Race Oncology Ltd (ASX:RAC) has launched a new corporate strategy focused on maximising bisantrene’s anti-cancer and cardio-protective potential.
The company’s lead clinical focus will be on investigating anti-cancer, plus cardio-protective and FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated protein) properties in metastatic breast cancer, using the peripherally administered bisantrene formulation, RC220 with a view to improving therapeutic outcomes and heart health for patients with cancer.
Race’s secondary focus will be on pursuing increased anti-cancer / FTO benefits of bisantrene combined with current standard of care therapies in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
Race CEO and managing director Damian Clarke-Bruce said: “Race’s revised development program has been designed in such a way that our new bisantrene formulation can fit straight into a global pharmaceutical partner's pipeline.
“Through our rigorous clinical development plan, Race will investigate bisantrene RC220 in both metastatic breast cancer and continue our clinical experience in AML, while investigating and expanding our knowledge of its mechanism of action.
“We have a clear regulatory pathway and a program that is supported by international key opinion leaders, for a drug candidate which has already been shown to improve patients’ lives.”
Anti-cancer + cardio-protection
Race’s core focus is to impact cancer outcomes and address the challenges of chemotherapeutic cardiotoxicity.
Studies will leverage the unique mechanisms of bisantrene in metastatic breast cancer and AML, both cancer patient populations with a high unmet need, paving the way to a host of future indications.
Discovery
Race’s discovery program is designed to further elucidate both cardio-protective mechanisms of action and the findings by City of Hope that bisantrene is the most potent inhibitor of FTO.
This finding is suggestive of an option to deliver targeted therapy to the right patient, identified with an overexpression of FTO.
New bisantrene program
Activities conducted under this program are designed to strengthen intellectual property for bisantrene and to develop the next generation of bisantrene to improve patient outcomes and experience.
This program will:
- Build upon and leverage the foundations of RC110, bringing RC220 to clinic; and
- develop the next-generation bisantrene to expand treatment indications, strengthen IP and enhance partnering options with potential for increasing the overall lifecycle of bisantrene.
Race is now commercially prepared and positioned to engage in international biopharma dialogues to enable partnership opportunities.
This follows a critical evaluation of the clinically impactful features and benefits of bisantrene, and insights from local and international key opinion leaders and experienced industry agencies.
This has enabled a definitive focus in developing target product profiles to meet high unmet needs and to tailor Race’s proposed clinical development plan to enable recruitment, while providing a positive patient experience and clear regulatory pathways.
Race believes its clinical program enhances and delivers a unique commercial opportunity that can now be realised by the appropriate in-market pharmaceutical company.
The company retains a solid cash reserve. Both the AML Phase 1b/2a study and committed preclinical programs are fully funded.
Race is also investigating a variety of avenues for funding the metastatic breast cancer study due to start in late 2024, including non-dilutive sources and partnerships.
Investor briefings
Shareholders and potential new investors have been invited to attend an online investor Q&A session, and/or in-person briefings in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth over the coming weeks.
Online Q&A session: Wednesday, 9 August 2023, 7.30pm - register here
In-person briefings: Shareholders and potential investors wishing to attend one of the in-person events outlined below must RSVP by COB Thursday, 10 August 2023 by emailing Phillipa Thorn (phillipa.thorn@irdepartment.com.au) and noting your name, email, contact number and which briefing session you are attending (Sydney, Perth or Melbourne).
The in-person briefing sessions will be attended by Race CEO and managing director Damian Clarke Bruce and chief medical officer Dr Michelle Rashford.
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