Highlights
In Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma
• TG1042 (ASN-002) treatment is well tolerated with a high response rate
• TG1042 treatment results in a durable response beyond treatment period
March 20, 2014 I Ascend Biopharmaceuticals, a Melbourne-based immunotherapy company, has today announced the publication of a report utilising TG1042 (ASN-002) for the treatment of Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma (CBCL), in the journal PLOS ONE.
Ascend Biopharmaceuticals entered into an exclusive world-wide license agreement with Transgene in July of 2013 to develop TG1042 (renamed as ASN-002) as an immunotherapy for multiple cancers including skin cancers and Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma, CBCL (a B-Cell lymphoma that involves the skin). Ascend plans to sponsor and commence clinical studies with TG1042 (ASN-002) in Basal Cell Carcinoma later in 2014.
The report details an open label, multi-centre trial conducted by Transgene involving 13 CBCL patients injected directly with TG1042 into their cancers. The delivery of TG1042 into the lesions resulted in 54% of treated patients with a complete response (where all lesions disappeared) and 31% of the treated patients with a partial response (where at least half of all treated lesions disappeared), demonstrating that more than 80% of lesions responded to this therapy.
“Primary cutaneous B cell lymphomas are rare but a disfiguring disease with significant unmet medical needs. Intralesional TG1042 (ASN-002) therapy is well tolerated and results in lasting tumor regressions” said Professor Reinhard Dummer, Principal Investigator on the study and an expert in Cutaneous Lymphoma at the University of Zurich.
Primary CBCLs has an annual incidence rate of approximately 3.1 per 1,000,000 persons and comprises about 20–25% of all cutaneous lymphomas. Currently, treatment options for CBCL are confined to surgery or radiation therapy and there are no registered drugs for this indication. Radiation therapy or surgery both show a high initial response rate but up to 50% of the patients relapse following the initial treatment.
“This study shows that in CBCL, TG1042 has a favourable risk/benefit ratio and has potential to be developed as an alternative to surgery or radiation therapy treatment to minimize risk of cancer recurrence.” Ascend CEO Clement Leong said.
About Ascend Biopharmaceuticals
Ascend is a clinical-stage company developing innovative cancer treatments. The company focuses on identifying disease settings where targeting the disease microenvironment or important cell types can bring about meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes.
Ascend has two clinical stage immunotherapy programs that have undergone previous clinical evaluation. The first product, ASN-002, will be assessed in basal cell carcinoma patients while the second product, ASN-004, is a pan-cancer therapeutic vaccine that will be studied in early stage breast cancer.
SOURCE: Ascend Biopharmaceuticals
Post Views: 84
Highlights
In Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma
• TG1042 (ASN-002) treatment is well tolerated with a high response rate
• TG1042 treatment results in a durable response beyond treatment period
March 20, 2014 I Ascend Biopharmaceuticals, a Melbourne-based immunotherapy company, has today announced the publication of a report utilising TG1042 (ASN-002) for the treatment of Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma (CBCL), in the journal PLOS ONE.
Ascend Biopharmaceuticals entered into an exclusive world-wide license agreement with Transgene in July of 2013 to develop TG1042 (renamed as ASN-002) as an immunotherapy for multiple cancers including skin cancers and Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma, CBCL (a B-Cell lymphoma that involves the skin). Ascend plans to sponsor and commence clinical studies with TG1042 (ASN-002) in Basal Cell Carcinoma later in 2014.
The report details an open label, multi-centre trial conducted by Transgene involving 13 CBCL patients injected directly with TG1042 into their cancers. The delivery of TG1042 into the lesions resulted in 54% of treated patients with a complete response (where all lesions disappeared) and 31% of the treated patients with a partial response (where at least half of all treated lesions disappeared), demonstrating that more than 80% of lesions responded to this therapy.
“Primary cutaneous B cell lymphomas are rare but a disfiguring disease with significant unmet medical needs. Intralesional TG1042 (ASN-002) therapy is well tolerated and results in lasting tumor regressions” said Professor Reinhard Dummer, Principal Investigator on the study and an expert in Cutaneous Lymphoma at the University of Zurich.
Primary CBCLs has an annual incidence rate of approximately 3.1 per 1,000,000 persons and comprises about 20–25% of all cutaneous lymphomas. Currently, treatment options for CBCL are confined to surgery or radiation therapy and there are no registered drugs for this indication. Radiation therapy or surgery both show a high initial response rate but up to 50% of the patients relapse following the initial treatment.
“This study shows that in CBCL, TG1042 has a favourable risk/benefit ratio and has potential to be developed as an alternative to surgery or radiation therapy treatment to minimize risk of cancer recurrence.” Ascend CEO Clement Leong said.
About Ascend Biopharmaceuticals
Ascend is a clinical-stage company developing innovative cancer treatments. The company focuses on identifying disease settings where targeting the disease microenvironment or important cell types can bring about meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes.
Ascend has two clinical stage immunotherapy programs that have undergone previous clinical evaluation. The first product, ASN-002, will be assessed in basal cell carcinoma patients while the second product, ASN-004, is a pan-cancer therapeutic vaccine that will be studied in early stage breast cancer.
SOURCE: Ascend Biopharmaceuticals
Post Views: 84
