Made-in-Singapore Cancer Drug ETC-159 Advances Further in Clinical Trials
- 2020年07月30日 18:00:00
- テクノロジー
- JCN Newswire
This clinical study will include subgroups of colorectal, endometrial and ovarian cancer patients from two sites in Singapore (National University Cancer Institute, Singapore and National Cancer Centre Singapore) and up to seven clinical sites in the United States, including four confirmed sites, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, Texas);University of Colorado (Aurora, Colorado);Washington University in St. Louis (Missouri);and Duke University (Durham, North Carolina). The trial is expected to be completed by 2023 at the latest.
ETC-159 was jointly developed by Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and first entered clinical trials in June 2015[2]. ETC-159 targets a range of cancers including colorectal, endometrial, ovarian and pancreatic cancers, which contribute to a significant fraction of Singapore's cancer burden. A subset of these cancers are caused by hyperactivity in a cell signalling pathway known as the Wnt pathway.
ETC-159 is an upstream inhibitor of the Wnt pathway and the clinical trial will determine to what extent this drug can slow or halt the growth of Wnt-high cancers or if ETC-159 can enhance the activity of immunotherapy in those patients that normally do not respond to immunotherapy. It has previously been shown that increased expression of Wnt pathway related genes is associated with drug resistance and exclusion of tumour-killing immune cells in the targeted types of cancers. The clinical trial uses ETC-159 to block the Wnt pathway so that immune cells can infiltrate the tumour. The trial will also combine ETC-159 with the immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab to stimulate the immune cells to kill tumour cells.
The Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC), a national platform for drug discovery and development, brought ETC-159 to the successful completion of Phase 1A clinical trials in July 2018. In that phase, proof of the drug's mechanism of action was achieved and a safe dose level established in 32 patients with advanced solid tumours.
EDDC, together with POLARIS[3] at A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), and the Diagnostics Development (DxD) Hub, have also developed a novel diagnostic test in agreement with the US FDA, to identify a particular subgroup of colorectal cancer patients predicted to respond well to ETC-159 due to the presence of gene fusions involving R-spondin genes (RSPO2 or RSPO3) in their tumours. Such patients comprise only about 8% of colorectal cancers and will be identified upfront, based on left-over tumour tissue to be included in Phase 1B of the study. The test will be performed at POLARIS for all clinical samples from this trial.
"A significant milestone for EDDC and Singapore has been achieved with the progression of ETC-159 into Phase 1B clinical trials. We are grateful for the collaboration and input of our partners, such as Duke-NUS, POLARIS, clinical investigators and others within Singapore and beyond, which has enabled the successful completion of the Phase 1A trial and led us to initiate this next critical stage of ETC-159 development. We are optimistic about rapidly recruiting patients for the next phase of the clinical trial given the unmet need and opportunity ETC-159 brings to these patients, and will continue leveraging great science to make great medicines."- Professor Damian O'Connell, CEO EDDC, A*STAR
"The progression of ETC-159 to this exciting new phase of study is the result of a tremendous Singapore team effort, spanning from basic bench science to international clinical trials. With this critical study, we will learn whether ETC-159, by targeting a set of cancers that has previously been untreatable, will indeed help patients in Singapore and internationally. This important milestone is yet another testament to the research excellence and strong collaborations Singapore can achieve with focused effort. I hope this is just one of many such achievements."- Professor David Virshup, Duke-NUS Medical School
"This study will help address a critical and unmet need in gastrointestinal cancers. The novel design to molecularly screening for R-spondin fusion colorectal cancers that may be driven by the Wnt pathway and to target them with ETC-159 and immunotherapy has never been done before. Furthermore, most gastrointestinal cancers particularly colorectal cancers do not respond to immunotherapy. This may be due to suppression of immune cells in the tumour by Wnt-related pathways. We hope that by combining ETC-159 and immunotherapy we can circumvent this problem and achieve long-lasting responses for our patients."- Dr Matthew Ng, Senior Consultant, National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS)
"The incidence of ovarian and endometrial cancers is rising in the developed world, with many patients presenting at advanced stages of the disease. Despite initial responses to chemotherapy, the majority of patients with advanced ovarian and endometrial cancer will experience disease recurrence and eventually develop treatment refractory disease. At the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS), we have long recognised this unmet medical need and have consistently been working with various academic and industry partners to develop new therapeutic approaches for these hard to treat gynaecological cancers. This clinical trial represents a novel and exciting therapeutic concept for the treatment of ovarian and endometrial cancers. In our continual drive to find better treatments for our patients, we certainly look forward to adding this study to the burgeoning portfolio of early phase trials at the NCIS Developmental Therapeutics Unit."- Associate Professor David Tan, Senior Consultant, National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS)
For more information on the ETC-159 clinical trials, please visit:
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02521844
Relevant images can be downloaded from:
https://tinyurl.com/y3kodlbk
For media queries and clarifications, please contact:
Mr Robin Chan
Head, Corporate Communications
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Tel: +65 6826 6281
HP: +65 9830 2610
Email: robin_chan@hq.a-star.edu.sg
Lekshmy Sreekumar, Ph.D.
Communications
Duke-NUS Medical School
Tel: +65 6516 1138
Email: lekshmy_sreekumar@duke-nus.edu.sg
About the Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC)
The Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC) is a national platform for drug discovery and development formed in 2019 from the integration of A*STAR drug discovery and development units, namely, the Experimental Therapeutics Centre (ETC), Drug Discovery and Development (D3), and Experimental Biotherapeutics Centre (EBC). Together, these three units have forged partnerships with more than 70 academic institutions and 25 companies, locally and internationally, with close to 20 licensing deals executed.
The Centre will continue to champion public-private partnerships in the drug development industry. EDDC will allow for better coordination and optimised use of public sector resources, giving industry partners and Singapore greater ability to translate discoveries into new medicines for patients.
EDDC possesses a full range of drug discovery capabilities, including assay development, high throughput screening, antibody cloning, medicinal chemistry and ADME/toxicology. These capabilities allow EDDC to identify drug hits and leads, and develop them to the preclinical candidate stage in-house. In addition, EDDC enables translational drug development activities by having the internal expertise to support candidates through First-in-Human/Patient Phase 1 studies as well as being able to conduct Proof-of-Mechanism or Proof-of-Concept Studies.
About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency, spearheading economic-oriented research to advance scientific discovery and develop innovative technology. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit society.
As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by contributing to societal benefits such as improving outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability.
We play a key role in nurturing and developing a diversity of talent and leaders in our Agency and research entities, the wider research community and industry. A*STAR's R&D activities span biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis. For ongoing news, visit www.a-star.edu.sg.
Follow us on
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HQastar/
- LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-star
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/astarsingapore/
- YouTube https://www.youtube.com/astartv
About Duke-NUS Medical School
Duke-NUS is Singapore's flagship graduate entry medical school, established in 2005 with a strategic, government-led partnership between two world-class institutions: Duke University School of Medicine and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Through an innovative curriculum, students at Duke-NUS are nurtured to become multi-faceted 'Clinicians Plus'poised to steer the healthcare and biomedical ecosystem in Singapore and beyond. A leader in ground-breaking research and translational innovation, Duke-NUS has gained international renown through its five signature research programmes and nine centres. The enduring impact of its discoveries is amplified by its successful Academic Medicine partnership with Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), Singapore's largest healthcare group. This strategic alliance has spawned 15 Academic Clinical Programmes, which harness multi-disciplinary research and education to transform medicine and improve lives. For more information, please visit www.duke-nus.edu.sg.
[1] "First Patient First Visit"is a term used in the pharmaceutical industry to refer to the administration of the first dose of a compound or drug product to the first patient at his or her first visit in a clinical trial.
[2] "First made-in-Singapore cancer drug enters clinical testing:"A*STAR press release, July 16, 2015. National Archives of Singapore.
[3] POLARIS (Personalized OMIC Lattice for Advanced Research and Improving Stratification) https://www.a-star.edu.sg/polaris/
Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com
大谷翔平、夫人同行せず「さみしいと言わせたいですか?」一問一答、遠征先ワシントンで取材対応
米TikTok「禁止」法成立 バイデン氏陣営はアプリ使用継続
【阪神】大山悠輔「勝ってよかった」雨の逆転劇呼ぶ土壇場9回同点打、7連勝!晴れて首位堅守
【ロッテリア】パティが2枚の「夜Wバーガー」誕生! マクドナルドの「倍バーガー」とコスパ比較
トラウトが両リーグ単独トップの10号ソロ 2戦連発、飛距離127m、打球速度184キロ
【阪神】岡田監督、大山同点打に「ええやん」雨中断後に痛恨逆転も…2点差9回10人攻撃7連勝
えなこ、春満開のキュートな最新ショットに「既に偉大な、伝説のコスプレイヤーになってる」
トッピングも自由なパンケーキが食べ放題!自家製小籠包やパスタ、サラダなども全部食べ放題となるブッフェコースが人気に!
ナ・リーグ打撃上位一覧(米23日現在)
【西武】中村剛也、40代初の5試合連続二塁打マークなるか/見どころ
何があった!?「エアコン」が想定外の壊れ具合!投稿者に話を聞いた
小澤征悦と再婚した桑子真帆アナ(34)黒い過去が流出、衝撃の過去にネット騒然
大原櫻子、ガーシー暴露後初のSNS投稿に賛否の声「イメージ最悪になった」
完全にダマされた! 『ラヴィット!』あのちゃん“事故レベル”大暴走は『水ダウ』遠隔操作のしわざだった ネットも納得
ガーシー、またも綾野剛の暴露写真でネット歓喜「この写真見て笑っちゃう」
30キロ減量の華原朋美、痩せた美貌で“ノリノリ動画”公開 美ボディーで熱唱
ユーチューバーもこう氏、元彼女・成海瑠奈について赤裸々告白
大久保佳代子「30代前半は性欲おばけ」“ストッパー”にするためあえてしていたこと明かす
「日本では日本語を喋る努力をしろ」外国人接客への投稿で炎上店主が「お詫びと休業のお知らせ」
アイドルの給与事情明かし「食べていくの無理に…」母が元おニャン子クラブのセクシー女優が訴え
何があった!?「エアコン」が想定外の壊れ具合!投稿者に話を聞いた
岡本夏生(56)、1600日ぶりにブログを更新した現在が衝撃
曙と熱愛した相原勇(52)の現在が衝撃的すぎると話題に
深夜のファミリーマート徘徊、必ず入っている「フエラムネのミニチュアおもちゃ付」を探し求めた結果……
ガーシー、佐野ひなこの暴露を示唆でネット騒然「ファンだったのに」
ユーチューバーもこう氏、元彼女・成海瑠奈について赤裸々告白
ガーシー、またも綾野剛の暴露写真でネット歓喜「この写真見て笑っちゃう」
いなば食品のホームページが表示されない!そして「プレスリリース」もヤバすぎると話題に
小澤征悦と再婚した桑子真帆アナ(34)黒い過去が流出、衝撃の過去にネット騒然
玉置浩二の妻、青田典子(53)の現在がとんでもない事になっていると話題に
大谷翔平、夫人同行せず「さみしいと言わせたいですか?」一問一答、遠征先ワシントンで取材対応
米TikTok「禁止」法成立 バイデン氏陣営はアプリ使用継続
【阪神】大山悠輔「勝ってよかった」雨の逆転劇呼ぶ土壇場9回同点打、7連勝!晴れて首位堅守
【ロッテリア】パティが2枚の「夜Wバーガー」誕生! マクドナルドの「倍バーガー」とコスパ比較
トラウトが両リーグ単独トップの10号ソロ 2戦連発、飛距離127m、打球速度184キロ
トッピングも自由なパンケーキが食べ放題!自家製小籠包やパスタ、サラダなども全部食べ放題となるブッフェコースが人気に!
ナ・リーグ打撃上位一覧(米23日現在)
【阪神】岡田監督、大山同点打に「ええやん」雨中断後に痛恨逆転も…2点差9回10人攻撃7連勝
えなこ、春満開のキュートな最新ショットに「既に偉大な、伝説のコスプレイヤーになってる」
【西武】中村剛也、40代初の5試合連続二塁打マークなるか/見どころ