Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

FN Media Group Presents USA News Group News Commentary VANCOUVER, BC, March 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- USA News Group - Known as one of the most deadly forms of cancer, pancreatic cancer still has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers today. However, researchers and the biotech sector are working diligently to improve the chances of those who receive this dire diagnosis. Recently, in late 2023, researchers at the Mayo Clinic made a discovery that advances knowledge of how pancreatic cancer spreads and identified a new potential therapeutic target along the way. With the American Cancer Society projecting a record year for new cancer cases in 2024, and Europe facing a pancreatic cancer emergency, it's important to focus on the advances being made in the biotech sector that are giving hope to patients and their families. Among the developers making gains include O ncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC), Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS), ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX), Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACRS), and Nuvation Bio Inc. (NYSE: NUVB). There is a point of optimism to build upon, as the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) has stated the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer has increased to 13%. Among the therapy developers that have garnered accolades and support from PanCAN is O ncolytics Biotech Inc. (NASDAQ: ONCY) (TSX: ONC), which late last year took home a US$5 million Therapeutic Accelerator Award based on the promising results being delivered by its flagship asset, pelareorep. Since winning the award, Oncolytics has moved to make an amendment to its ongoing GOBLET gastrointestinal cancer study to include a new (fifth) cohort. This new cohort will evaluate the immunotherapy asset pelareorep in combination with modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX) both with and without atezolizumab (Tecentriq®) in patients with newly diagnosed metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). "We are enthusiastic to have the support of PanCAN to expand the evaluation of pelareorep in pancreatic cancer and explore mFOLFIRINOX as another combination that could improve outcomes for patients," said Dr. Matt Coffey, President and CEO of Oncolytics. "Evaluating pelareorep in combination with these widely used regimens is an important step in our broad clinical development program. Last fall, we reported a 62% objective response rate for the GOBLET PDAC cohort studying pelareorep in combination with the checkpoint inhibitor atezolizumab in addition to gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel. This response is about three times that of historical controls and forms the basis of the registrational program, expected to begin this year." Oncolytics is conducting the GOBLET trial to investigate the effectiveness of pelareorep in enhancing the treatment of pancreatic cancer, a disease known for its poor 5-year survival rate. This is largely due to the cancer's ability to hide from the immune system and create an environment that suppresses immune response. In late 2022, the FDA granted pelareorep a fast track designation, acknowledging its potential to stimulate both the innate and adaptive immune systems and alter the tumor microenvironment. This makes pelareorep a promising candidate for combination therapy. "This study is designed to evaluate whether pelareorep can enhance outcomes in patients receiving mFOLFIRINOX, one of the most commonly used metastatic pancreatic cancer treatments," said Thomas Heineman, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer at Oncolytics. "Combining pelareorep with mFOLFIRINOX represents an expansion of our existing pancreatic cancer program and maximizes the potential of pelareorep-based combination therapies to benefit pancreatic cancer patients." After discontinuing development of its monoclonal antibody NIS793 for the treatment of patients with pancreatic cancer, Novartis AG (NYSE: NVS) has opened 2024 with positive data from its Lutathera asset. In a mid-January release, Novartis announced that Lutathera significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 72% as first-line treatment for patients with advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. "These positive results for Lutathera are practice-changing and offer new first-line treatment data for patients who have a significant unmet need," said Dr. Simron Singh, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto and co-founder of the Susan Leslie Clinic for Neuroendocrine Tumours at the Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Ontario, Canada. "This study confirms the clinical benefit of first-line radioligand therapy for newly diagnosed patients living with these types of advanced GEP-NETs. These findings should instill confidence among physicians in using Lutathera as a first-line treatment for patients with this life-threatening type of cancer." Back in early 2022, ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ: IBRX) showed promising results for its Nant Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine. Now, in February 2024, ImmunityBio has announced full accrual of its first two phases of a cancer vaccine trial in participants with Lynch Syndrome and the initiation of a randomized control phase of the trial. Lynch Syndrome is one of the most common hereditary cancer syndromes, occurring in 1 in every 300 Americans. People with Lynch Syndrome can not only develop colorectal cancer 20 years prior to the average age of diagnosis for that form of cancer but are also at an increased risk of developing many other types of cancers, including pancreatic. "We are encouraged by how rapidly this study has been able to enroll participants," said Asad Umar, D.V.M., Ph.D., a senior advisor to the Director for Translational Research in NCI's Division of Cancer Prevention (DCP) and a scientific lead for the trial. "It is a strong indication of an unmet need and of the willingness of participants to help science make new discoveries in the area of cancer prevention." Moving on from a disastrous year in 2023, Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACRS) is resurrecting its asset zunsemetinib as a potential cancer treatment. As per the company's last corporate update of 2023, Aclaris now plans to explore zunsemetinib as a potential treatment for pancreatic cancer and metastatic breast cancer. "Throughout our history, Aclaris has remained focused on developing novel drugs where there is a lack of satisfactory treatment options," said Dr. Neal Walker, Co-Founder, Chairman, and Interim CEO of Aclaris in a January 2024 strategic business review. "We are well capitalized and we have recently taken the hard but necessary steps to streamline our operations to reduce costs and preserve capital in order to put Aclaris in an optimal position for the future." In early January 2024, the FDA cleared the investigational new drug (IND) application of Nuvation Bio Inc. (NYSE: NUVB) to evaluate its first clinical candidate from its novel drug-drug conjugate (DDC) platform, NUV-1511. "This IND clearance expands our clinical pipeline and validates the approach of our proprietary DDC platform to design potent oncology-focused chimeric small molecules which combine tumor-targeting specificity with the anti-cancer activity of known oncology agents," said David Hung, M.D., Founder, President, and CEO of Nuvation Bio. "We believe NUV-1511 has the potential to provide favorable clinical benefit for patients with various solid tumors and we look forward to initiating the Phase 1/2 study." The initial part of the Phase 1/2 study will assess safety and tolerability and investigate the potential effectiveness in patients with advanced solid tumors. It will focus on patients with pancreatic cancer, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), and platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC). Nuvation is already undergoing dosing in the Phase 1 monotherapy study of NUV-868 in solid tumors in patients with pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), triple-negative breast cancer and other solid tumors. "We remain focused on strong clinical execution of our NUV-868 program for advanced solid tumors," said Hung in his company's Q3 2023 business update. Article Source: Article Source: USA News Group [email protected] DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this publication should be considered as personalized financial advice. We are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular financial situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed as personalized financial advice. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision. This is a paid advertisement and is neither an offer nor recommendation to buy or sell any security. We hold no investment licenses and are thus neither licensed nor qualified to provide investment advice. The content in this report or email is not provided to any individual with a view toward their individual circumstances. USA News Group is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market IQ Media Group, Inc. ("MIQ"). MIQ has been paid a fee for Oncolytics Biotech Inc. advertising and digital media from the company directly. There may be 3rd parties who may have shares of Oncolytics Biotech Inc., and may liquidate their shares which could have a negative effect on the price of the stock. This compensation constitutes a conflict of interest as to our ability to remain objective in our communication regarding the profiled company. Because of this conflict, individuals are strongly encouraged to not use this publication as the basis for any investment decision. The owner/operator of MIQ own shares of Oncolytics Biotech Inc. which were purchased in the open market, and reserve the right to buy and sell, and will buy and sell shares of Oncolytics Biotech Inc. at any time without any further notice commencing immediately and ongoing. We also expect further compensation as an ongoing digital media effort to increase visibility for the company, no further notice will be given, but let this disclaimer serve as notice that all material, including this article, which is disseminated by MIQ has been approved by Oncolytics Biotech Inc.; this is a paid advertisement, we currently own shares of Oncolytics Biotech Inc. and will buy and sell shares of the company in the open market, or through private placements, and/or other investment vehicles. While all information is believed to be reliable, it is not guaranteed by us to be accurate. Individuals should assume that all information contained in our newsletter is not trustworthy unless verified by their own independent research. Also, because events and circumstances frequently do not occur as expected, there will likely be differences between the any predictions and actual results. Always consult a licensed investment professional before making any investment decision. Be extremely careful, investing in securities carries a high degree of risk; you may likely lose some or all of the investment. USA News Group is Source of all content listed above. FN Media Group, LLC (FNM), is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with USA News Group or any company mentioned herein. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by USA News Group are solely those of USA News Group and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination and financial marketing solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM was not compensated by any public company mentioned herein to disseminate this press release. This release contains "forward-loking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements. Media Contact Information: FN Media Group, LLC Media Contact e-mail: [email protected] U.S. Phone: +1(954)345-0611 SOURCE USA News Group

Initiated confirmatory Phase 3 RAMP 301 trial evaluating avutometinib and defactinib combination in recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer; on track to submit rolling NDA for accelerated approval in H1 2024; preparations underway for potential commercial launch in 2025 Granted FDA Fast Track designation for avutometinib and sotorasib combination for the treatment of KRAS G12C-mutant non-small cell lung cancer Announced oral KRAS G12D inhibitor GFH375 (VS-7375) as lead program in discovery and development collaboration with GenFleet Therapeutics Multiple data readouts evaluating combination therapies in low-grade serous ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer anticipated in 2024 BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Verastem Oncology (Nasdaq: VSTM), a biopharmaceutical company committed to advancing new medicines for patients with cancer, today reported financial results for the three months and full year ended December 31, 2023, and highlighted recent progress. “In 2023, we made significant progress toward expanding the opportunities for avutometinib combination therapies across RAS/MAPK driven cancers and I am extremely proud of the team’s accomplishments,” said Dan Paterson, president and chief executive officer of Verastem Oncology. “2024 is expected to be a pivotal year with the planned NDA submission for our avutometinib and defactinib combination in recurrent LGSOC, and multiple clinical data readouts across our programs including initial data from the RAMP 205 trial in metastatic pancreatic cancer and data from the combination with G12C inhibitors in NSCLC. We look forward to continuing to deliver results across our programs.” Fourth Quarter 2023 and Recent Highlights Avutometinib and Defactinib Combination in Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (LGSOC) Initiated international confirmatory Phase 3 RAMP 301 trial evaluating the avutometinib and defactinib combination versus standard of care chemotherapy or hormonal therapy for the treatment of recurrent LGSOC in December 2023 to support potential full approval. Reported results of a planned subgroup analysis of Part A of the Phase 2 RAMP 201 trial evaluating avutometinib and defactinib combination in recurrent LGSOC, which demonstrated promising efficacy in patients regardless of number and class of prior therapies including after poor response to prior therapy at the Annual Global Meeting of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society meeting in November 2023. Launched patient and healthcare professional programs, including Let’s Talk About LGSOC, to support clinicians in the diagnosis and management of LGSOC and provide information and resources to patients. Received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2024 for avutometinib alone or in combination with defactinib for the treatment of all patients with recurrent LGSOC. Verastem anticipates the following milestones for avutometinib and defactinib combination in LGSOC in 2024: On track to submit a rolling New Drug Application (NDA) for Accelerated Approval for the avutometinib and defactinib combination in LGSOC in H1 2024. Preparations for a potential U.S. commercial launch in 2025 are ongoing and plans to initiate discussions with European and Japanese regulatory authorities to address patient needs outside the U.S. continue to advance. Plan to announce updated topline data from RAMP 201 trial in LGSOC in H1 2024. Avutometinib in Combination with KRAS G12C Inhibitors in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Received Fast Track designation from the FDA for avutometinib, in combination with Amgen’s G12C inhibitor, LUMAKRAS™ (sotorasib), for the treatment of patients with KRAS G12C-mutant metastatic NSCLC who have received at least one prior systemic therapy and have not been previously treated with a KRAS G12C inhibitor, in January 2024. Presented initial results from Phase 1/2 RAMP 203 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of avutometinib and sotorasib in patients with KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC who have or have not been previously treated with a KRAS G12C inhibitor at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in October 2023. The confirmed objective rate of response (ORR) was 25% with responses observed in both KRAS G12C inhibitor resistant and naïve patients, and a recommended Phase 2 dose was selected. Added defactinib to RAMP 203 trial of avutometinib with sotorasib based on stronger tumor regressions in KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC preclinical models when FAKi is added along with G12Ci + avutometinib. Verastem anticipates the following milestones for avutometinib in combination with KRAS G12C inhibitors in 2024: Data updates from patients with KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC in the Phase 1/2 RAMP 203 trial evaluating avutometinib and sotorasib and the Phase 1/2 RAMP 204 trial evaluating avutometinib and adagrasib are planned for mid-2024. Avutometinib and Defactinib Combination in Frontline Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer Plan to present initial safety and efficacy results from RAMP 205 trial of avutometinib and defactinib in combination with current standard of care gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel in frontline metastatic pancreatic cancer in H1 2024. GFH375 (VS-7375): Oral KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) Inhibitor Completed investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies for oral KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) inhibitor GFH375 (VS-7375), the lead program in the collaboration with GenFleet Therapeutics (“GenFleet”). GenFleet is expected to submit an IND application for GFH375 (VS-7375) in China in H1 2024 with plans to begin a Phase 1 trial in H2 2024. Discovery/lead optimization continues for second and third programs. Upcoming Presentations Verastem previously announced the acceptance of multiple abstracts for presentation at upcoming medical conferences: Multiple abstracts were selected for oral and poster presentations at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 2024 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer on March 16-18 in San Diego. These presentations will include a late-breaking oral presentation on a planned subgroup analysis of Part A of the Phase 2 RAMP 201 trial of avutometinib and defactinib combination of heavily pretreated patients with LGSOC and a plenary oral presentation of preclinical efficacy data of avutometinib in combination with a FAK inhibitor in recurrent LGSOC as well as a trials-in-progress poster about the Phase 3 RAMP 301 trial. See press release here. Five preclinical data abstracts were accepted for poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2024 on April 5-10 in San Diego. These presentations will highlight anti-tumor efficacy data of GFH375 (VS-7375), data on RAF/MEK clamp avutometinib and FAK inhibition in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma models supporting the ongoing RAMP 205 trial, and avutometinib and a FAK inhibitor combination in cutaneous melanoma models to overcome resistance to BRAF and MEK inhibitors, resistance to immunotherapy, and brain metastasis. See press release here. Corporate Updates Strengthened the executive leadership team with appointments of Mike Crowther to Chief Commercial and Business Strategy Officer and the promotion of Dan Calkins to Chief Financial Officer in October 2023. Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Results Verastem Oncology ended the fourth quarter of 2023 with cash, cash equivalents and investments of $137.1 million. Total operating expenses for the three months ended December 31, 2023 (the “2023 Quarter”) were $31.1 million, compared to $16.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022 (the “2022 Quarter”). Research & development expenses for the 2023 Quarter were $22.5 million, compared to $10.7 million for the 2022 Quarter. The increase of $11.8 million, or 110.3%, primarily resulted from increased contract research organization costs, increased drug substance and drug product costs, and increased personnel costs, including non-cash stock compensation. Selling, general & administrative expenses for the 2023 Quarter were $8.6 million, compared to $6.1 million for the 2022 Quarter. The increase of $2.5 million, or 41.0%, was primarily related to increased personnel costs, including non-cash stock compensation, increased consulting and professional fees, and additional costs in anticipation of a potential launch of avutometinib and defactinib in LGSOC. Net loss for the 2023 Quarter was $27.4 million, or $1.02 per share (basic and diluted), compared to a net loss of $16.8 million, or $0.99 per share (basic and diluted, each as adjusted for the Company’s reverse stock split), for the 2022 Quarter. For the 2023 Quarter, non-GAAP adjusted net loss was $29.6 million, or $1.10 per share (diluted), compared to non-GAAP adjusted net loss of $15.4 million, or $0.90 per share (diluted, as adjusted for the Company’s reverse stock split), for the 2022 Quarter. Please refer to the GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliation attached to this press release. Full-Year 2023 Financial Results Total operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 (the “2023 Period”) were $92.1 million, compared to $75.5 million for the year ended December 31, 222 (the “2022 Period”). Research & development expenses for the 2023 Period were $61.4 million, compared to $50.6 million for the 2022 Period. The increase of $10.8 million, or 21.3%, was primarily related to increases in contract research organization costs, the $2.0 million upfront payment made to GenFleet pursuant to the collaboration and option agreement, and increased personnel costs, including non-cash stock compensation. Selling, general & administrative expenses for the 2023 Period were $30.7 million, compared to $25.0 million for the 2022 Period. The increase of $5.7 million, or 22.8%, was primarily related to increased personnel costs, including non-cash stock compensation, additional costs in anticipation of a potential launch of avutometinib and defactinib in LGSOC, and increased consulting and professional fees. Net loss for the 2023 Period was $87.4 million, or $3.96 per share (basic and diluted, each as adjusted for the Company’s reverse stock split), compared to $73.8 million, or $4.57 per share (basic and diluted, each as adjusted for the Company’s reverse stock split) for the 2022 Period. For the 2023 Period, non-GAAP adjusted net loss was $85.2 million, or $3.86 per share (diluted, as adjusted for the Company’s reverse stock split), compared to non-GAAP adjusted net loss of $67.4 million, or $4.18 per share (diluted, as adjusted for the Company’s reverse stock split), for the 2022 Period. Please refer to the GAAP to non-GAAP Reconciliation attached to this press release. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures To supplement Verastem Oncology’s condensed consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP), the Company uses the following non-GAAP financial measures in this press release: non-GAAP adjusted net loss and non-GAAP net loss per share. These non-GAAP financial measures exclude certain amounts or expenses from the corresponding financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. Management believes this non-GAAP information is useful for investors, taken in conjunction with the Company’s GAAP financial statements, because it provides greater transparency and period-over- period comparability with respect to the Company’s operating performance and can enhance investors’ ability to identify operating trends in the Company’s business. Management uses these measures, among other factors, to assess and analyze operational results and trends and to make financial and operational decisions. Non-GAAP information is not prepared under a comprehensive set of accounting rules and should only be used to supplement an understanding of the Company’s operating results as reported under GAAP, not in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures are unlikely to be comparable with non-GAAP information provided by other companies. The determination of the amounts that are excluded from non-GAAP financial measures is a matter of management judgment and depends upon, among other factors, the nature of the underlying expense or income amounts. Reconciliations between these non-GAAP financial measures and the most comparable GAAP financial measures for the three months and year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 are included in the tables accompanying this press release after the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. About the Avutometinib and Defactinib Combination Avutometinib is a RAF/MEK clamp that induces inactive complexes of MEK with ARAF, BRAF and CRAF potentially creating a more complete and durable anti-tumor response through maximal RAS/MAPK pathway inhibition. In contrast to currently available MEK-only inhibitors, avutometinib blocks both MEK kinase activity and the ability of RAF to phosphorylate MEK. This unique mechanism allows avutometinib to block MEK signaling without the compensatory activation of MEK that appears to limit the efficacy of other MEK-only inhibitors. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for the combination of Verastem Oncology’s investigational RAF/MEK clamp avutometinib, with defactinib, a selective FAK inhibitor, for the treatment of all patients with recurrent LGSOC regardless of KRAS status after one or more prior lines of therapy, including platinum-based chemotherapy. Avutometinib alone or in combination with defactinib was also granted Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA for the treatment of LGSOC. Verastem Oncology is currently conducting clinical trials with its RAF/MEK clamp avutometinib in RAS/MAPK driven tumors as part of its (Raf And Mek Program). RAMP 301 (NCT06072781) is a Phase 3 confirmatory trial evaluating the combination of avutometinib and defactinib versus standard chemotherapy or hormonal therapy for the treatment of recurrent LGSOC. RAMP 201 (NCT04625270) is a Phase 2 registration-directed trial of avutometinib in combination with defactinib in patients with recurrent LGSOC and enrollment has been completed in each of the dose optimization and expansion phases and the low-dose evaluation. Verastem Oncology has established clinical collaborations with Amgen and Mirati to evaluate LUMAKRAS™ (sotorasib) in combination with avutometinib and defactinib and KRAZATI™ (adagrasib) in combination with avutometinib in KRAS G12C mutant NSCLC as part of the RAMP 203 (NCT05074810) and RAMP 204 (NCT05375994) trials, respectively. Supported by the “Therapeutic Accelerator Award” received from PanCAN, Verastem Oncology is conducting RAMP 205 (NCT05669482), a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating avutometinib and defactinib with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in patients with front-line metastatic pancreatic cancer. About GFH375 (VS-7375) GFH375 (VS-7375) is a potential best-in-class, potent and selective oral KRAS G12D (ON/OFF) inhibitor, identified as the lead program from the Verastem Oncology discovery and development collaboration with GenFleet Therapeutics. GenFleet plans to submit an IND in China for GFH375 (VS-7375) in the first half of 2024, and upon approval GenFleet is expected to initiate a Phase 1 trial in China in the second half of 2024. The collaboration includes three discovery programs, the first being the KRAS G12D inhibitor, and will provide Verastem Oncology with exclusive options to obtain licenses to each of the three compounds in the collaboration after successful completion of pre-determined milestones in Phase 1 trials. The licenses would give Verastem Oncology development and commercialization rights outside of the GenFleet territories of mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. About Verastem Oncology Verastem Oncology (Nasdaq: VSTM) is a late-stage development biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of new medicines to improve the lives of patients diagnosed with cancer. Our pipeline is focused on novel small molecule drugs that inhibit critical signaling pathways in cancer that promote cancer cell survival and tumor growth, including RAF/MEK inhibition and FAK inhibition. For more information, please visit and follow us on LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements Notice This press release includes forward-looking statements about Verastem Oncology’s strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements related to the expected outcome and benefits of the collaboration with GenFleet, the potential clinical value of various of its clinical trials, the timing of commencing and completing trials, including topline data reports, interactions with regulators, the potential for and timing of commercialization of product candidates and potential for additional development programs involving Verastem Oncology’s lead compound. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "potential," "will," "would," "could," "should," "continue," “can,” “promising” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include the risks and uncertainties, among other things, regarding: the success in the development and potential commercialization of our product candidates, including avutometinib in combination with other compounds, including defactinib, LUMAKRAS™ and others; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, such as negative or unexpected results of clinical trials, the occurrence or timing of applications for our product candidates that may be filed with regulatory authorities in any jurisdictions; whether and when regulatory authorities in any jurisdictions may approve any such applications that may be filed for our product candidates, and, if approved, whether our product candidates will be commercially successful in such jurisdictions; our ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for our product candidates; the scope, timing, and outcome of any legal proceedings; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding trial design, labeling and other matters that could affect the timing, availability or commercial potential of our product candidates; whether preclinical testing of our product candidates and preliminary or interim data from clinical trials will be predictive of the results or success of ongoing or later clinical trials; that the timing, scope and rate of reimbursement for our product candidates is uncertain; that third-party payors (including government agencies) may not reimburse; that there may be competitive developments affecting our product candidates; that data may not be available when expected; that enrollment of clinical trials may take longer than expected; that our product candidates will cause adverse safety events and/or unexpected concerns may arise from additional data or analysis, or result in unmanageable safety profiles as compared to their levels of efficacy; that our product candidates may experience manufacturing or supply interruptions or failures; that any of our third party contract research organizations, contract manufacturing organizations, clinical sites, or contractors, among others, who we rely on fail to fully perform; that we face substantial competition, which may result in others developing or commercializing products before or more successfully than we do which could result in reduced market share or market potential for our product candidates; that we will be unable to successfully initiate or complete the clinical development and eventual commercialization of our product candidates; that the development and commercialization of our product candidates will take longer or cost more than planned, including as a result of conducting additional studies; that we may not have sufficient cash to fund our contemplated operations; that we may not attract and retain high quality personnel; that we or Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. will fail to fully perform under the avutometinib license agreement; that our target market for our product candidates might be smaller than we are presently estimating; that Secura Bio, Inc. will fail to fully perform under the asset purchase agreement with Secura Bio, Inc., including in relation to milestone payments; that we will not see a return on investment on the payments we have and may continue to make pursuant to the collaboration and option agreement with GenFleet or that GenFleet will fail to fully perform under the agreement; that we may be unable to obtain adequate financing in the future through product licensing, co-promotional arrangements, public or private equity, debt financing or otherwise; that we will not pursue or submit regulatory filings for our product candidates; and that our product candidates will not receive regulatory approval, become commercially successful products, or result in new treatment options being offered to patients. Other risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 14, 2024 and in any subsequent filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Verastem Oncology’s views as of the date hereof, and the Company does not assume and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Verastem Oncology Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands) (unaudited) December 31, 2023 December 31, 2022 Cash, cash equivalents, & investments $ 137,129 $ 87,894 Accounts receivable, net — 31 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 6,553 4,945 Property and equipment, net 37 92 Right-of-use asset, net 1,171 1,789 Restricted cash and other assets 4,828 299 Total assets $ 149,718 $ 95,050 Current Liabilities $ 26,380 $ 21,663 Long term debt 40,086 24,526 Lease liability, long-term 530 1,470 Preferred stock tranche liability 4,189 — Convertible preferred stock 21,159 — Stockholders’ equity 57,374 47,391 Total liabilities, convertible preferred stock and stockholders’ equity $ 149,718 $ 95,050 Verastem Oncology Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three months ended December 31, Year ended December 31, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Revenue: Sale of COPIKTRA license and related assets revenue $ — $ — $ — $ 2,596 Total revenue — — — 2,596 Operating expenses: Research and development 22,502 10,740 61,356 50,558 Selling, general and administrative 8,637 6,106 30,728 24,975 Total operating expenses 31,139 16,846 92,084 75,533 Loss from operations (31,139) (16,846) (92,084) (72,937) Other income (expense) (49) (7) (109) 47 Interest income 1,869 769 6,214 1,215 Interest expense (1,120) (724) (4,139) (2,137) Change in fair value of preferred stock tranche liability 3,071 — 2,751 — Net loss $ (27,368) $ (16,808) $ (87,367) $ (73,812) Net loss per share—basic and diluted $ (1.02) $ (0.99)(1) $ (3.96)(1) $ (4.57)(1) Weighted average common shares outstanding used in computing: Net loss per share – basic and diluted 26,808 17,042(1) 22,054(1) 16,138(1) (1) Amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the 1-for-12 reverse stock split effected on May 31, 2023 Verastem Oncology Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Information (in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Three months ended December 31, Year ended December 31, 2023 2022 2023 2022 Net loss reconciliation Net loss (GAAP basis) $ (27,368) $ (16,808) $ (87,367) $ (73,812) Adjust: Stock-based compensation expense 1,598 1,287 5,860 6,047 Non-cash interest, net (837) (3) (1,132) 228 Change in fair value of preferred stock tranche liability (3,071) — (2,751) — Severance and other 113 109 199 109 Adjusted net loss (non-GAAP basis) $ (29,565) $ (15,415) $ (85,191) $ (67,428) Reconciliation of net loss per share Net loss per share – diluted (GAAP Basis) $ (1.02) $ (0.99)(1) $ (3.96)(1) $ (4.57)(1) Adjust per diluted share: Stock-based compensation expense 0.06 0.09(1) 0.26(1) 0.38(1) Non-cash interest, net (0.03) —(1) (0.05)(1) 0.01(1) Change in fair value of preferred stock tranche liability (0.11) — (0.12)(1) — Severance and other — — 0.01(1) 0.01(1) Adjusted net loss per share – diluted (non-GAAP basis) $ (1.10) $ (0.90)(1) $ (3.86)(1) $ (4.18)(1) Weighted average common shares outstanding used in computing net loss per share—diluted 26,808 17,042(1) 22,054(1) 16,138(1) (1) Amounts have been retroactively restated to reflect the 1-for-12 reverse stock split effected on May 31, 2023

LOS ANGELES--( BUSINESS WIRE )--Researchers with City of Hope ® , one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, will present new findings at the AACR Annual Meeting, which will take place April 5 to 10 in San Diego. This year, City of Hope doctors and scientists will also present data during AACR’s Press Program and a clinical trials plenary session: Monday, April 8, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. Research by Ajay Goel, Ph.D., M.S. , City of Hope professor and chair, Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Experimental Therapeutics, and Caiming Xu, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in Goel’s lab, will be presented at an AACR press conference. The abstract is titled “ An exosome-based liquid biopsy for non-invasive, early detection of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A multicenter and prospective study .” Sunday, April 7, 2024, at 1 to 3 p.m. Sumanta Kumar Pal, M.D. , City of Hope chair, kidney and bladder cancer disease team, will present on “ CTX130 allogeneic CRISPR-Cas9-engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in patients with advanced clear cell renal cell carcinoma: Long-term follow-up and translational data from the Phase 1 COBALT-RCC study ” during a clinical trials plenary session called, Beyond Immune Checkpoint Inhibition: Novel Immunotherapy Strategies . Additional data presentations include: “Multi-omics characterization of molecular features and global-local genomic ancestry analysis of colorectal cancer in Hispanic-Latinos” Minisymposium session 3932: Monday, April 8, 2024, 3:35 to 3:50 p.m. To investigate why Hispanic/Latino colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in Los Angeles face mortality rates up to 20% higher than their Caucasian counterparts, City of Hope’s Enrique Velazquez Villarreal, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S. , City of Hope assistant professor, Department of Integrative Translational Sciences, and John D. Carpten, Ph.D. , City of Hope's chief scientific officer, Irell & Manella Cancer Center Director's Distinguished Chair and Morgan & Helen Chu Director's Chair of the Beckman Research Institute, along with a team of researchers, searched for mutations in CRC tumors by utilizing molecular profiling technologies. Results yielded important insights into the molecular characterization of CRC tumors and the multifaceted clinical and genomic heterogeneity within Hispanic/Latino populations, as well as crucial information on CRC tumor heterogeneity and the tumor microenvironment. “Microbiome modification impacts PSCA directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy for prostate cancer” Poster presentation 6676/7: Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. John Murad, Ph.D., a staff scientist in the laboratory of Saul J. Priceman, Ph.D. , City of Hope associate professor, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, and colleagues developed methods to evaluate the impact of microbiome manipulation in the team’s established syngeneic PSCA+ prostate cancer mouse model. They found that the model was sensitive to microbiome modulation and that the use of patient-derived human fecal matter transfers can significantly impact PSCA-CAR T cell directed anti-tumor responses. Late-Breaking Presentation Wednesday, April 10, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Stephen Gruber, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. , vice president, City of Hope National Medical Center, Evan and Ming Hsieh Family Director’s Chair of the Center for Precision Medicine and medical oncologist, will report on findings from an international team of researchers’ work investigating “ Artificial intelligence measures of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes predict colorectal cancer-specific and overall survival .” His presentation is titled “Late-Breaking Research: Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Systems Biology, and Convergent Science 3.” Symposiums and Educational Sessions Marcel van den Brink, M.D., Ph.D. , president of City of Hope Los Angeles and City of Hope National Medical Center, and Deana and Steve Campbell Chief Physician Executive Distinguished Chair, will lead a major symposium as chair of The Microbiome and Treatment Response to Cancer Therapy , to be held on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. He will also present on “ The role of the intestinal microbiome in cancer immunotherapy ,” discussing clinical and preclinical studies that demonstrate how changes in the gut microbiome can affect outcomes after hematopoietic cell transplantation and CAR T cell therapy. John D. Carpten, Ph.D. , will chair and serve as a featured speaker for the presentation “ Molecular Profiling in Breast Cancer and Racial/Ethnic Minorities: Dedicated to the Memory of Edith P. Mitchell .” Michael Caligiuri, M.D. , City of Hope professor, Division of Leukemia, Department of Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, is the chair for an educational session on Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 12:30 to 2 p.m. titled, The Road to Entrepreneurship . Industry experts will discuss how to get started, review criteria and find investors. Michael Caligiuri, M.D. , will also chair the inaugural AACR event called From Cancer Discoveries to Patients on April 4 and 5. The event brings together leaders in clinical research, biotech and the investment community as part of AACR’s commitment to expediting the advancement of lifesaving cancer discoveries. About City of Hope City of Hope's mission is to make hope a reality for all touched by cancer and diabetes. Founded in 1913, City of Hope has grown into one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the U.S. and one of the leading research centers for diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses. City of Hope research has been the basis for numerous breakthrough cancer medicines , as well as human synthetic insulin and monoclonal antibodies. With an independent, National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center at its core, City of Hope brings a uniquely integrated model to patients spanning cancer care, research and development, academics and training, and innovation initiatives. City of Hope’s growing national system includes its Los Angeles campus, a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, California, and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. City of Hope’s affiliated group of organizations includes Translational Genomics Research Institute and AccessHope™ . For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook , X , YouTube , Instagram and LinkedIn .