomatic and disease-modifying effects in AD.

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Finding New Treatments for Breast Cancer with Brain Metastases

As if Breast Cancer or Brain Cancer alone were not enough to combat — patients with both now?have new hope in light of fledgling research that is showing progress.

Once breast cancer metastasizes into other areas of the body, particularly the brain, it becomes much more dangerous. And while the National Cancer Institute spends more than $500 million dollars per year on breast cancer research, only two to five percent of this funding goes to study how the disease spreads.

A clinical trial is open nationwide through the Academic Breast Cancer Consortium (ABRCC), giving access to an exciting novel drug therapy combination. The tucatinib, palbocilib and letrozole trial is coordinated by ABRCC and currently open for enrollment at the University of Colorado Cancer Center; University of Texas Health and Science Center in San Antonio, TX; Stony Brook University, NY; University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; and University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM and will also be accruing patients at Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.

There are three well-established predictive markers of breast cancer. They are estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), and the growth factor receptor HER2, these receptors may be blocked with targeted drugs to stop cancer growth. Breast cancers lacking these three markers are referred to as ?triple-negative? but clinicians and scientists are quickly learning more about cancers that have all three receptors, which are often called ?triple-positive.? There are treatments against each target individually, but when multiple drivers are present, as in ?triple-positive? breast cancer, blocking one often results in cancer nimbly switching to driving its growth with the other two.

The study combines tucatinib, which inhibits HER2, with letrozole targeting ER and PR hormone receptors, and the drug palbociclib, which targets CDK proteins that help cancer cells rush through the process of replication. The three had not been tried together until Elena Shagisultanova, MD, PhD, a breast cancer specialist at UCH, hypothesized there could be a way to target all three drivers at the same time with better results than targeting combinations of any two.

?When metastatic cancer spreads to the brain, it can be especially challenging,? says Dr Peter Kabos, the National Medical Director of the Academic Breast Cancer Consortium (ABRCC) and the Kabos Research Lab for Breast Cancer at UC Denver. ?Many medications aren?t effective in the brain, but exciting early clinical trial data for tucatinib shows that it may be one of the drugs that can penetrate the blood-brain barrier to combat brain metastases.

The trial is funded by the Pfizer ASPIRE Award in Breast Cancer Research. Cascadian Therapeutics and Pfizer are providing the study drugs tucatinib and palbociclib. For more information about trial eligibility and participation, contact brad.mackay@ucdenver.edu or emily.berens@ucdenver.edu

Article excerpted with permission from the University of Colorado Cancer Center blog — for the complete story, click here.

LANTERN-2 Clinical Trial Aims at Reducing Use of Opioids

Bonti announced it has initiated dosing in its LANTERN-2 clinical trial, a Phase II clinical trial under Bonti?s LANTERN (Long-Acting NeuroToxin-E Relief, Non-opioid) clinical program aimed at treating focal muscle pain and reducing use of rescue medications, including opioids.

LANTERN-2 is a randomized, placebo-controlled, ascending dose, double-blind clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of intramuscular (IM) injections of Bonti?s therapeutic product candidate, EB-001T, in subjects undergoing elective abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) surgery. The primary endpoint in this trial will be reduction of post-operative pain at rest as measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) over the first 96 hours. Secondary endpoints include NPRS during activity and patient use of rescue medications, including opioids, to address unrelieved pain.

LANTERN-2 trial was based on favorable safety results from the recently completed LANTERN-1 clinical trial, which was Bonti?s first trial in the LANTERN program. EB-001T showed favorable safety in a wide dose range and was well tolerated, and in which the maximum tolerated dose was not reached. Learn more about EB-001T?at Bonti’s website.

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CRISPR Tech for Eye Disease Moves Closer to Reality

A study published in the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology shows that a CRISPR-based treatment can restore retinal function in mice.

Researchers from Columbia University have developed a new technique for the powerful gene editing tool CRISPR to restore retinal function in mice afflicted by a degenerative retinal disease, retinitis pigmentosa. This is the first time researchers have successfully applied CRISPR technology to a type of inherited disease known as a dominant disorder. This same tool might work in hundreds of diseases, including Huntington’s disease, Marfan syndrome, and corneal dystrophies. Their study was published online today in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Stephen H. Tsang, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues sought to create a more agile CRISPR tool so it can treat more patients, regardless of their individual genetic profile. Dr. Tsang calls the technique genome surgery because it cuts out the bad gene and replaces it with a normal, functioning gene. Dr. Tsang said he expects human trials to begin in three years. “Genome surgery is coming,” Dr. Tsang said. “Ophthalmology will be the first to see genome surgery before the rest of medicine.”

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of rare inherited genetic disorders caused by one of more than 70 genes. It involves the breakdown and loss of cells in the retina, the light sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye. It typically strikes in childhood and progresses slowly, affecting peripheral vision and the ability to see at night. Most will lose much of their sight by early adulthood and become legally blind by age 40. There is no cure. It is estimated to affect roughly 1 in 4,000 people worldwide.

Since it was introduced in 2012, the gene editing technology known as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) has revolutionized the speed and scope with which scientists can modify the DNA of living cells. Scientists have used it on a wide range of applications, from engineering plants (seedless tomatoes) to producing animals (extra lean piglets). But as incredible as genome surgery is, CRISPR has some flaws to overcome before it can live up to its hype of curing disease in humans by simply cutting out bad genes and sewing in good ones.

Typically, CRISPR researchers design a short sequence of code called guide RNA that matches the bit they want to replace. They attach the guide RNA to a protein called Cas9, and together they roam the cell’s nucleus until they find a matching piece of DNA. Cas9 unzips the DNA and pushes in the guide RNA. It then snips out the bad code and coaxes the cell to accept the good code, using the cell’s natural gene repair machinery.

Diseases like autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa present a special challenge to researchers. In autosomal dominant disorders, the person inherits only one copy of a mutated gene from their parents and one normal gene on a pair of autosomal chromosomes. So, the challenge for CRISPR-wielding scientists is to edit only the mutant copy without altering the healthy one. In contrast, people with autosomal recessive disorders inherit two copies of the mutant gene. When two copies of the gene are mutated, treatment involves a more straightforward, one-step approach of simply replacing the defective gene. Dr. Tsang and colleagues have come up with a better strategy to treat autosomal dominant disease. It allowed them to cut out the old gene and replace it with a good gene, without affecting its normal function.

Instead of using one guide RNA, Dr. Tsang designed two guide RNAs to treat autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa caused by variations in the rhodopsin gene. Rhodopsin is an important therapeutic target because mutations in it cause about 30 percent of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa and 15 percent of all inherited retinal dystrophies.

This technique allowed for a larger deletion of genetic code that permanently destroyed the targeted gene. Dr. Tsang found that using two guide RNAs instead of one increased the chance of disrupting the bad gene from 30 percent to 90 percent. They combined this genome surgery tool with a gene replacement technique using an adeno-associated virus to carry a healthy version of the gene into the retina. Another advantage is that this technique can be used in non-dividing cells, which means that it could enable gene therapies that focus on nondividing adult cells, such as cells of the eye, brain, or heart. Up until now, CRISPR has been applied more efficiently in dividing cells than non-dividing cells.

Dr. Tsang used an objective vision test to evaluate the mice after treatment to show a significant improvement in retinal function. An electroretinogram is typically used to evaluate retinal health in humans. It tests the health of the retina much like an electrocardiogram (EKG) tests the health of the heart. Previous CRISPR studies for retinal diseases have relied on a less objective measure that involves evaluating how often the mouse turns its head in the direction of a light source. Dr. Tsang used electroretinography to show that retinal degeneration slowed in treated eyes compared with untreated eyes.

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