Biotech Firms Advancing Treatments for Rising Pancreatic Cancer

Recent investigations into public health records for 3.8 million patients with invasive cancers have revealed a concerning trend among Generation X. This demographic appears to be facing higher per-capita increases in the incidence of several major cancers, including the particularly lethal pancreatic cancer, compared to baby boomers. These findings, derived from a study by the National Cancer Institute's Division of Epidemiology and Genetics, were published in JAMA Network Open. The data indicate increases in pancreatic, thyroid, kidney, rectal, uterine, colon, and ovarian cancers, as well as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and leukemia among Gen X women.

Pancreatic cancer is notably worrisome due to its low five-year survival rate, typically late diagnosis, and aggressive nature. To improve patient outcomes, several biotech companies are developing innovative treatments, including Oncolytics Biotech Inc., Verastem, Inc., Candel Therapeutics, Inc., FibroGen, Inc., and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

At the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, Oncolytics Biotech Inc. presented two abstracts focused on their novel immunotherapy, pelareorep. One abstract outlined a trial-in-progress for cohort 5 of the GOBLET study, which will investigate the effectiveness of combining pelareorep and modified FOLFIRINOX (mFOLFIRINOX), both with and without atezolizumab, in newly diagnosed patients with metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This cohort is supported by a US$5 million Therapeutic Accelerator Award grant from the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN), and enrollment is expected to begin this quarter.

Dr. Matt Coffey, President and CEO of Oncolytics, noted that the new GOBLET PDAC cohort could significantly enhance their pancreatic cancer program. The trial will use a Simon two-stage design, initially enrolling 15 patients per treatment arm, with the primary goals of assessing treatment efficacy, safety, progression-free survival, overall survival, and biomarkers. If successful, the study will proceed to a second stage, enrolling 17 additional patients per arm.

Verastem, Inc. also presented promising interim results from their ongoing Phase 1/2 trial evaluating avutometinib plus defactinib in combination with standard first-line chemotherapy for metastatic pancreatic cancer. Supported by PanCAN's Therapeutic Accelerator Award, the trial reported an 83% overall response rate among patients receiving the combination therapy, with only one case of dose-limiting toxicity.

Dr. Anna Berkenblit of PanCAN emphasized the urgent need for new treatments for pancreatic cancer, expressing hope that Verastem's study will lead to improved patient outcomes. Verastem's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Hayslip, highlighted the importance of targeting the RAS/MAPK pathway, given the high prevalence of KRAS mutations in pancreatic tumors.

Additionally, Candel Therapeutics, Inc. reported encouraging results from their phase 2 trial of CAN-2409, which targets borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. Patients treated with CAN-2409 had a median overall survival of 28.8 months, significantly higher than the 12.5 months observed in the control group. The treatment was generally well tolerated, without significant additional toxicity.

Furthermore, a collaboration between FibroGen, Inc. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. aims to evaluate FG-3165 as a monotherapy and in combination with LIBTAYO for treating select solid tumors. This partnership will see Regeneron providing drug supply, while FibroGen sponsors the clinical trials. FibroGen's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Deyaa Adib, expressed optimism about the potential synergistic effects of the treatments.

FibroGen's recent financial results announcement included several upcoming milestones, such as the release of topline data from the PanCAN Precision Promise Phase 2/3 study of pamrevlumab in metastatic pancreatic cancer by mid-2024, and the LAPIS Phase 3 study in locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer by Q3 2024.

As research and development in pancreatic cancer treatments continue to advance, these collaborative efforts and innovative therapies offer new hope for improving patient survival and quality of life.