Bright Peak Therapeutics Inc. has licensed rights to use Livzon Mabpharm Inc.’s anti-PD-1 candidate, LZM-009, to develop its own PD-1 targeted immunocytokines (PD-1 ICs). Bertolt Kreft, chief scientific officer for Bright Peak, told BioWorld that Livzon’s phase II anti-PD-1 “exhibits a promising initial safety and efficacy profile, making it well-suited to the task.
Another drug from the emerging menin inhibitor drug class has hit safety issues, after the FDA put an early stage acute myeloid leukemia trial of Kura Oncology Inc.’s KO-539 on partial clinical hold because of a patient death. The news from Kura follows safety issues that emerged from Syndax Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s rival SNDX-5613, where an issue with QT prolongation emerged in at least 5% of patients in otherwise encouraging phase I/II trial results announced in April.