Aggressive B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Lyell intends to focus all its resources on CAR T-cell clinical programmes, with LYL119 and PmmPACT’s IMPT-314 being the lead candidates. Image credit: Andrii Yalanskyi / Shutterstock. Lyell Immunopharma has entered a definitive agreement to acquire ImmPACT Bio, a privately-owned clinical-stage biotechnology company specialising in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapies. Concurrently, the company has discontinued the development of two programmes – LYL797, its ROR1-targeted CAR-T cell product; and LYL845, a tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy. Lyell noted that clinical data for LYL845 “did not meet our rigorous pre-determined criteria for continued development”, adding that the company plans to discontinue all preclinical TIL and rejuvenation programmes. Lyell is expected to pay $30m in cash and 37.5 million shares of Lyell common stock for the acquisition. The ImmPACT shareholders will also be in line to receive milestone-based payments of contingent consideration consisting of 12.5 million shares of Lyell common stock and a “low single-digit” royalty on future US net sales of IMPT-314. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year. Lyell noted that it expects its cash reserves to last into 2027 after closing the acquisition. ImmPACT’s lead therapy is IMPT-314, a bispecific CAR therapy targeting CD19 and CD20. It is being evaluated as a treatment for relapsed/refractory (r/r) aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma in a Phase I/II trial (NCT05826535) . See Also: Pharma companies must adapt to keep pace with AI developments, say experts AF stroke patients could benefit from earlier anticoagulant administration The company intends to present data from the trial later this year, with Lyell planning to start a pivotal trial for IMPT-314 as a third-line treatment for patients who have not yet been exposed to CAR T-cell therapy in 2025. Lyell intends to focus all its resources on CAR-T  clinical programmes. GlobalData estimates the cell and gene therapy market to be worth more than $81bn by 2029. Multiple CAR-T cell therapies have been approved in the US , the most successful of these is Gilead Sciences ’ Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel) generating $1.5bn in sales last year. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology . Lyell noted that instead of LYL797, which was being evaluated as a treatment for advanced solid tumours in a Phase I trial (NCT05274451), it will focus on another ROR1-targeted CAR-T cell therapy, LYL119. The company plans to start a Phase I trial evaluating LYL119 in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer or r/r endometrial cancer this year or early next year. Lyell had a rough start with LYL797, with the company reporting cases of pneumonitis in patients with lung metastases enrolled in a Phase I study. The initial dataset consisted of 20 patients, 16 with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and four with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The company noted that the adverse event of Grade 3 or higher pneumonitis occurred only in patients with TNBC and lung metastases. As a result, Lyell modified the trial’s dosing schedule to separate dose escalation into two cohorts based on lung involvement. Cell & Gene Therapy coverage on Pharmaceutical Technology is supported by Cytiva . Editorial content is independently produced and follows the highest standards of journalistic integrity. Topic sponsors are not involved in the creation of editorial content. Free Whitepaper Cell and gene therapies: Pipe dream to pipeline The cell and gene industry is gaining momentum, with a new wave of therapies promising to transform the way doctors treat, and even cure, disease. In this report, Cytiva and GlobalData have collaborated to explore the rise of the cell and gene therapy industries, the current state of the market, present and future opportunities for advancement, and the challenges that lie ahead. Thank you. You will receive an email shortly. Please check your inbox to download the Whitepaper. By Cytiva Thematic By downloading this Whitepaper, you acknowledge that GlobalData may share your information with Cytiva Thematic and that your personal data will be used as described in their Privacy Policy

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONCT) (the “Company”) today announced its decision to discontinue its clinical trials evaluating ONCT-534, its dual action androgen receptor inhibitor for the treatment of patients with metastatic castration resistant cancer, and ONCT-808, its ROR1-targeting autologous CAR T program for the treatment of patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma, and to explore strategic alternatives. In the current study, interim Phase 1 results of ONCT-534 did not show clinically meaningful improvements of disease, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, in the 20 patients treated in eight dosing cohorts with various doses and schedules of administration of ONCT-534. ONCT-534 was generally well tolerated, with dose limiting toxicity observed in 2 of 3 patients at the highest dose tested, 1200 mg given orally once per day. The results with ONCT-808 at an interim Phase 1 analysis showed anti-tumor activity at every dose tested, including a complete metabolic response lasting eight months and long-term persistence of the CAR-T cells, with expected treatment emergent adverse events for a CAR-T therapy, and one death due to complications of shock at the highest dose tested. Based on the available clinical data and capital requirements for continued development, the Company has decided to terminate these studies. The Company will focus on exploring strategic alternatives with the goal of maximizing value for its stockholders, which may include asset sales, licensing or other strategic transactions relating to the Company’s development programs or a merger, reverse merger, acquisition, or other business combination involving the Company. While this strategic exploration is ongoing, the Company will discontinue all product development activities and will take other steps to reduce costs, including a reduction in its workforce to preserve cash resources. “The early results during dose escalation in the Phase 1/2 studies of ONCT-534 in heavily pretreated patients are disappointing, as the study was supported by extensive preclinical data and was designed to address important unmet medical needs for patients with advanced prostate cancer,” said James Breitmeyer, M.D., Ph.D., Oncternal’s President and CEO. “In light of these data and the challenging financing environment, we intend to explore strategic options with the hope of advancing and realizing value from our pipeline including ONCT-534, ONCT-808, zilovertamab and ONCT-216.” About Oncternal TherapeuticsOncternal Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel oncology therapies for the treatment of patients with cancers that have critical unmet medical need. Oncternal pursues drug development targeting promising, yet untapped biological pathways implicated in cancer generation or progression, focusing on hematological malignancies and prostate cancer. More information on our company and programs is available at https://oncternal.com/. About ONCT-534 ONCT-534 is an investigational dual-action androgen receptor inhibitor (DAARI) with demonstrated preclinical activity in prostate cancer models against both unmutated androgen receptor (AR), and against multiple forms of AR mutation and aberration. It is a potential treatment for patients with mCRPC with unmet medical need because of resistance to androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, including those with AR amplification, mutations in the AR ligand binding domain (LBD), or splice variants with loss of the AR LBD. It is being investigated in Study ONCT-534-101 (NCT05917470) for the treatment of patients with mCRPC who are resistant to current AR pathway inhibitors. About ONCT-808ONCT-808 is an investigational autologous chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell therapy that targets Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-Like Orphan Receptor 1 (ROR1) using the binding domain from zilovertamab. ONCT-808 has demonstrated activity in preclinical models against multiple hematological malignancies and solid tumors and has been shown to be specific for cancer cells expressing ROR1. Oncternal has developed a robust and reproducible manufacturing process that has the potential to reduce the time patients must wait for their individual CAR T therapy to be produced compared with currently approved CAR T products. Oncternal has dosed patients under Study ONCT-808-101 (NCT05588440) with relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma, including patients who have failed previous CD19 CAR T treatment. About zilovertamabZilovertamab (previously called cirmtuzumab and UC-961) is an investigational monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit the function of ROR1. Zilovertamab has been evaluated in Phase 1/2 Study CIRM-0001 (NCT03088878) in combination with ibrutinib for the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), which resulted in 100% progression free survival (PFS) at 48 months in CLL patients whose tumors harbored p53 mutation/del(17p), a population underserved by current treatment options. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to zilovertamab for the treatment of CLL and MCL. The results of an investigator-sponsored, Phase 1b clinical trial of zilovertamab in combination with paclitaxel for the treatment of women with HER2-negative metastatic or locally advanced, unresectable breast cancer were recently published (Shatsky 2023). Zilovertamab is being evaluated in an investigator-initiated Phase 1b study of zilovertamab in combination with docetaxel in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (NCT05156905), and an investigator-initiated Phase 2 clinical trial of zilovertamab in combination with venetoclax, a Bcl-2 inhibitor, in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) CLL (NCT04501939). About ONCT-216ONCT-216 (previously called TK216) is an investigational targeted small-molecule inhibitor of the E26 transformation-specific (ETS) family of oncoproteins including fusion proteins. Tumorigenic fusion proteins involving the EWS protein and an ETS protein can be found in most cases of Ewing sarcoma. ETS-related translocations or overexpression are also found in many other tumors such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and prostate cancer. In preclinical models, ONCT-216 was observed to bind to EWS-FLI1, blocking the interaction between this fusion protein and other transcriptome proteins such as RNA helicase A, leading to tumor cell apoptosis and inhibiting tumor growth in animal models. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation, Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Status to ONCT-216 for the treatment of Ewing sarcoma. The results of a Phase 1/ 2 clinical trial of ONCT-216 in patients with Ewing sarcoma (NCT02657005) were recently published (Myers 2024). Forward-Looking Information Oncternal cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negatives of these terms or other similar expressions. These statements are based on Oncternal’s current beliefs and expectations. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding: Oncternal’s ability to complete a strategic transaction or continue as a going concern even if a strategic transaction is completed; anticipated benefits of strategic transactions; and Oncternal’s ability to preserve cash during the strategic alternatives process. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties inherent in Oncternal’s business, including: Oncternal may not realize the benefits expected from the workforce reduction and discontinuation of product development activities, including its ability to conserve cash; Oncternal’s ability to retain remaining key personnel; whether Oncternal will be able to secure and complete or achieve the anticipated benefits from any potential strategic transactions on acceptable terms or at all; Oncternal may use its capital resources sooner than it anticipates, resulting in a liquidation and dissolution of the Company; Oncternal’s common stock may be delisted from Nasdaq; and other risks described in Oncternal’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this press release are current only as of the date hereof and, except as required by applicable law, Oncternal undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Contact Information: InvestorsRichard Vincent 858-434-1113rvincent@oncternal.com Business DevelopmentPablo Urbaneja 415-316-8276 purbaneja@oncternal.com

No dose-limiting toxicities or concerning side effects in our Phase 1/2 study with ONCT-534, our dual-action androgen receptor inhibitor (DAARI), for patients with advanced prostate cancer who are resistant to approved androgen receptor pathway inhibitors; 1200 mg cohort for ONCT-534 given orally once daily enrolled and treated; initial data readout expected in the third quarter of 2024Phase 1/2 study for ONCT-808, our ROR1-targeting autologous CAR T cell therapy, for patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma is open and enrolling patients; clinical data update expected in the fourth quarter of 2024Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $21.4 million as of June 30, 2024; cash runway projected into Q1 2025Management to host webcast today at 5:00 pm ET SAN DIEGO, Aug. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: ONCT), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel oncology therapies, today provided a business update and reported second quarter 2024 financial results. “Our Phase 1/2 study of ONCT-534 in patients with R/R mCRPC continues to advance through dose escalation cohorts without dose-limiting toxicities or concerning side effects. We are encouraged by the high pace of enrollment in the study and look forward to sharing initial clinical and biomarker data later in the third quarter,” said James Breitmeyer, M.D., Ph.D., Oncternal’s President and CEO. “Our Phase 1/2 study of ONCT-808, our autologous ROR1 CAR T, is open and enrolling patients. We remain encouraged we will find the optimal dose to address the high unmet need of patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive B cell lymphoma, including those who have relapsed after CD19 CAR T treatment.” Recent Highlights In July 2024, we announced that enrollment was complete and three patients dosed in the sixth cohort of our Phase 1/2 study of ONCT-534 for the treatment of patients with advanced prostate cancer who are relapsed or refractory to approved androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPI). Patients in the sixth dosing cohort are being given 1200 mg of ONCT-534 orally once per day.Our dose escalation/dose expansion Phase 1/2 Study ONCT-808-101, evaluating our ROR1-targeting autologous CAR T cell therapy, ONCT-808, for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma, including patients that have failed prior CD19 CAR T treatment, is open and enrolling patients. Protocol changes that include modified eligibility criteria, increased monitoring for early infection, and evaluating lower doses of ONCT-808 have now been implemented. Expected Upcoming Milestones ONCT-534, our dual-action androgen receptor inhibitor Initial clinical data in the third quarter of 2024Additional clinical data readouts in the fourth quarter of 2024 ONCT-808, our autologous ROR1-targeted CAR T cell therapy Clinical data update in the fourth quarter of 2024 Second Quarter 2024 Financial ResultsOur grant revenue was $0.8 million for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024. Our total operating expenses for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024 were $9.7 million, including $1.4 million in non-cash stock-based compensation expense. Research and development expenses for the quarter totaled $6.6 million, and general and administrative expenses for the quarter totaled $3.1 million. Net loss for the first quarter was $8.6 million, or a net loss of $2.89 per share, basic and diluted. As of June 30, 2024, we had approximately 3.0 million shares of common stock outstanding, $21.4 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments and no debt. These funds are expected to be sufficient to fund our operations into the first quarter of 2025. About Oncternal TherapeuticsOncternal Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel oncology therapies for the treatment of patients with cancers that have critical unmet medical need. Oncternal pursues drug development targeting promising, yet untapped biological pathways implicated in cancer generation or progression, focusing on hematological malignancies and prostate cancer. ONCT-534 is an investigational dual-action androgen receptor inhibitor (DAARI) with demonstrated preclinical activity in prostate cancer models against both unmutated androgen receptor (AR), and against multiple forms of AR aberration. It is a potential treatment for patients with mCRPC with unmet medical need because of resistance to androgen receptor pathway inhibitors, including those with AR amplification, mutations in the AR ligand binding domain (LBD), or splice variants with loss of the AR LBD. Study ONCT-534-101 (NCT05917470) has completed enrollment and dosing in six dose cohorts for the treatment of patients with mCRPC. ONCT-808 is an investigational autologous chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell therapy that targets Receptor Tyrosine Kinase-Like Orphan Receptor 1 (ROR1) using the binding domain from zilovertamab. ONCT-808 has demonstrated activity in preclinical models against multiple hematological malignancies and solid tumors and has been shown to be specific for cancer cells expressing ROR1. Oncternal has developed a robust and reproducible manufacturing process that has the potential to reduce the time patients must wait for their individual CAR T therapy to be produced, compared with currently approved CAR T products. Oncternal has dosed patients under Study ONCT-808-101 (NCT05588440) with relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell lymphoma, including patients who have failed previous CD19 CAR T treatment. Zilovertamab is an investigational monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit the function of ROR1. Zilovertamab has been evaluated in a Phase 1/2 Study CIRM-0001 (NCT03088878) in combination with ibrutinib for the treatment of patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and marginal zone lymphoma (MZL), which resulted in 100% progression free survival (PFS) at 42 months in CLL patients expressing a p53 mutation/del(17p), a population underserved by current treatment options. Zilovertamab is also being evaluated in an investigator-initiated Phase 1b study of zilovertamab in combination with docetaxel in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (NCT05156905). More information on our company and programs is available at https://oncternal.com/. Forward-Looking Information Oncternal cautions you that statements included in this press release that are not a description of historical facts are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,” “target,” “project,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negatives of these terms or other similar expressions. These statements are based on Oncternal’s current beliefs and expectations. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding Oncternal’s expected cash runway and statements regarding Oncternal’s development programs, including the anticipated timing for study enrollment and announcing clinical data. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties inherent in Oncternal’s business, including risks associated with the clinical development and process for obtaining regulatory approval of Oncternal’s product candidates, such as potential delays in the commencement, enrollment and completion of clinical trials; the risk that interim results of a clinical trial do not predict final results and that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues, following more comprehensive reviews of the data, as follow-up on the outcome of any particular patient continues, and as more patient data become available; and other risks described in Oncternal’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements in this press release are current only as of the date hereof and, except as required by applicable law, Oncternal undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Contact Information: InvestorsRichard Vincent 858-434-1113rvincent@oncternal.com MediaCorey Davis, Ph.D. LifeSci Advisors 212-915-2577 cdavis@lifesciadvisors.com Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc.Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets Data(Unaudited; in thousands) June 30,2024 December 31,2023 Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments $21,429 $34,255 Total assets 23,859 36,729 Total liabilities 8,105 6,677 Accumulated deficit (214,726) (197,779)Total stockholders' equity 15,754 30,052 Oncternal Therapeutics, Inc.Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations Data(Unaudited; in thousands, except per share data) Three Months EndedJune 30, Six Months EndedJune 30, 2024 2023 2024 2023 Grant revenue $801 $106 $1,370 $309 Operating expenses: Research and development 6,612 6,577 12,671 15,608 General and administrative 3,052 3,074 6,341 6,389 Total operating expenses 9,664 9,651 19,012 21,997 Loss from operations (8,863) (9,545) (17,642) (21,688)Interest income 304 579 695 1,235 Net loss $(8,559) $(8,966) $(16,947) $(20,453)Net loss per share, basic and diluted $(2.89) $(3.05) $(5.73) $(6.98)Weighted-average shares outstanding, basic and diluted 2,960 2,936 2,960 2,931