Noxopharm Ltd (ASX:NOX, OTC:NOXOF) has welcomed preliminary data of its oncology drug candidate Veyonda®, currently in trial in combination with Bristol Myers Squibb’s immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) Opdivo® (nivolumab) for the treatment of cancer.
Initial results from the first phase of the IONIC investigator-initiated pilot trial show promising tumour responses, with no safety signals evident to date.
Eleven patients with advanced tumour types including lung, prostate, gastric, pancreatic, nasopharyngeal and metastatic squamous carcinoma have received at least two cycles of the combination treatment, with two completing eight cycles and two remaining on study.
Fighting cancer
The aim of the study is to increase the activity of nivolumab by using Veyonda to overcome tumour resistance to ICI therapy.
Up to 30 patients across six sites in the Sydney area and regional New South Wales will participate in the study, which involves an initial dose escalation phase followed by dose expansion.
The trial is being led by principal investigator Professor Paul de Souza, a consultant medical oncologist, a Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney based at the Nepean Cancer Centre, a conjoint Professor in the Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, and a former Foundation Professor of Medical Oncology at Western Sydney University.
Abstract published
An abstract of the data has been published online for the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting taking place in Chicago from 2-6 June.
ASCO is the world's leading professional organisation for physicians and oncology professionals caring for people with cancer, and its annual meeting is the world’s largest gathering of oncology physicians, industry representatives, researchers, patient advocates and investment analysts.
Click here for the abstract of the study.
Pioneering life-changing therapies
Noxopharm is developing novel treatments for cancer and inflammation, including a pioneering technology to enhance mRNA vaccines.
The biotech company uses specialist in-house capabilities and strategic partnerships with leading researchers to build a growing pipeline of new proprietary drugs based on two technology platforms, Chroma™ for oncology and Sofra™ for inflammation, autoimmunity, and mRNA vaccine enhancement.
Noxopharm also has a major shareholding in US biotech company Nyrada (ASX:NYR) Inc, which focuses on drug development for cardiovascular and neurological diseases.