Soquelitinib

Trial for this rare genetic disease to be conducted by NIH/NIAID in partnership with Corvus ITK inhibition intended to address dysregulation of T cells that causes ALPS and has been shown to be effective at treating the disease in preclinical models March 12, 2025 -- Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRVS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has initiated a Phase 2 clinical trial of soquelitinib for the treatment of patients with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS), a rare genetic disease. The lead investigator of the trial is V. Koneti Rao, MD, FRCPA, Senior Research Physician, Primary Immune Deficiency Clinic (ALPS Clinic) at NIH Clinical Center. Dr. Rao previously presented preclinical data supporting the potential of soquelitinib in patients with ALPS. Other trial sites include Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Center. “Developing safe and effective targeted treatments to address ALPS and related disorders is a priority at the NIAID since this condition was first discovered in NIAID in the early 1990s,” said Dr. Rao. “ALPS typically begins to manifest by age two and most patients live into adulthood with burdensome symptoms often related to refractory autoimmune cytopenias (low blood counts). This requires ongoing surveillance and the risk for potentially fatal conditions such as infection, hemorrhage and malignant lymphoma. We look forward to investigating the potential of ITK inhibition with soquelitinib to improve immune system balance and reduce the buildup of dysfunctional T cells in lymph nodes and spleens and autoantibodies that drive the disease.” ALPS is most often caused by a mutation in the gene for the Fas protein, which spans the cell membrane and helps facilitate apoptosis, or programmed cell death. When this protein is missing or defective, T cells can build up and disrupt the immune system, leading to potentially debilitating symptoms and an increased risk for developing serious health conditions, including autoimmune diseases and lymphoma. There currently is no cure for ALPS and the disorder is managed by a variety of empirical methods aimed at addressing pathological changes caused by the disease, such low blood-cell counts (cytopenias), excessive lymphocyte production (lymphoproliferation), enlarged spleen or lymph nodes, and lymphoma. Treatments may include corticosteroids such as prednisone and other immunosuppressive medications to modulate the immune system, or cancer therapies to address lymphoma. “We are excited to expand the potential of ITK inhibition to address people with ALPS, which is a serious genetic disease that begins in childhood and gets worse due to progression during young adulthood and lacks good treatment options,” said Richard A. Miller, M.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Corvus. “There is compelling preclinical evidence that soquelitinib may address the immune dysregulation in T cells that is a hallmark of the disease. It also bridges the biology of T cell lymphomas and autoimmunity, highlighting the role that ITK inhibition may play in restoring immune balance in lymphoma and immune disease. This adds to our conviction for the potential of soquelitinib as we continue to enroll patients in our registrational Phase 3 trial in PTCL and Phase 1 trial in atopic dermatitis.” The Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT06730126) is designed to enroll up to 30 patients aged 16 or older with confirmed ALPS-FAS based on genetic testing. Two dosing cohorts will be studied. The patients will receive soquelitinib doses of 200 mg or 400 mg twice per day for a period of up to 360 days. The primary endpoint of the trial is efficacy determined by reductions in splenomegaly and lymph node volumes as measured by computed tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Improvements in cytopenias will be assessed by complete blood count (CBC). Cytopenias are caused by autoantibodies as well as splenic sequestration that may lead to destruction of red blood cells, platelets and/or neutrophils leading to anemia, thrombocytopenia or neutropenia. Improvements in cytopenias can improve quality of life and overall health, and they also serve as a valuable biomarker associated with ALPS disease activity. Secondary endpoints include safety and tolerability. This is the third indication under clinical development for soquelitinib, which is also in a registrational Phase 3 trial for peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) and a Phase 1 trial for atopic dermatitis (AD). Corvus also plans to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of soquelitinib in patients with solid tumors in the second quarter 2025. ALPS is a rare genetic disease inherited as a germline autosomal dominant pattern or due to somatic mosaicism affecting children that manifests with lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, cytopenias (low blood counts) and autoimmunity. The disease is caused by a mutation in the Fas gene, which provides instructions for making a signaling protein involved in the induction of apoptosis to get rid of redundant lymphocytes. The mutation results in immune dysregulation due to accumulation abnormally high levels of “double negative” T cells (CD4 and CD8 double negative), which infiltrate the blood, spleen and lymphoid tissues. Fas signaling is regulated by ITK and T cell receptor signaling and patients with ALPS have an imbalance in this regulation resulting in a failure of T cells to undergo apoptosis and an accumulation of abnormal T cells. Soquelitinib (formerly CPI-818) is an investigational small molecule drug given orally designed to selectively inhibit ITK (interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase), an enzyme that is expressed predominantly in T cells and plays a role in T cell and natural killer (NK) cell immune function. Soquelitinib has been shown to affect T cell differentiation and induce the generation of Th1 helper cells while blocking the development of both Th2 and Th17 cells and production of their secreted cytokines. Th1 T cells are required for immunity to tumors, viral infections and other infectious diseases. Th2 and Th17 helper T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune and allergic diseases. The Company believes the inhibition of specific molecular targets in T cells may be of therapeutic benefit for patients with cancers, including solid tumors, and in patients with autoimmune and allergic diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated that ITK controls a switch between the differentiation of Th17 proinflammatory cells and T regulatory suppressor cells. Inhibition of ITK leads to a shift toward T regulatory cell differentiation which has the potential to suppress autoimmune and inflammatory reactions. Based on interim results from a Phase 1/1b clinical trial in patients with refractory T cell lymphomas, which demonstrated tumor responses in very advanced, refractory, difficult to treat T cell malignancies, the Company has initiated a registrational Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT06561048) of soquelitinib in patients with relapsed PTCL. Soquelitinib is also being investigated in a randomized placebo-controlled phase 1 clinical trial in patients with atopic dermatitis. A recent publication describing the chemistry, enzymology and biology of soquelitinib appeared in npj Drug Discovery in December 2024 and is available online at the Nature website and on the Publications and Presentations page of the Corvus website. Corvus Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of ITK inhibition as a new approach to immunotherapy for a broad range of cancer and immune diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate is soquelitinib, an investigational, oral, small molecule drug that selectively inhibits ITK. Its other clinical-stage candidates are being developed for a variety of cancer indications. The content above comes from the network. if any infringement, please contact us to modify.

Jan. 13, 2025 -- Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: CRVS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced new interim data from the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating soquelitinib in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. The data, which include previously reported results from cohort 1 of the trial and new data covering 10 patients with 28-day follow-up from cohort 2 of the trial, demonstrated a favorable safety profile and efficacy profile. This includes significant responses in the soquelitinib treatment groups compared to placebo for clinically significant endpoints of IGA (Investigator Global Assessment) 0 or 1 and EASI (Eczema Area and Severity Index) 75. “As we increase the number of patients, we remain excited by the outlook for our Phase 1 clinical trial of soquelitinib for the treatment of atopic dermatitis,” said Richard A. Miller, M.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Corvus. “These additional data from cohort 2 evaluating a 200 mg once a day dose appear better than the initial results from cohort 1 reported in December. Using rigorous efficacy endpoints of IGA 0 or 1 and EASI 75, we see clinically meaningful activity of soquelitinib in both cohorts compared to the placebo group, which had no patients achieve these endpoints after four weeks of treatment. We focus on these endpoints because they have been accepted as measurements of clinical benefit and have been used as the basis for regulatory approval for several approved treatments for atopic dermatitis.” Dr. Miller added, “Based on the results to-date, we believe soquelitinib will be attractive to physicians and patients due to its convenient oral administration, safety and novel mechanism of action. It also is well positioned as a potential new treatment option for a broad range of immune disease indications based on its ability to modulate and control parallel signaling pathways in the immune system. We look forward to completing enrollment in the atopic dermatitis trial and reporting full results in the second quarter 2025 while also continuing to advance our Phase 3 registration trial in relapsed peripheral T cell lymphoma and other clinical programs.” The Company is reporting results from 16 patients in Cohort 1 (12 patients in the soquelitinib group receiving 100 mg orally twice per day vs. four receiving placebo) and 10 patients in Cohort 2 (seven patients in the soquelitinib group receiving 200 mg orally once per day vs. three receiving placebo) for which 28 days of treatment have been completed. For those 19 patients in the soquelitinib group, 26% achieved IGA 0 or 1 and 37% achieved EASI 75; and of the seven in the placebo group, none achieved IGA 0 or 1 or EASI 75 (see Figure 1 below). IGA 0 or 1 and EASI 75 have been determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be clinically meaningful and approvable endpoints and have been the endpoints used in clinical trials for other FDA approved treatments for atopic dermatitis. No significant safety issues were observed and no clinically significant laboratory abnormalities were seen. All 10 patients from Cohort 2 completed 28 days of dosing at the full dose of 200 mg orally once per day; the remaining patients from Cohort 2 are at various stages of treatment. Cohort 2 of the trial is fully enrolled (N=16) and the Company plans to report full results from all four study cohorts in the second quarter 2025. Figure 1: Percent Patients Achieving Endpoints IGA 0 or 1, EASI 75 at Day 28 of Treatment The placebo patients from Cohort 1 (n=4) and Cohort 2 (n=3) are combined. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 clinical trial is planned to enroll 64 patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis that previously failed one prior topical or systemic therapy. Patients are enrolled into one of four dosing cohorts in a 3:1 ratio (12 active and four placebo) to receive either soquelitinib or placebo. The cohorts are sequentially enrolled and will examine 100 mg orally twice per day, 200 mg orally once per day, 200 mg orally twice per day and 400 mg orally once per day. Patients are treated for 28 days and are then followed for an additional 30 days with no therapy. These doses were selected based on the Company’s prior experience evaluating soquelitinib in T cell lymphoma patients. The doses in the atopic dermatitis trial studied in Cohorts 1 and 2 are lower than the 200 mg orally twice a day dosing regimen, which is the level that has been shown to provide complete ITK occupancy and that is being evaluated in the Company’s ongoing registrational Phase 3 clinical trial of soquelitinib in peripheral T cell lymphoma. The primary endpoints include safety and tolerability. Efficacy, measured by improvement in EASI score and IGA, are secondary endpoints. Reduction in itch and various cytokine biomarkers are exploratory endpoints. EASI scores are also evaluated by the percent of patients that achieve a specified percent reduction in EASI score – EASI 50 for patients that achieved a 50% reduction; EASI 75 for a 75% reduction; and EASI 90 for a 90% reduction. Corvus and a data monitoring committee monitor the data from the trial as the trial progresses. Dr. Miller will present a corporate overview including the new data from Cohort 2 of the soquelitinib Phase 1 clinical trial at the 43rd Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Wednesday, January 15 at 2:15 pm ET / 11:15 am PT. An audio webcast of the presentation will be available live and for 30 days following the event. The webcast may be accessed via the investor relations section of the Corvus website. Atopic dermatitis, also called eczema, is a chronic disease that can cause inflammation, redness, scaly patches, blisters and irritation of the skin. It affects up to 20% of children and up to 10% of adults, and treatments include topical therapies, oral therapies and systemic injectable biologic therapies. It is frequently associated with other allergic disorders such as food allergies and asthma. Atopic dermatitis, like asthma and allergy, involves the participation of Th2 lymphocytes which secrete cytokines that result in inflammation. Soquelitinib has been shown in preclinical studies to inhibit cytokine production from Th2 lymphocytes. Soquelitinib (formerly CPI-818) is an investigational small molecule drug given orally designed to selectively inhibit ITK (interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase), an enzyme that is expressed predominantly in T cells and plays a role in T cell and natural killer (NK) cell immune function. Soquelitinib has been shown to affect T cell differentiation and induce the generation of Th1 helper cells while blocking the development of both Th2 and Th17 cells and production of their secreted cytokines. Th1 T cells are required for immunity to tumors, viral infections and other infectious diseases. Th2 and Th17 helper T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune and allergic diseases. The Company believes the inhibition of specific molecular targets in T cells may be of therapeutic benefit for patients with cancers, including solid tumors, and in patients with autoimmune and allergic diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated that ITK controls a switch between the differentiation of Th17 proinflammatory cells and T regulatory suppressor cells. Inhibition of ITK leads to a shift toward T regulatory cell differentiation which has the potential to suppress autoimmune and inflammatory reactions. Based on interim results from a Phase 1/1b clinical trial in patients with refractory T cell lymphomas, which demonstrated tumor responses in very advanced, refractory, difficult to treat T cell malignancies, the Company has initiated a registrational Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT06561048) of soquelitinib in patients with relapsed PTCL. Soquelitinib is also now being investigated in a randomized placebo-controlled phase 1 clinical trial in patients with atopic dermatitis. A recent publication describing the chemistry, enzymology and biology of soquelitinib appeared in npj Drug Discovery in December 2024 and is available online at the Nature website and on the Publications and Presentations page of the Corvus website. Corvus Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of ITK inhibition as a new approach to immunotherapy for a broad range of cancer and immune diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate is soquelitinib, an investigational, oral, small molecule drug that selectively inhibits ITK. Its other clinical-stage candidates are being developed for a variety of cancer indications. For more information, visit www.corvuspharma.com. The content above comes from the network. if any infringement, please contact us to modify.