Cordycepin

NuCana said Thursday that a pre-planned initial analysis of the Phase II NuTide:323 trial revealed that NUC-3373 is unlikely to meet the primary endpoint of superior progression-free survival (PFS) versus a standard-of-care drug cocktail, prompting the company to shut down the study.NUC-3373 is a derivative of the nucleoside analogue 5-fluorouracil, a commonly used chemotherapy agent. NuCana was testing its candidate in combination with leucovorin, irinotecan and Avastin (bevacizumab). The experimental regimen was being compared against a standard treatment that combines those same three drugs with5-fluorouracil. According to NuCana, there were "prognostic imbalances favouring the control arm," though the company didn't elaborate on the specific imbalances. "We gained valuable knowledge from the NuTide:323 study which will inform our ongoing development programmes," CEO Hugh Griffith said. "These results highlight the challenges associated with developing new medicines for patients with complex and heterogeneous cancers such as metastatic colorectal cancer." The firm is also testing NUC-3373 in the Phase I/II NuTide:303 trial, which is exploring a combination of the candidate with either Merck & Co.'s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) or the chemotherapy docetaxel in patients with lung cancer.NuCana's pipeline also includes NUC-7738, a derivative of cordycepin designed to have long-lasting cytotoxic activity. At the annual European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) meeting next month, the company plans to share data from the Phase II NuTide:701 study of the asset in combination with Keytruda in patients with melanoma.