Darolutamide

ORIC Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ORIC) reported Phase Ib dose optimization data for rinzimetostat in combination with darolutamide in post-abiraterone metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), selecting 400 mg once daily as the recommended Phase 3 dose and announcing plans to initiate the Himalayas-1 global Phase III registrational trial in the first half of 2026. At a median follow-up of approximately five months, a five-month landmark rPFS rate of 84% appears numerically favorable relative to historical benchmarks for approved therapies in this setting, though the dataset remains small and cross-trial comparisons are limited. Trial specifics The Phase Ib dose optimization trial enrolled patients with mCRPC who had received prior androgen receptor pathway inhibitor (ARPI) therapy and up to one prior line of chemotherapy. The post-abiraterone cohort included 18 patients treated at 400 mg once daily and 15 at 600 mg once daily, both in combination with darolutamide (Nubeqa) at 600 mg twice daily. In 18 efficacy-evaluable patients at the 400 mg dose, landmark rPFS rates were 93%, 84%, and 84% at 3, 4, and 5 months respectively, with a median follow-up of 4.9 months. Among 15 patients with at least one post-baseline PSA assessment, 47% achieved a PSA50 response, with 33% confirmed. In 14 patients with detectable ctDNA at baseline, 71% achieved greater than 50% ctDNA reduction. For context, ORIC cited 5-month landmark rPFS rates of approximately 60% to 75% for approved therapies including enzalutamide (Xtandi), cabazitaxel (Jevtana), docetaxel (Taxotere), and lutetium-177 vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto) in comparable populations, though these figures derive from separate trials with different patient characteristics. Treatment-related adverse events at the 400 mg dose were predominantly Grade 1. The most common were fatigue (39%), diarrhea (22%), and nausea (22%). A single Grade 3 TRAE was observed; no Grade 4 or 5 events were attributed to either drug. Dose modifications were rare, with one interruption and one discontinuation and no dose reductions required across the cohort. The dose selection followed an exposure-response analysis conducted across more than 100 patients in both single-agent and combination settings, in alignment with the FDA’s Project Optimus initiative. That analysis found comparable efficacy at 400 mg and 600 mg, but identified statistically significant associations between higher drug exposure and increased toxicity and treatment modifications, favoring the lower dose on safety grounds. Rinzimetostat and PRC2 inhibition Rinzimetostat is an allosteric inhibitor of polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) acting through the EED subunit. PRC2 mediates histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), an epigenetic modification associated with transcriptional silencing of differentiation programs. In prostate cancer, PRC2 activity has been implicated in the transition toward AR-indifferent or neuroendocrine phenotypes following ARPI exposure — a resistance mechanism not addressed by sequential AR-directed therapy. Pairing rinzimetostat with darolutamide, an AR antagonist with a distinct binding conformation and low CNS penetration, is designed to simultaneously block AR signaling and suppress epigenetic resistance pathways. The most direct competitive reference point is mevrometostat (PF-06821497), Pfizer’s EZH2-targeting PRC2 inhibitor, which is currently in Phase III in mCRPC in combination with enzalutamide. ORIC has positioned rinzimetostat’s safety profile as a potential differentiator, citing lower rates of Grade 3 or higher events and fewer dose modifications relative to competitor regimens, though cross-trial comparisons are limited by differences in patient populations, prior therapy, and data maturity. An earlier EZH2 inhibitor combination effort in prostate cancer, the CELLO-1 trial evaluating tazemetostat with an ARPI, was terminated, leaving the field without a validated precedent for this mechanism in registrational testing. The post-abiraterone mCRPC population represents a setting with limited oral, biomarker-agnostic options. Approved PARP inhibitors — olaparib, rucaparib, and the combination regimens talazoparib plus enzalutamide and niraparib plus abiraterone — are restricted to patients with homologous recombination repair mutations, estimated at roughly 25%-30% of mCRPC cases. Pluvicto gained a label expansion in early 2025 covering pre-taxane, post-ARSI mCRPC, but requires PSMA-PET imaging, specialized nuclear medicine infrastructure, and intravenous administration. Chemotherapy with docetaxel or cabazitaxel carries a toxicity burden that limits use in patients with compromised performance status. The unselected post-abiraterone population — approximately 17,000 new patients annually in the US by ORIC’s estimate — lacks a well-tolerated oral targeted option with a novel mechanism. The planned Himalayas-1 trial will enroll approximately 600 patients across more than 250 sites in over 20 countries, randomized 1:1 to rinzimetostat 400 mg once daily plus darolutamide versus physician’s choice of an AR inhibitor or chemotherapy. The primary endpoint is rPFS; overall survival is the key secondary endpoint. ORIC also reported early data from 19 patients with mCRPC previously treated with AR inhibitors other than abiraterone, showing 5-month landmark rPFS of 85%, suggesting potential applicability beyond the post-abiraterone cohort, though sample sizes remain too small to draw firm conclusions. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment * Name * Email * Website

Oric plans to start a phase 3 trial in the first half of the year.\n Oric Pharmaceuticals has picked the phase 3 dose for its prostate cancer prospect, barreling into the pivotal program while outlining a claimed edge over Pfizer’s rival candidate. But investors sent the stock down as they digested Oric’s phase 1b data and choice of pivotal treatment regimen.The phase 3 trial, which will start in the first half of the year, will test 400 mg, once-daily doses of Oric’s PRC2 inhibitor rinzimetostat in combination with Bayer’s Nubeqa in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients previously treated with abiraterone. At an interim phase 1b analysis, 33% of patients on the regimen had at least a 50% decline in prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Oric reported a 40% rate of PSA50 across all doses in November. California-based Oric reported an 84% radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) rate after five months. The company said the rPFS results were consistent with Pfizer’s rival EZH2 inhibitor, mevrometostat, and better than standard-of-care therapies, including Novartis’ Pluvicto.On a call with investors to discuss the results, Oric Chief Medical Officer Pratik Multani, M.D., said the biotech chose 400 mg, not 600 mg, for the phase 3 dose after seeing no statistical relationship between exposure and efficacy. The 400 mg dose performed numerically better than the 600 mg dose on some measures, Multani said, and the confidence intervals overlapped.  While the efficacy data suggested the doses are comparable, the safety and tolerability results pointed to a clear advantage for 400 mg. Oric saw more toxicity and dose modifications at the 600-mg dose, leading it to advance the lower dose into phase 3. Citi analysts called the choice of dose “logical” in a note to investors.Safety and tolerability are key to Oric’s plans. Pfizer has taken mevrometostat into phase 3 based on data that suggest it matches rinzimetostat’s efficacy. Lagging behind its rival, Oric sees mevrometostat’s rates of gastrointestinal and hematological adverse events, plus cases of dysgeusia and alopecia, as areas to gain an edge. Oric CEO Jacob Chacko told investors rinzimetostat’s safety profile “looks markedly better.”Another analyst asked about Nubeqa\'s selection as a phase 3 combination drug. Oric also studied its candidate with Johnson & Johnson’s Erleada. Like Nubeqa, Erleada is an androgen re­cep­tor in­hibitor. Chacko said Oric chose Nubeqa to avoid the drug-drug interactions associated with Erleada, adding that the company could combine rinzimetostat with J&J’s product in future phase 3 studies. Oric shares were trading down 24% to $9.60 in the first hour of trading Wednesday, compared to a Tuesday closing price of $12.67. Citi analysts said the stock drop could reflect confusion about the choice of the 400-mg dose or “possibly misguided expectations of greater efficacy” compared to mevrometostat. While Pfizer’s candidate is leading the race, the analysts said the safety data support Oric’s belief that rinzimetostat can claim a substantial share of the post-abiraterone market.