The Science and Business of Drug and - Chinese … · 2012-11-15 · The Science and Business of...
Transcript of The Science and Business of Drug and - Chinese … · 2012-11-15 · The Science and Business of...
The Science and Business of Drug Development: Proteolix
and Carfilzomib
Christopher J. Molineaux, Ph.D.
INDStrat
Consulting LLC
San Francisco, CA
CBA Conference
November 10, 2012
2
What Proteolix
Had at the Start (2004)
• Four founders (Two academics, two industry)• Proteasome
target: clinically validated
– Velcade
had US accelerated approval for multiple myeloma in May 2003– 28% response rate in patients who had failed all available therapies– Toxicity: Significant peripheral neuropathy
• Potent proteasome
inhibitors from a novel chemical class
– Patent application, filed in the US only– Potential to develop new analogs outside the filed application
• Series A financing of $18.3 MM to get through a Ph 1 study• No competition
– Big pharma
didn’t believe in the proteasome
as a target
• Chance to be best in class, second to market
• Quick clinical path to market with accelerated approval– If
the drug is active after Velcade
failure
Program Risks
• IP issues on proteasome
inhibitor patents (US only)
• Velcade
had a head start of several years
• Unclear if a PI from a new class would have clinical advantages– Can extent of proteasome
inhibition be safely increased?
– Is Velcade
neurotoxicity on or off target?
• Size of global multiple myeloma (MM) market was modest– Estimated to be <$300 MM
– Could market be expanded to other cancers?
• Accelerated approval must be in unmet medical need– Single arm trial – no comparator – in pts who have failed everything
– Includes several excellent drugs including Velcade
(same MOA)
Carfilzomib: A Proteasome
Inhibitor Designed for Selectivity
• Cellular protein turnover is controlled by the ubiquitin/proteasome
system
• Proteasome
inhibitors (PIs) induce rapid apoptosis in cancer cells
• Bortezomib
(Velcade) was the first PI to enter the clinic and gain approval in
multiple myeloma (MM) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL)
• Bortezomib
dosing in MM is limited by peripheral neurotoxicity at the MTD
• Could a more selective inhibitor improve on bortezomib’s
clinical activity?
UbUb
UbUb
Ub
UbUb
Ub Ub
Ub
ATP ATP
Ubiquitin
(Ub)
Protein ADP
E1, E2, E3
26S Proteasome
(three N‐terminal Thr
proteases)
Bortezomib
(Velcade)Carfilzomib
NH
ONH
O
OO
H
H
HN
NH
OHN
O
O
NH
O
N
O O
O
NH
HN B
O
OH
OH
O
N
N CH
CH
O
HN
R
O
HN B
HOOH
Carfilzomib
is a Novel and Irreversible Inhibitor Designed for Proteasome
Selectivity
Carfilzomib
Bortezomib
Proteasome
(Thr)
Thr
or Ser protease
Epoxyketone
0 4 8 12
40
60
80
100
Washout Time (hr)
% Proteasom
e Inhibition
0.1 1 10 100 1000
0
20
40
60
80
100
conc (nM)% Cell D
eath
Proteasome
inhibition in HT‐29 cells
following brief exposure to drug
Carfilzomib
Inhibits the Proteasome
in Cells for a Longer Period of Time than Bortezomib
Demo et al. (2007), Cancer Research, 67:6383
Cell viability in RPMI‐8226 cells 24 h
after brief exposure to drug
Prolonging proteasome inhibition triggers tumor death at lower doses of drug
Carfilzomib
Bortezomib
Carfilzomib
Bortezomib
Carfilzomib Has Less Off‐Target Activity than Bortezomib
Kapur et al. (2008) Blood, 112: 2657
Cys AspThr MetalloSerProtease
Class:
Carfilzomib
Bortezomib
Non‐Proteasomal Proteases
0
20
40
60
80
100Proteasome
Cathep
sin G
Chym
ase
Chym
otrypsin
Elastase
Cathep
sin B
Renin
ACE
% In
hibitio
n at 10
μM
Proteasome inhibition in rats 1 hour after dosing at the MTD for each drug
Carfilzomib Can Inhibit the Proteasome to a Greater Extent than Bortezomib at the MTD
Carfilzomib
Bortezomib
Bross, et al. (2005) Clinical Cancer Research 10:3954
0
20
40
60
80
100
Blood Bone Marrow Adrenal Spleen
% Proteasom
eInhibition
0
20
40
60
80
100
Blood Bone Marrow Adrenal Spleen
% Proteasom
eInhibition
9
0
20
40
60
80
100D1/ D2 consecutive daydoses of carfilzomib
D1 dose of bortezomib
1 2 3 4Days
% P
rote
asom
e In
hibi
tion
Demo et al. (2007), Cancer Research, 67:6383
Rodent tissue (adrenal)
Carfilzomib Can Be Dosed on Consecutive Days to Achieve Sustained Proteasome Inhibition
BTZ CFZ
Sustained Proteasome Inhibition is Correlated with Greater Anti‐Tumor Activity
HT‐29 (colon carcinoma) in
BNX mice
Demo et al. (2007), Cancer Research, 67:6383
0 10 20 30 400
300
600
900
1200 vehicle (D1/D4)
bortezomib (D1/D4)
carfilzomib (D1/D2)Start ofDosing
P <0.01
carfilomib (D1/D4)
Days Post Tumor Challenge
Tumor V
olum
e(m
m3 )
Phase 1 Dosing Schedule
11/12/2012 11
Velcade• 70% max inhibition in
blood • Full recovery between
doses
time
0
8 0
0
8 0%
pro
teas
ome
inhi
bitio
n
D2 D8 D9D1
0
8 0
Time (weeks)
D15 D16
D1
D1
D5
D4 D8 D11
1 2 3 4
PR-171 Schedule 1• >80% max inhibition in
blood• Continuous suppression
PR-171 Schedule 2• >80% max inhibition
in blood• Suppression between
doses
Efficacious proteasome
inhibition threshold
Preclinical Profile of Carfilzomib• Novel peptide epoxyketone
proteasome
inhibitor
• Highly selective and irreversible mechanism of action– Minimizes off target activity to other cellular proteases
– Prolongs proteasome
inhibition in cells
• Differentiated from bortezomib– Day1/Day2 dosing is tolerated and improves anti‐tumor activity
– Higher proteasome
inhibition in tissues at the MTD
– Less off‐target activity– Does not inhibit HtrA2 or cause neurodegeneration
in SH‐SY5Y cells
– No neurotoxicity in animals
– Active in bortezomib‐resistant myeloma cells
Clinical Hypothesis
Prolonged exposure (>72 hr) +
reduced off‐target activity
Increased on‐target efficacy+
improved safety
Timeline to IND
IND Prep. IND
4-wk GLP rat
Non-GMP Drug Substance
4‐wk GLP monkey
Pre‐IND
Range‐finding in rats
GMP Drug Substance
Range‐finding monkey
Monkey CV GLP
GMP Drug Product
datafor IND
Recovery
Recovery
Clinical ProtocolIdentification of Ph 1 Sites
Protocol Synopsis
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Mar Apr
May Jun Jul
2004 2005
Phase 1 Results
• Both trials had good recruitment• MTD not reached but drug well tolerated• Several responses in both studies• No apparent neuropathy!• QDx2 selected for Ph 2 schedule
– 40% response rate (included Vel
naïve)– Continued dose escalation at end of Ph 1 trial
• Good responses with 27 mg/m2• Tumor lysis
syndrome observed
• Developed novel “stepped up”
schedule – 20 mg/m2
(Cycle 1) → 27 mg/m2
(Cycle 2, etc.)– 20/27 mg/m2
later shown to be well tolerated
Phase 2 Clinical Trials
• Two separate trials –
critical decision
– 003 –
Velcade
treated – Potential basis for Accelerated Approval
– 004 –
Valcade
naïve –
Supporting trial –
anticipate increased
response rate
• 003 starts with 20 mg/m2
dose, response rate is only 8%– Tumor lysis
syndrome (TLS): both trials stopped for 3 months
– Stepped‐up dosing introduced –
critical decision– Efficacy increased to 25% ORR, duration 8.3 mo
• 004 (Vel
naïve) ‐
spectacular response rate (53% ORR)
– “Efficacy POC”• Carfilzomib
appears to be non‐neurotoxic
(~100 pts treated)
– “Toxicity POC”
Timeline to NDA Filing
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
ProteolixFounded
Onyx buysProteolix
Ph 1 Studies
INDFiled
1st
Synthesis
NDAFiled
Ph 3 Study
QDx2
QDx5
Ph 2 Studies
Vel‐naïve
MM
1st
Response
Refractory
MM
Solid Tumors
27 mg/m2
Relapsed MM Rev/Dex
± Cfz
AcceleratedApproval!
Conclusions• Carfilzomib
is a novel peptide epoxyketone
proteasome
inhibitor with a selective and irreversible mechanism of action – Carfilzomib
provides sustained proteasome
inhibition in cells
– Carfilzomib
has minimal off‐target activity and is well‐tolerated at high
proteasome
inhibition levels (>90% in blood)
• Carfilzomib’s
unique mechanism of action translates into
clinical benefit– Carfilzomib
has single agent activity in bortezomib‐naïve multiple
myeloma patients (ORR=53%) as well as in patients who have failed all
available therapies, including bortezomib
(ORR=24%)
– Carfilzomib
patients have minimal emergent peripheral neuropathy
on treatment and the response rate and duration of response are
preserved in patients who start the trial with baseline peripheral
neuropathy
AcknowledgementsCEOSusan Molineaux
Biology/PharmacologyMark BennettChris KirkSusan DemoShirin
Arastu‐KapurFrank ParlatiSusan LeeMonette
AujayTony MuchamyekJing JiangMaya Dajee
Medicinal ChemistryGuy LaidigMark SmythHan‐Jie
ZhouKevin ShenkCatherine SylvainMegan SunEileen GoldsteinTim StantonYan Lu
Development GroupAlbert KrausEvan LewisJinfu
YangLou SehlRachel FangPeter ShwonekMark Ho
Clinical GroupMichael KauffmanLori KunkelAlvin WongAndres GutierrezMai LeMarcy ValloneScott Cruickshank
Clinical CollaboratorsKeith StewartDavid SiegalSundar
JagannathMichael WangRavi VijAndrzej
JakubowiakRobert OrlowskiJonathan KaufmanMelissa AlsinaSagar
LonialSuzanne TrudelAndrew BelchVishal
KukretiChaim ShustikKevin McDonagNizar
Bahlis