Actuate to Present Initial Elraglusib and FOLFIRINOX Data at AACR Pancreatic Cancer Conference

Actuate Therapeutics, Inc. disclosed promising data from a Phase 2 clinical trial investigating the combination of FOLFIRINOX, elraglusib, and losartan in patients with untreated metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The announcement was made at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Special Conference on Advances in Pancreatic Cancer Research held in Boston, Massachusetts from September 15-18, 2024. Actuate, a biopharmaceutical company focused on difficult-to-treat cancers, sees potential in elraglusib for overcoming chemoresistance linked to FOLFIRINOX by downregulating epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Daniel Schmitt, President and CEO of Actuate, expressed optimism about the initial findings, highlighting the ability of elraglusib to enhance the effectiveness of combination therapy by addressing critical resistance mechanisms in pancreatic cancer. The Phase 2 trial, identified as NCT05077800, is designed as an open-label, multi-arm, non-comparator study. Its primary goals are to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and progression-free survival of the drug combination in up to 70 treatment-naïve metastatic PDAC patients.

The trial is supported by the Lustgarten Foundation via a research grant, with Actuate Therapeutics providing the study drug, elraglusib. Massachusetts General Hospital's Dr. Colin Weekes, Principal Investigator of the study, emphasized the encouraging safety profile and initial clinical activity observed, suggesting that the combination could offer a novel and effective therapeutic strategy for PDAC patients.

Presented by Dr. Priyadarshini Pathak, the research abstract titled "FOLFIRINOX with Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Beta (GSK-3β) Inhibitor Elraglusib and Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGFβ) Inhibitor Losartan in Untreated Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC): Interim analysis of safety cohort," was discussed during the AACR session on September 17. The detailed findings are available online, and the poster presentation is accessible on Actuate’s website post-conference.

Actuate Therapeutics, based in Chicago and Fort Worth, specializes in developing treatments for high-impact, difficult-to-treat cancers by inhibiting GSK-3β. Their lead drug, elraglusib, targets molecular pathways that contribute to tumor growth and resistance to conventional cancer therapies. Elraglusib is designed to mediate anti-tumor immunity through NF-kB inhibition and regulation of multiple immune checkpoints and immune cell functions.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a key collaborator in this study, is renowned for its extensive research efforts. Founded in 1811, MGH is the original teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and houses the largest hospital-based research program in the U.S., with annual research operations exceeding $1 billion. The institution supports over 9,500 researchers across more than 30 institutes, centers, and departments and is a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system.

This significant study underscores the potential of the combination therapy involving FOLFIRINOX, elraglusib, and losartan to address unmet needs in pancreatic cancer treatment, offering new hope for patients with metastatic PDAC.