Vantictumab is well tolerated and has surpassed the target efficacious dose from preclinical models
Vantictumab has pharmacodynamic effect on the WNT-pathway and evidence of single-agent activity
Vantictumab is advancing to combination Phase 1b studies in selected tumor types
REDWOOD CITY, CA, USA I September 29, 2013 I OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OMED), a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, today reported new data for vantictumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the WNT pathway, at a poster session at the Joint ECCO 17, 38th ESMO and 32nd ESTRO European Cancer Congress 2013 (ECC 2013) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
In the ongoing Phase 1a clinical trial, 29 patients with advanced and refractory solid tumors were treated with single-agent vantictumab. To date the drug candidate has been well tolerated up to the current dose of 15 mg/kg every three weeks. This dose of vantictumab is above the target efficacious dose based on minimally passaged human tumor xenograft models. Vantictumab shows pharmacodynamic (PD) effects on the WNT-pathway in patient samples in the Phase 1 clinical trial. Evidence of single-agent activity of vantictumab is noted in several patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Based on these clinical results and data from preclinical patient-derived tumor models, OncoMed is initiating Phase 1b clinical trials in three tumor indications to study its safety in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy. Vantictumab is part of OncoMed’s Wnt pathway collaboration with Bayer Pharma AG.
Jakob Dupont, M.D., OncoMed’s Chief Medical Officer commented, “We are encouraged that vantictumab can be administered safely in this study to patients at doses above the target efficacious doses extrapolated from our preclinical models. These results enable the advancement of vantictumab to three Phase 1b trials later this year.”
“With ongoing clinical trials with five novel drug candidates in two key pathways, Notch and WNT, OncoMed is leading the way in the development of anti-cancer stem cell therapies,” said Paul J. Hastings, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OncoMed.
Vantictumab is a first-in-class antibody that has broad anti-cancer stem cell and anti-tumor activity in patient-derived xenograft tumor models. The poster, entitled “A Phase Ia study in patients with advanced solid tumors for the human monoclonal antibody vantictumab (OMP-18R5; anti-Frizzled) targeting the WNT pathway,” (Abstract P085) was presented by David Smith, M.D., at the University of Michigan Cancer Center at Ann Arbor, MI, on behalf of the other principal investigators (Lee Rosen, M.D., at the University of California, Los Angeles, CA, and Kyriakos Papadopoulos, M.D. at The START Center for Cancer Care, San Antonio, TX) and the entire study team.
About Vantictumab (OMP-18R5)
Vantictumab is a first-in-class antibody that has shown broad anti-CSC and anti-tumor activity in patient-derived xenograft tumor models. Vantictumab inhibits a key signaling pathway in cancer, the Wnt pathway. Specifically, vantictumab selectively targets Frizzled receptors, which are activators of Wnt signaling. Although vantictumab was originally identified by binding to Frizzled7, the antibody selectively targets five different Frizzled receptors. Vantictumab is currently in Phase 1. Vantictumab is part of OncoMed’s collaboration with Bayer Pharma AG.
About Cancer Stem Cells
Cancer stem cells, or CSCs, are the subpopulation of cells in a tumor responsible for driving growth and metastasis of the tumor. CSCs, also known as tumor-initiating cells, exhibit certain properties which include the capacity to divide and give rise to new CSCs via a process called self-renewal and the capacity to differentiate or change into the other cells that form the bulk of the tumor. Common cancer drugs target bulk tumor cells but have limited impact on CSCs, thereby providing a path for recurrence of the tumor. OncoMed’s product candidates target CSCs by blocking self-renewal and driving differentiation of CSCs toward a non-tumorigenic state, and also impact bulk tumor cells. OncoMed believes its product candidates are distinct from the current generations of chemotherapies and targeted therapies, and have the potential to significantly impact cancer treatment and the clinical outcome of patients with cancer.
About OncoMed Pharmaceuticals
OncoMed Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells. OncoMed has five anti-cancer product candidates in clinical development, including demcizumab (Anti-DLL4, OMP-21M18), OMP-59R5 (Anti-Notch2/3), OMP-52M51 (Anti-Notch1), vantictumab (Anti-FZD7, OMP-18R5) and OMP-54F28 (Fzd8-Fc), which target key cancer stem cell signaling pathways including Notch and Wnt. OncoMed has two other antibodies in preclinical development with Investigational New Drug filings planned for as early as 2014. OncoMed is also pursuing discovery of additional novel anti-CSC product candidates. OncoMed has formed strategic alliances with Bayer Pharma AG and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Additional information can be found at the company’s website: www.oncomed.com.
SOURCE: Oncomed Pharmaceuticals
Post Views: 107
Vantictumab is well tolerated and has surpassed the target efficacious dose from preclinical models
Vantictumab has pharmacodynamic effect on the WNT-pathway and evidence of single-agent activity
Vantictumab is advancing to combination Phase 1b studies in selected tumor types
REDWOOD CITY, CA, USA I September 29, 2013 I OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OMED), a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, today reported new data for vantictumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the WNT pathway, at a poster session at the Joint ECCO 17, 38th ESMO and 32nd ESTRO European Cancer Congress 2013 (ECC 2013) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
In the ongoing Phase 1a clinical trial, 29 patients with advanced and refractory solid tumors were treated with single-agent vantictumab. To date the drug candidate has been well tolerated up to the current dose of 15 mg/kg every three weeks. This dose of vantictumab is above the target efficacious dose based on minimally passaged human tumor xenograft models. Vantictumab shows pharmacodynamic (PD) effects on the WNT-pathway in patient samples in the Phase 1 clinical trial. Evidence of single-agent activity of vantictumab is noted in several patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Based on these clinical results and data from preclinical patient-derived tumor models, OncoMed is initiating Phase 1b clinical trials in three tumor indications to study its safety in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy. Vantictumab is part of OncoMed’s Wnt pathway collaboration with Bayer Pharma AG.
Jakob Dupont, M.D., OncoMed’s Chief Medical Officer commented, “We are encouraged that vantictumab can be administered safely in this study to patients at doses above the target efficacious doses extrapolated from our preclinical models. These results enable the advancement of vantictumab to three Phase 1b trials later this year.”
“With ongoing clinical trials with five novel drug candidates in two key pathways, Notch and WNT, OncoMed is leading the way in the development of anti-cancer stem cell therapies,” said Paul J. Hastings, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OncoMed.
Vantictumab is a first-in-class antibody that has broad anti-cancer stem cell and anti-tumor activity in patient-derived xenograft tumor models. The poster, entitled “A Phase Ia study in patients with advanced solid tumors for the human monoclonal antibody vantictumab (OMP-18R5; anti-Frizzled) targeting the WNT pathway,” (Abstract P085) was presented by David Smith, M.D., at the University of Michigan Cancer Center at Ann Arbor, MI, on behalf of the other principal investigators (Lee Rosen, M.D., at the University of California, Los Angeles, CA, and Kyriakos Papadopoulos, M.D. at The START Center for Cancer Care, San Antonio, TX) and the entire study team.
About Vantictumab (OMP-18R5)
Vantictumab is a first-in-class antibody that has shown broad anti-CSC and anti-tumor activity in patient-derived xenograft tumor models. Vantictumab inhibits a key signaling pathway in cancer, the Wnt pathway. Specifically, vantictumab selectively targets Frizzled receptors, which are activators of Wnt signaling. Although vantictumab was originally identified by binding to Frizzled7, the antibody selectively targets five different Frizzled receptors. Vantictumab is currently in Phase 1. Vantictumab is part of OncoMed’s collaboration with Bayer Pharma AG.
About Cancer Stem Cells
Cancer stem cells, or CSCs, are the subpopulation of cells in a tumor responsible for driving growth and metastasis of the tumor. CSCs, also known as tumor-initiating cells, exhibit certain properties which include the capacity to divide and give rise to new CSCs via a process called self-renewal and the capacity to differentiate or change into the other cells that form the bulk of the tumor. Common cancer drugs target bulk tumor cells but have limited impact on CSCs, thereby providing a path for recurrence of the tumor. OncoMed’s product candidates target CSCs by blocking self-renewal and driving differentiation of CSCs toward a non-tumorigenic state, and also impact bulk tumor cells. OncoMed believes its product candidates are distinct from the current generations of chemotherapies and targeted therapies, and have the potential to significantly impact cancer treatment and the clinical outcome of patients with cancer.
About OncoMed Pharmaceuticals
OncoMed Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells. OncoMed has five anti-cancer product candidates in clinical development, including demcizumab (Anti-DLL4, OMP-21M18), OMP-59R5 (Anti-Notch2/3), OMP-52M51 (Anti-Notch1), vantictumab (Anti-FZD7, OMP-18R5) and OMP-54F28 (Fzd8-Fc), which target key cancer stem cell signaling pathways including Notch and Wnt. OncoMed has two other antibodies in preclinical development with Investigational New Drug filings planned for as early as 2014. OncoMed is also pursuing discovery of additional novel anti-CSC product candidates. OncoMed has formed strategic alliances with Bayer Pharma AG and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Additional information can be found at the company’s website: www.oncomed.com.
SOURCE: Oncomed Pharmaceuticals
Post Views: 107
