Korean companies to showcase clinical data at ASCO 2020

ASCO to hold first virtual annual meeting from May 29 to June 2

Abstract data published on May 13, a number of Korean companies’ study selected

A view of ASCO 2019 from last year in Chicago

The American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO) 2020 is coming up in a couple of weeks.

 

The 56th ASCO is one of the biggest pharmaceutical and bio industry events along with JP Morgan Healthcare Conference.

 

Every year, about 40,000 pharmaceutical and bio industry and academic representatives are invited to the conference in Chicago from 76 countries around the world to see the up and coming research trends and technologies.

 

For five days from May 29 to June 2 local time, thousands of new anticancer treatment clinical results are scheduled to be presented, virtually.

 

Affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizer of the event has announced the event would be held online.

 

On May 3, the organization official stated, “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all events of ASCO 2020 would be conducted virtually in late May.

 

Putting the safety of oncology researchers and their patients first, the online presentations would be provided according to the announced schedule.” Korean pharmaceutical companies like Yuhan, GC Pharma, Genexin Hanmi Pharmaceutical and Alteogen are planning to unveil data from their novel anticancer treatment in development at ASCO 2020 Virtual Scientific Program.

 

At 5 p.m.

 

local time on May 13, ASCO would publish their selection of research abstracts its website.

 

In the poster presentation session, Yuhan is presenting three sets of clinical data related to a next-generation lung cancer treatment Lazertinib (YH25448).

 

The data is collected from a follow-up study on the phase 1/2 study conducted in Korea, which was presented during the poster session in ASCO 2019.

 

Three Korean healthcare provider participants—Professor Kim Sang-we (Seoul Asan Medical Center), Professor Han Ji-youn (National Cancer Center Korea) and Professor Lee Ki Hyeong (Chungbuk National University Hospital)—are to respectively provide detailed analysis and key findings in efficacy and safety of Lazertinib 240 mg in patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790 mutation; Lazertinib’s antitumor effect on patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and brain metastases; and Lazertinib’s impact on circulating tumor DNA (ct DNA) in the bloodstream.

 

Yuhan’s third generation EFGR-targeted therapy Lazertinib has been licensed out to Janssen Biotech in 2018.

 

The novel anticancer treatment has been evaluated as a promising first-line treatment in patients with EGFR-mutation positive NSCLC and as a second-line option for EGFR T790-mutated patients with NSCLC.

 

Yuhan has signed the joint development deal potentially worth USD 1.25 billion with Janssen Bitotech for all exclusive rights around the world, except in Korea.

 

The Korean company has received upfront payment of 50 million dollars (approximately 56 billion won) and another 35 million dollars recently as the targeted therapy was a part of an initiated combination therapy clinical study with Janssen’s investigational anticancer treatment 'JNJ-372.' As a poster, GC Pharma is to present phase 1b/2a study outcome on its investigational drug ‘GC1118’ in joint development with Mogam Institute for Biomedical Research.

 

The interim report analyzes outcome of combining GC1118 and other chemotherapies including irinotecan and FOLFIRI for treating patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

 

The company is coming back to ASCO meeting in four years since 2016 to present the newest findings in the drug.

 

GC1118 is a novel monoclonal antibody targeting overexpressed EGFR.

 

By binding with EGFR that triggers proliferation of tumor cell and metastasis, the targeted therapy inhibits proliferating cancer while promoting killing of tumor cells by activating lymphocytes.

 

The Korean company would showcase GC1118’s promising data as a second-line treatment option in EGFR mutation positive patients with metastatic colorectal treatment.

 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical is planning to release various clinical data with a number of license out partners.

 

The company’s U.S.

 

partner Athenex is reportedly preparing for a presentation on phase 2 clinical study on Oraxol, developed based on Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s platform technology, Orascovery.

 

The study has tested the anticancer treatment’s effect and safety in patients with unresectable cutaneous angiosarcoma.

 

In December 2011, Hanmi Pharmaceutical has licensed out novel anticancer medicine candidate Oraxol to the U.S.-based Athenex (then named Kinex).

 

The Korean company combined Orascovery platform technology to turn intravenously injected paclitaxel into an oral form, and enhanced the absorption rate by integrating an oral absorption enhancer, encequidar.

 

The enhancer blocks off p-glycoprotein that inhibits oral absorption of anticancer treatment.

 

With the upcoming ASCO presentation, the U.S.

 

company plans to initiate the commercialization procedure of Oraxol.

 

Last month, Athenex representative reportedly had a pre-NDA meeting with the U.S.

 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials to fine-tune the application submission date.

 

The company plans to expand the market scale in the future by adding more indications in treating metastatic breast cancer, angiosarcoma, gastroesophageal cancer, bladder cancer and NSCLC.

 

Hanmi Pharmaceutical’s another partner, Spectrum Pharmaceutical is anticipated to present a new lung cancer drug Poziotinib, following the presentation at American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting (AACR) 2020.

 

Similar to the prior presentation, the company would talk about the first cohort analysis from phase 2 global clinical study, ZENITH20 conducted on EGFR Exon 20 insertion-mutated patients with NSCLC.

 

Poziotinib is a pan-HER2 anticancer therapy licensed out by Hanmi Pharmaceutical in 2015.

 

The partner company, Spectrum now owns the development and commercialization rights over poziotinib in the global market, except for in Korea and China, and it has been seeking for the drug’s various oncologic uses including the treatment in NSCLC.

 

Late last year, the company has gone through a detrimental experience as its stock price dropped by more than 60 percent after announcing it has failed to meet primary phase 2 trial endpoint.

 

Regardless, the company reaffirmed its determination to press on with the pipeline by recently revising the research model.

 

Other Korean biopharmaceutical companies are getting ready to give presentations at the ASCO 2020.

 

Unveiling positive outcome in DNA vaccine 'GX-188E' at AACR 2020, Genexin is planning to present another set of clinical data in a combination therapy at ASCO 2020.

 

The findings are from phase 1b/2 clinical study testing the hyleukin-7 plus immune checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab) combination therapy in patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

 

Apparently, the TNBC advances faster than other types of breast cancer and shortens patient’s survival period.

 

According to Genexin, the immune checkpoint inhibitor’s treatment rate in relapsed patients was recorded at around 5.2 percent.

 

The company’s poster at ASCO 2020 would list out detailed outcome of enhancing TNBC patient’s treatment rate in different dosage of hyleukin-7 plus pembrolizumab.

 

ASCO 2020 also selected the abstract of a first-in-human clinical study on Alteogen’s breast cancer treating antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) ‘ALT-P7.’ MedPacto is to reveal phase 1 clinical data testing a transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) inhibitor vactosertib plus leukemia treatment Gleevec.

 

NK Max reported it would publish phase 1/2a clinical study results in ‘SNK01,’ used to enhance anti-tumor effect in targeted therapy.