Under the terms of the agreement, MedPacto
and AstraZeneca will collaborate on a non-exclusive basis to evaluate the
combination of the two drugs in NSCLC
MedPacto, that announced today a clinical
collaboration with AstraZeneca to evaluate the safety and efficacy of
MedPacto’s vactosertib (TEW-7197), a small molecule, oral inhibitor of TGF-β
type I receptor (TGFBRI), in combination with durvalumab, a human monoclonal
antibody directed against programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in patients with
metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Based in South Korea, Medpacto
is a subsidiary of TheragenEtex, is a
genome-based drug discovery and clinical-stage biotechnology company
Under the terms of the agreement, MedPacto
and AstraZeneca will collaborate on a non-exclusive basis to evaluate the
combination of the two drugs in NSCLC. MedPacto expects to initiate a Phase
1b/2a study in the second half of 2018 to establish the safety and efficacy of
vactosertib in combination with durvalumab. MedPacto will sponsor and fund the
study and AstraZeneca will supply durvalumab for the study. The trial will be
conducted in several sites in South Korea including Yonsei Severance Hospital
and National Cancer Center and is expected to be completed within two years.
Durvalumab, a human monoclonal antibody
directed against PD-L1, blocks PD-L1 interaction with PD-1 and CD80 on T cells,
countering the tumor’s immune-evading tactics and inducing an immune response.
As part of a broad development program, durvalumab is being investigated as
monotherapy and in combination with IO, small molecules, and chemotherapies
across a range of tumors and stages of disease.
“We are pleased to initiate this exciting
trial collaboration with AstraZeneca,” said Dr. Seong-Jin Kim, Founder and
Chief Executive Officer of MedPacto. “Although TGF-β has a complex mechanism of
action, recent developments have further reinforced the importance of targeting
this pathway particularly to overcome resistance to immune checkpoint
inhibitors. We believe this collaboration is very timely since preliminary data
on the combined targeting of PD-L1 and TGF-β with a bispecific has shown
promise in increasing response rates in patients with NSCLC.”
