BerGenBio Announces Clinical Collaboration with NCI, UT Health San Antonio, and Sobi

BerGenBio ASA, a biopharmaceutical company in the clinical stage, has announced a new clinical trial agreement with the Mays Cancer Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) and Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (Sobi®). This collaboration aims to investigate the efficacy of BerGenBio's selective AXL inhibitor, bemcentinib, in combination with Sobi's pacritinib, for treating advanced lung adenocarcinoma.

The study is financially supported externally and complements BerGenBio's ongoing Phase 1b/2a clinical trial targeting first-line Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) patients with STK11 gene mutations. Bemcentinib is an innovative, selective, oral inhibitor of the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase, which has shown promise as a therapeutic target for severe diseases. Pacritinib, marketed under the name VONJO®, is a JAK2 inhibitor used to treat myelofibrosis and works by obstructing specific growth factors and cytokines.

This clinical trial will advance the pioneering work of Dr. Josephine A. Taverna, a thoracic oncologist at the Mays Cancer Center and an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Taverna's previous research has demonstrated a cooperative interaction between AXL and JAK-STAT3 pathways in promoting tumor growth and metastasis in advanced lung cancer. The study, conducted in collaboration with Sobi®, will be led by Dr. Taverna as the principal investigator and is funded by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"We are thrilled to partner with two outstanding institutions to bring this exciting research to fruition," said Martin Olin, Chief Executive Officer of BerGenBio. "This study will broaden our understanding of the role of selective AXL inhibition with bemcentinib in lung cancer, our primary strategic focus."

Dr. Taverna added, "Our research indicates that targeting the AXL-STAT3 pathway with bemcentinib and pacritinib can inhibit tumor cells from attracting tumor-associated macrophages and other aggressive host cells into the tumor microenvironment, thereby disrupting tumor growth and metastasis. This insight could lead to innovative therapeutic strategies for lung cancer."

BerGenBio, headquartered in Bergen, Norway, with a subsidiary in Oxford, UK, is dedicated to developing transformative drugs targeting AXL as a cornerstone therapy for aggressive diseases, including cancer and severe respiratory infections. Their lead candidate, bemcentinib, is being developed as a potentially first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor for NSCLC with STK11 mutations and severe respiratory infections. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker BGBIO.

The Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio is one of only four National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Centers in Texas, providing advanced cancer care, fostering innovative research, and educating future leaders to combat cancer in South Texas.

UT Health San Antonio is a leading health science university in the United States and has been designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. It offers programs in medicine, nursing, dentistry, health professions, biomedical sciences, and public health. The university has graduated over 42,550 alumni who contribute to advancements in their fields and offer hope to patients and families in South Texas and globally.