Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

BOSTON, Oct. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HotSpot Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company pioneering the discovery and development of oral, small molecule allosteric therapies targeting regulatory sites on proteins referred to as "natural hotspots," today announced it will present preclinical data from the Company's mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1) CARD11-BCL10-MALT1 (CBM) signalosome glue program highlighting its potential in NF-kB-driven solid tumors in a poster presentation at the 36th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium. MALT1 is a component of the CBM protein complex, which serves as a key regulator of NF-kB signaling in cells, including B and T cells. MALT1 is implicated in a range of hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Leveraging the Company's proprietary Smart AllosteryTM platform, HotSpot has developed a potential first-in-class small molecule signalosome glue designed to selectively inhibit the scaffolding function of MALT1, a dominant driver of the NF-kB pathway, while sparing MALT1's protease function. "Our proprietary Smart Allostery™ platform has enabled the development of a MALT1 signalosome glue designed to selectively inhibit MALT1's scaffolding function, a distinct activity profile that enables deep inhibition of the NF-kB pathway," said Geraldine Harriman, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of HotSpot Therapeutics. "As the NF-kB signaling pathway is a well-characterized oncogenic driver, these preclinical data lend support for HST-1021's potential utility for NF-kB-driven tumors, including as a precision oncology approach for solid tumors mediated by this pathway." The presentation describes preclinical data for HST-1021, HotSpot's MALT1 CBM signalosome glue development candidate: In contrast to MALT1 protease inhibitors, HST-1021 demonstrated robust inhibition of CBM signalosome activity. In an NF-kB-driven nasopharyngeal carcinoma patient-derived xenograft model, HST-1021 demonstrated dose-dependent anti-tumor activity, supporting HST-1021's potential for the treatment of NF-kB-driven solid tumors. About HotSpot Therapeutics, Inc. HotSpot Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that is pioneering a new class of allosteric drugs that target certain naturally occurring pockets on proteins called "natural hotspots." These pockets are decisive in controlling a protein's cellular function and have significant potential for new drug discovery by enabling the systematic design of potent and selective small molecules with novel pharmacology. The Company's proprietary Smart Allostery™ platform combines computational approaches and AI-driven data mining of large and diverse data sets to uncover hotspots with tailored pharmacology toolkits and bespoke chemistry to drive the rapid discovery of novel hotspot-targeted small molecules. Leveraging this approach, HotSpot is building a broad pipeline of novel allosteric therapies for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. To learn more, visit . Investor & Media Contact: Natalie Wildenradt [email protected] SOURCE HotSpot Therapeutics WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

FDA sets a PDUFA target action date of March 20, 2025Resubmission is supported by the final survival analysis of CARES-310 study, presented at ASCO 2024 FORT LEE, N.J., Oct. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elevar Therapeutics, Inc., a majority-owned subsidiary of HLB Co., Ltd., today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the resubmission of a new drug application (NDA) for its investigational drug rivoceranib, an oral VEGF-TKI, in combination with camrelizumab, a PD-1 inhibitor, as a first-line systemic treatment for unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC). The FDA assigned a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of March 20, 2025. “We believe rivoceranib plus camrelizumab has the potential to change the clinical practice in the first-line setting for patients with advanced liver cancer. The results of the pivotal CARES-310 trial demonstrated significant improvements in overall survival, with a very manageable safety profile compared with currently approved uHCC therapies. Elevar is committed to working with the FDA to bring this combination to market for patients and healthcare providers,” commented Chris Galloway, M.D., senior vice president of clinical and medical affairs at Elevar Therapeutics. The resubmission included the final analysis of the Phase 3 CARES-310 study presented during the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting on June 1, which reported median overall survival (mOS) of 23.8 months, the longest mOS for any treatment in a global Phase 3 trial for patients with uHCC, confirming the combination of camrelizumab and rivoceranib continued to show sustained long-term survival as a first-line treatment for patients with uHCC.i With the efficacy results generally consistent across all subgroups, the data suggest the combination has the potential to benefit a global uHCC population. The data also demonstrated consistent efficacy across patients with both viral and non-viral etiologies. About CARES-310 The CARES-310 study, an international, randomized, open-label, Phase 3 trial, with 543 patients with uHCC who had not previously received systemic treatment was the first to demonstrate significant progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) benefits with immunotherapy plus an anti-angiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) over standard TKI as first-line treatment for uHCC. In the primary analysis of PFS (data cut-off [DCO], May 10, 2021) and interim analysis of OS (DCO, Feb. 8, 2022), significant improvements were observed with camrelizumab (C; anti-PD-1 antibody) + rivoceranib (R; VEGFR2-TKI) vs. sorafenib (S). In the final analysis (FA) of the CARES-310 study, after an additional follow-up of ~16 months, median OS was significantly prolonged with C+R vs. S (23.8 mo [95% CI 20.6-27.2] vs. 15.2 mo [95% CI 13.2-18.5]; hazard ratio (HR) 0.64 [95% CI 0.52-0.79]; 1-sided p <0.0001). OS rate with C+R vs. S was 49.0% vs. 32.6% at 24 mo, and 37.7% vs. 24.8% at 36 mo. OS benefits with C+R was generally consistent across subgroups, regardless of geographical region, race, and etiology. Benefits in PFS, objective response rate (ORR) and duration of response (DoR) with C+R vs. S were also sustained after prolonged follow-up. Safety data aligned with the interim OS analysis, with no new signals noted. In the FA, C+R continued to show clinically meaningful survival improvement compared with S, with manageable safety. The extended follow-up further confirmed the favorable benefit-to-risk profile of C+R, supporting it as a new first-line treatment option for uHCC. About Hepatocellular Carcinoma Worldwide each year more than 800,000 people are diagnosed with liver cancerii and the disease is the cause of more than 830,000 deaths.iii Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer and most frequently develops in people with chronic underlying liver inflammation which may be from viral and non-viral causes. HCC typically has a poor prognosis with limited treatment options and continues to be a diagnosis with an ongoing urgent medical need. About Rivoceranib Rivoceranib, a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), is a highly selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs), a primary pathway for tumor angiogenesis. VEGFR inhibition is a clinically validated target to limit tumor growth and disease progression. Rivoceranib is currently being studied as a monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy and immunotherapy in various solid tumor indications. Several clinical studies were completed in patients with uHCC (in combination with camrelizumab), gastric cancer (as a monotherapy and in combination with paclitaxel), adenoid cystic carcinoma (as a monotherapy) and colorectal cancer (in combination with Lonsurf®). Rivoceranib, under the name apatinib (Aitan®), was the first TKI approved in gastric cancer in China (October 2014). It was also approved in China in combination with camrelizumab as a first-line treatment for uHCC (January 2023). The drug has been studied in more than 6,000 patients worldwide and was well tolerated in clinical trials with a comparable safety profile to other TKIs and VEGF inhibitors. Orphan drug designations have been granted for gastric cancer (U.S., EU and South Korea), adenoid cystic carcinoma (U.S.) and uHCC (U.S. and EU). Elevar Therapeutics, Inc. holds the global rights (excluding China) to rivoceranib and has partnered for its development and marketing with HLB-LS in South Korea. Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd., (Hengrui Pharma), is the Chinese -territory license-holder of rivoceranib. About Camrelizumab Camrelizumab (SHR-1210) is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to the programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor. Blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway is a therapeutic strategy showing success in a wide variety of solid and hematological cancers. Camrelizumab is developed by Hengrui Pharma and has been studied in more than 5,000 patients. Currently, 50 clinical trials are underway in a broad range of tumors (including liver cancer, lung cancer, gastric cancer, and breast cancer, etc.) and treatment settings. Camrelizumab, under the brand name AiRuiKa®, is currently approved for eight indications in China, including monotherapy for the treatment of HCC (second-line), in combination with rivoceranib as a treatment for uHCC (first-line), relapsed/refractory classic Hodgkin’s lymphoma (third-line), esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (second-line) and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (third-line or further) and in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (non-squamous and squamous), esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the first-line setting. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted Orphan Drug Designation to camrelizumab for advanced HCC in April 2021 and by the European Medicines Agency in August 2024. In October 2023, Elevar licensed camrelizumab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, for commercialization from Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Hengrui Pharma) worldwide excluding Greater China and Korea. To learn more, visit ElevarTherapeutics.com. Media Contact Jeanette Bressi Head, Corporate Communications, Elevar Therapeutics jbressi@elevartherapeutics.com609-439-3997 Investor Relations Contact Wade Smith Chief Financial & Business Officer, Elevar Therapeutics wsmith@elevartherapeutics.com i CARES-310 study final analysisii Key Statistics About Liver Cancer | American Cancer Societyiii Key Statistics About Liver Cancer | American Cancer Society

SHANGHAI, Oct. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shanghai Junshi Biosciences Co., Ltd (Junshi Biosciences, HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180), a leading innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapies, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, TopAlliance Biosciences Inc. (TopAlliance Biosciences), announce that toripalimab (Indian trade name: ZYTORVI®, Hong Kong trade name: LOQTORZI®) has been approved for marketing in India and China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“SAR”), for treatment of recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (“NPC”). The approved indications are: 1) toripalimab in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine, for first line treatment of adults with metastatic or with recurrent, locally advanced NPC; 2) toripalimab as a single agent, for the treatment of adults with recurrent unresectable or metastatic NPC with disease progression on or after a platinum-containing chemotherapy. Zytorvi® shall be imported and commercialized in India by Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. Dr. Jianjun ZOU, General Manager and CEO of Junshi Biosciences, said, “As of now, toripalimab has been approved for marketing in over 30 countries and regions across three continents worldwide. With its differentiated clinical layout and outstanding clinical performance, it has brought a new treatment that can change the therapeutic landscape to local doctors and patients, which we are very excited about. Moving forward, we will continue to implement the company's international strategy of ‘In China, For Global’ and work with partners to provide more overseas patients with high-quality innovative drugs from China.” NPC is a malignant tumor that occurs in the epithelium of the nasopharynx. According to GLOBOCAN 2022 statistics, the number of newly diagnosed NPC cases in 2022 exceeded 120,000 worldwide. Due to the location of the primary tumor, surgery is rarely an option. Toripalimab is the first and only treatment for NPC approved in India and China’s Hong Kong SAR. The marketing approvals are supported by results from JUPITER-02, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multinational multi-center Phase 3 clinical study (NCT03581786) that examined toripalimab in combination with gemcitabine-cisplatin as the first-line treatment of NPC, as well as results from POLARIS-02, a multi-center, open-label, pivotal Phase 2 clinical study (NCT02915432) that evaluated toripalimab as the second-line or later treatment for recurrent or metastatic NPC. The JUPITER-02 study is the first international multi-center, double-blind, randomized Phase III clinical study in the field of immunotherapy for NPC with the largest sample size, and the world’s first Phase III clinical study with preset statistical verification (Type I error control) for Overall Survival (“OS”) for first-line immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy for NPC compared to chemotherapy alone and demonstrated a survival benefit. The study results were presented in an oral report during the Plenary Session of the 2021 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (#LBA2) and were subsequently featured on the cover of Nature Medicine. The results were also published in full in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The results showed that, compared to chemotherapy alone, toripalimab in combination with chemotherapy reduced the risk of disease progression by 48% and the risk of death by 37%. The median progression-free survival (“PFS”) in the toripalimab plus chemotherapy group was prolonged by 13.2 months compared to chemotherapy alone, from 8.2 months to 21.4 months. In addition, patients treated with this combined therapy achieved a higher objective response rate (ORR), longer duration of response (DoR), and no new safety signal was identified. Long-term survival follow-up data, presented at ASCO 2024, reported a 5-year survival rate of 52.0% in the toripalimab treated arm. The POLARIS-02 results were published online in January 2021 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The results showed that toripalimab demonstrated durable antitumor activity in patients with recurrent or metastatic NPC who failed previous chemotherapy, with an ORR of 20.5%, a DoR of 12.8 months, and a median OS of 17.4 months while maintaining a manageable safety profile. So far, toripalimab has been approved for marketing in over 30 countries and regions, including the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong SAR, the US, European Union, and India. Several marketing applications are currently under regulatory review or submitted for review in UK, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Chile, Jordan, Brazil, Columbia, Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia. About Toripalimab Toripalimab is an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody developed for its ability to block PD-1 interactions with its ligands, PD-L1 and PD-L2, and for enhanced receptor internalization (endocytosis function). Blocking PD-1 interactions with PD-L1 and PD-L2 promotes the immune system’s ability to attack and kill tumor cells. More than forty company-sponsored toripalimab clinical studies covering more than fifteen indications have been conducted globally by Junshi Biosciences, including in China, the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe. Ongoing or completed pivotal clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of toripalimab cover a broad range of tumor types, including cancers of the lung, nasopharynx, esophagus, stomach, bladder, breast, liver, kidney, and skin. In the Chinese mainland, toripalimab was the first domestic anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody approved for marketing (approved in China as TUOYI®). Currently, there are ten approved indications for toripalimab in the Chinese mainland: unresectable or metastatic melanoma after failure of standard systemic therapy;recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (“NPC”) after failure of at least two lines of prior systemic therapy;locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma that failed platinum-containing chemotherapy or progressed within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant platinum-containing chemotherapy;in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine as the first-line treatment for patients with locally recurrent or metastatic NPC;in combination with paclitaxel and cisplatin in first-line treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced/recurrent or distant metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (“ESCC”);in combination with pemetrexed and platinum as the first-line treatment in EGFR mutation-negative and ALK mutation-negative, unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (“NSCLC”);in combination with chemotherapy as perioperative treatment and subsequently with monotherapy as adjuvant therapy for the treatment of adult patients with resectable stage IIIA-IIIB NSCLC;in combination with axitinib for the first-line treatment of patients with medium to high risk unresectable or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC);in combination with etoposide plus platinum for the first-line treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC);in combination with paclitaxel for injection (albumin-bound) for the first-line treatment of recurrent or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The first six indications have been included in the National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) (2023 Edition). Toripalimab is the only anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody included in the NRDL for the treatment of melanoma. In the United States, the US FDA has approved the Biologics License Application for toripalimab in combination with cisplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of adults with metastatic or recurrent locally advanced NPC, and for toripalimab, as a single agent, for the treatment of adults with recurrent, unresectable, or metastatic NPC with disease progression on or after platinum-containing chemotherapy in October 2023. The FDA has granted toripalimab 2 Breakthrough Therapy designations for the treatment of NPC, 1 Fast Track designation for the treatment of mucosal melanoma, and 5 Orphan Drug designations for the treatment of esophageal cancer, NPC, mucosal melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). In Europe, the European Committee approved marketing authorization applications (MAA) for toripalimab 1) combined with cisplatin and gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic NPC and 2) combined with paclitaxel and cisplatin for the first-line treatment of patients with unresectable locally advanced/recurrent or metastatic ESCC in September 2024. The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) accepted the MAA in February 2023. In Australia, the new chemical entity (NCE) application was accepted by the Australia Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in November 2023. The TGA has also granted toripalimab an Orphan Drug designation for the treatment of NPC. In Asia, toripalimab obtained import license from the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India in September 2024, and marketing approval from Pharmacy and Poisons Board of China’s Hong Kong SAR in October 2024, for the treatment of recurrent or metastatic NPC. In Singapore, the new drug application (“NDA”) application was accepted by the Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in January 2024. The HSA has also granted priority review designation for the NDA. About Junshi Biosciences Founded in December 2012, Junshi Biosciences (HKEX: 1877; SSE: 688180) is an innovation-driven biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative therapeutics. The company has established a diversified R&D pipeline comprising over 50 drug candidates, with five therapeutic focus areas covering cancer, autoimmune, metabolic, neurological, and infectious diseases. Four of the company’s innovations have already reached the Chinese or international markets, one of which is toripalimab, China’s first domestically produced and independently developed anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, approved in over 30 countries and regions including China, the US, the European Union, etc. Additionally, more than 30 drugs are currently in clinical development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Junshi Biosciences actively shouldered the social responsibilities of a Chinese pharmaceutical company through its involvement in developing etesevimab, MINDEWEI®, and other novel therapies for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. With a mission of “providing patients with world-class, trustworthy, affordable, and innovative drugs,” Junshi Biosciences is “In China, For Global.” At present, the company boasts approximately 2,500 employees in the United States (San Francisco and Maryland) and China (Shanghai, Suzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou, etc.). For more information, please visit: http://junshipharma.com. Junshi Biosciences Contact InformationIR Team:Junshi Biosciencesinfo@junshipharma.com+ 86 021-6105 8800 PR Team:Junshi BiosciencesZhi Lizhi_li@junshipharma.com+ 86 021-6105 8800