With positive first-in-human findings on board, Relay Therapeutics Inc. plans a pivotal study next year to test RLY-2608, an allosteric, pan-mutant and isoform-selective inhibitor of PI3K alpha in breast cancer. During a conference call on the data, TD Cowen analyst Yaron Werber noted that “next year’s going to be a pretty busy year for you. How fast can you start the phase III? Is there any way to pull it into the first half of the year as opposed to the second half?” CEO Sanjiv Patel said the company is “moving as fast as we possibly can,” and an update will be provided once a sit-down with regulators is finished.
More than three months ago, investors first learned that ivonescimab, a PD-1/VEGF-targeting bispecific antibody from Summit Therapeutics and Akeso Pharmaceuticals Inc., bested Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in PD-L1-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). At the 2024 World Conference on Lung Cancer over the weekend, Summit rolled out detailed data from the phase III Harmoni-2 trial, which included a nearly doubling of progression-free survival for ivonescimab compared to Merck & Co. Inc.’s established blockbuster drug.
The U.S. FDA on Sept. 6 granted fast track designation to MM-II – a novel, non-opioid injectable candidate for knee osteoarthritis (OA) co-developed by Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Moebius Medical Ltd. Mumbai, India-based Sun and Tel Aviv, Israel-based Moebius agreed, under undisclosed terms, to co-develop the novel liposomal non-opioid pain therapy in an exclusive global licensing deal in 2016.
Biopharma happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Alnylam, Bora Biologics, Clairvoyant, Bridgebio, Pfizer, Psyence, Tanvex.
Clinical updates, including trial initiations, enrollment status and data readouts and publications: Atsena, Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK, Kalvista, Milestone.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Amneal, Moebius, Shilpa, Sun Pharmaceutical, Travere.