Luxeptinib

Tuspetinib Triple Drug Frontline Therapy Advancing in TUSCANY Clinical Trial Results to Date Highlight TUS Potential as an Ideal Third Drug to Include in AML Triplet Therapy Aptose Signs Debt Conversion Agreement with Hanmi SAN DIEGO and TORONTO, March 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aptose Biosciences Inc. (“Aptose” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: APTO, TSX: APS), a clinical-stage precision oncology company developing a tuspetinib (TUS)-based triple drug frontline therapy to treat patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), today announced financial results for the year ended December 31, 2024, and provided a corporate update. "During 2024 and into 2025, we continue to advance our lead investigational drug tuspetinib in combination with venetoclax (VEN) and azacitidine (AZA) for frontline treatment of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML),” said William G. Rice, Ph.D., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aptose. “Tuspetinib brings favorable safety and broad activity across AML genetic subtypes to the TUS+VEN+AZA triplet therapy, which already has achieved complete remissions (CRs) in difficult-to-treat and underserved TP53-mutated/CK AML and FLT3-wildtype AML patients in our ongoing TUSCANY trial. We look forward to sharing more data as the trial evolves.” Key Corporate Highlights Tuspetinib Phase 1/2 TUSCANY Trial Well Under Way with Responses Noted - Tuspetinib based TUS+VEN+AZA triplet therapy is being advanced in the TUSCANY Phase 1/2 trial with the goal of creating an improved frontline therapy for newly diagnosed AML patients that is active across diverse AML populations (mutation agnostic triplet frontline therapy), including FLT3-wildtype AML. This activity differentiates TUS from other drugs in development. In January 2025, Aptose announced initiation of dosing in the first TUSCANY trial cohort with the starting dose of 40 mg TUS in combination with standard-of-care doses of VEN+AZA. At 40 mg TUS, the triplet therapy achieved complete remissions (CRs) in difficult-to-treat TP53-muated AML and FLT3-wildtype AML patients, including a measurable residual disease (MRD) negative remission (press release here). In February 2025, amid the promising early results and favorable safety from patients treated at the 40 mg dose level, the Cohort Safety Review Committee (CSRC) monitoring the TUSCANY trial approved escalating to 80 mg TUS in the triplet therapy (press release here). Subjects have now begun treatment at the 80 mg TUS dose level of the triplet therapy and further recruitment is under way. No significant safety concerns have been reported to date, including no prolonged myelosuppression of subjects in remission. This TUS+VEN+AZA triplet therapy study in newly diagnosed AML was supported with robust safety and efficacy data from the TUS single agent dose escalation study and the TUS+VEN doublet APTIVATE study in relapsed or refractory (R/R) AML, both of which were completed during 2024 after treating more than 170 patients.Financing Activity – During 2024, Aptose completed several financings for a total of approximately $37 million to support the TUS-based TUS+VEN+HMA triplet therapy development for AML. This included a $10 million loan Facility Agreement with Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (“Hanmi”). Subsequently in March 2025, Hanmi and Aptose executed a Debt Conversion Agreement to convert a portion of the debt into equity, subject to Hanmi owning no more than 19.99% of the issued and outstanding common shares of Aptose. Therefore, an amount of $1.5 million has been converted into 409,063 common shares as of this date. Beyond the $10 million, Aptose and Hanmi are negotiating a new tuspetinib co-development collaboration agreement intended to provide additional funding to accelerate clinical development of tuspetinib. Aptose licensed tuspetinib from Hanmi Pharmaceutical in November 2021.Aptose Signs CRADA with NCI – In December, Aptose announced that it entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (“CRADA”) with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (press release here). Under the CRADA, the NCI and Aptose will collaborate on the clinical development of TUS, an inhibitor of key signaling kinases involved in myeloid malignancies, in the NCI Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program (CTEP) sponsored myeloMATCH trials employing combinations of targeted therapy for the treatment of molecularly defined AML and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) populations. These trials will be conducted by NCI's National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN), with the participation of the NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) in the U.S. and Canada.Aptose Meets Nasdaq Minimum Bid Compliance – Earlier this month, Aptose announced that it received a written notification from the Listing Qualifications Department of The Nasdaq Stock Market, LLC notifying the Company that it is in compliance with Nasdaq’s minimum bid price requirement (press release here). On March 14, 2025, Nasdaq confirmed that, for ten consecutive business days, the closing bid price of the Company’s common shares has been $1.00 per share or greater. Accordingly, the Company has regained compliance with Listing Rule 5550(a)(2). Separately, Aptose is not in compliance with the $2.5 million shareholders equity requirement and is operating under an exception granted by the Nasdaq Hearing Panel, which provides Aptose additional time to regain compliance, although there is no assurance that the Company will successfully achieve full compliance with the Nasdaq shareholders equity requirement. Completed and Planned Value-Creating Milestones 2024 Accomplishments Completed $10 million loan from Hanmi as Advance on CollaborationCompleted $8 million S-1 financingExecuted CRADA with NCI MyeloMATCH for tuspetinib in AML/MDSInitiated dosing of TUS+VEN+AZA triplet therapy in newly diagnosed AML patients in TUSCANY trialASH: Reported CR/Safety from APTIVATE TUS and TUS+VEN trialASH: Reported dosing accrual from TUS+VEN+AZA triplet therapy trial 2025: 1H Demonstrated safety and efficacy with 40mg TUS+VEN+AZA in triplet therapy trialDosing 80mg TUS in TUS+VEN+AZA dose cohort in triplet therapy trialExecuted Debt Conversion agreement with HanmiExpect to report CR/MRD/Safety data from TUS+VEN+AZA triplet therapy trialExpect to execute Hanmi/Aptose CollaborationEHA2025 Congress - Report maturing data readout from TUS+VEN+AZA triplet therapy trial 2025: 2H Select optimal TUS doses for TUS+VEN+HMA triplet therapy Ph 2/3 pivotal trialsPrepare for Ph 2 portion of Ph 2 / Ph 3 pivotal programAmerican Society of Hematology (ASH) Update FINANCIAL RESULTS OF OPERATIONSAptose Biosciences Inc.Statements of Operations Data(unaudited)($ in thousands, except for share and per share data) Year ended December 31, 20242023Expenses: Research and development$15,103 $36,765 General and administrative 11,154 15,591 Operating expenses 26,257 52,356 Other income, net 827 1,149 Net loss$(25,430)$(51,207) Net loss per share, basic and diluted$(36.38)$(227.43)Weighted average number of common shares outstanding used in computing net loss per share, basic and diluted 698,980 225,154 Net loss for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased by $25.8 million to $25.4 million, as compared to $51.2 million for the comparable period in 2023. Aptose Biosciences Inc.Balance Sheet Data(unaudited)($ in thousands) December 31, December 31, 2024 2023Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash equivalents$6,707 $9,252 Working capital 5,071 (3,375)Total assets 10,127 12,989 Long-term liabilities 10,211 621 Accumulated deficit (540,967) (515,537) Shareholders’ deficit (4,543) (2,901) Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024, were $6.7 million. Based on current operations, the Company expects that cash on hand and available capital provides the Company with sufficient resources to fund planned Company operations including research and development until April 2025.As of March 21, 2025, we had 2,552,429 Common Shares issued and outstanding. In addition, there were 39,219 Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding stock options and there were 1,267,585 Common Shares issuable upon the exercise of the outstanding warrants. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENSES The research and development expenses for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 were as follows: Year ended December 31,(in thousands)20242023Program costs – Tuspetinib$9,606 $24,925Program costs – Luxeptinib 422 3,510Program costs – APTO-253 (19) 40Personnel related expenses 4,735 6,878Stock-based compensation 346 1,373Depreciation of equipment 13 39Total$15,103 $36,765 Research and development expenses decreased by $21.7 million to $15.1 million for year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to $36.8 million for the comparable period in 2023. Changes to the components of our research and development expenses presented in the table above are primarily as a result of the following events: Program costs for tuspetinib were $9.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared with $24.9 million for the comparable period in 2023. The lower program costs for tuspetinib in the current year were due to reduced activity in our APTIVATE clinical trial, reduced manufacturing costs, and related expenses. In the comparable period in 2023, Tuspetinib program costs included the healthy volunteer study, which was completed in the same year.Program costs for luxeptinib decreased by approximately $3.1 million primarily due to lower clinical trial and manufacturing activities.Program costs for APTO-253 decreased by approximately $59 thousand. This reduction was due to the Company’s decision to discontinue further development of APTO-253.Personnel-related expenses decreased by $2.1M due to lower headcount 2024.Stock-based compensation decreased by approximately $1.0 million in the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to stock options granted with lower grant date fair values when compared to the options granted in the prior period, coupled with option forfeitures recorded in the current year. About Aptose Aptose Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to developing precision medicines addressing unmet medical needs in oncology, with an initial focus on hematology. The Company's small molecule cancer therapeutics pipeline includes products designed to provide single agent efficacy and to enhance the efficacy of other anti-cancer therapies and regimens without overlapping toxicities. The Company’s lead clinical-stage compound tuspetinib (TUS), is an oral kinase inhibitor that has demonstrated activity as a monotherapy and in combination therapy in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is being developed as a frontline triplet therapy in newly diagnosed AML. For more information, please visit www.aptose.com. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian and U.S. securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the Company’s clinical development plans, the clinical potential, anti-cancer activity, therapeutic potential and applications and safety profile of tuspetinib, clinical trials, the enrollment in clinical trials and the data therefrom, the submission of a compliance plan to Nasdaq and available options to regain compliance, upcoming milestones and presentation of additional data, financing activities, expectations regarding capital available to the Company to fund planned Company operations, maintenance of the Nasdaq and TSX listings, use of proceeds from financings, the conversion of debt into equity contemplated by the Debt Conversion Agreement entered into with Hanmi, the negotiation of a co-development collaboration agreement with Hanmi, the collaboration with the NCI for the clinical development of tuspetinib and statements relating to the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements including words such as “continue”, “expect”, “intend”, “will”, “hope” “should”, “would”, “may”, “potential” and other similar expressions. Such statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by us, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements described in this press release. Such factors could include, among others: our ability to obtain the capital required for research and operations; the inherent risks in early stage drug development including demonstrating efficacy; development time/cost and the regulatory approval process; the progress of our clinical trials; our ability to find and enter into agreements with potential partners; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; changing market and economic conditions; unexpected manufacturing defects, the evolving regulatory and political landscape and the funding of government programs and other risks detailed from time-to-time in our ongoing current reports, quarterly filings, annual information forms, annual reports and annual filings with Canadian securities regulators and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should the assumptions set out in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in our filings with Canadian securities regulators and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission underlying those forward- looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and we do not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law. We cannot assure you that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. For further information, please contact: Aptose Biosciences Inc. Susan Pietropaolo Corporate Communications & Investor Relations 201-923-2049 spietropaolo@aptose.com

▲点击图片，了解详情 作者：嘤嘤嘤 12月16日，信达生物和礼来制药共同宣布，就礼来非共价（可逆）BTK抑制剂捷帕力®（匹妥布替尼100毫克和50毫克片剂）在中国大陆的权益达成以下合作协议：信达生物将负责捷帕力的进口、销售、推广和分销工作；礼来将负责捷帕力的研发和上市后医学事务相关工作。 套细胞淋巴瘤（MCL）是一种非霍奇金淋巴瘤（NHL）亚型，占所有NHL病例的约6%。MCL的命名来自其发病区域——套区，也就是淋巴结中的环形细胞，B细胞（一种淋巴细胞）产生于此并发挥特定的功能。从表现上来看，MCL可以是侵袭性的，也可以是快速增长的。虽然目前MCL没有治愈方法，但有一些治疗方案可能有助于控制MCL。然而，MCL的预后相对较差，有着巨大的临床未满足需求。 1 匹妥布替尼的优势 捷帕力®（匹妥布替尼片）是一种高选择性BTK抑制剂。由于其采用的是新型非共价结合机制，因此可以在既往接受过共价BTK抑制剂（已上市的包括伊布替尼、阿可替尼、泽布替尼、或奥布替尼）治疗的MCL患者中重新建立BTK抑制作用，并持续获益。大大满足了这部分患者的临床治疗需求。 匹妥布替尼于2023年1月获得美国FDA批准，成为全球首个且唯一获批的非共价（可逆）BTK抑制剂。于2024年10月获得我国国家药品监督管理局（NMPA）批准，单药适用于既往接受过至少两种系统性治疗（含BTK抑制剂）的复发或难治性MCL成人患者。 在中国2期临床试验JZNJ研究（开放标签、II期、单臂、多中心研究）中，研究者评估了匹妥布替尼单药治疗在中国B细胞恶性肿瘤患者中的疗效和安全性。该研究共纳入了87名中国B细胞恶性肿瘤患者，其中35名是曾接受过BTK抑制剂治疗的MCL患者。来自这35名患者的研究结果显示，经独立评审委员会评估确定的总体缓解率（ORR）为62.9%（95% CI：44.9-78.5）。 在中国人群中，匹妥布替尼的耐受性良好，未出现新的安全性信号，仅3%的患者因治疗相关不良反应而停药。中国研究结果与全球BRUIN研究结果一致，表明匹妥布替尼在中国人群中具有临床意义和持久的抗肿瘤活性。礼来之所以选择与信达生物合作，考虑的是充分利用信达生物在血液肿瘤领域丰富的商业化经验。 2 BTK抑制剂的成果 BTK是B细胞受体（BCR）信号通路中的重要组成部分，而BCR信号通路在B细胞的增殖、分化、发育和存活中起着关键作用。BTK的异常活化会导致BCR信号通路过度活跃，这与B细胞恶性肿瘤的发生、发展密切相关。因此，BTK成为B细胞肿瘤治疗的重要靶点。BTK抑制剂通过抑制BTK的自我磷酸化抑制其活性，从而阻断B细胞受体下游信号通路，诱导恶性B细胞凋亡。 最近十年来，BTK抑制剂一路高歌猛进，几乎称霸血液瘤领域，市场规模也已超百亿美元。越来越多的玩家参与进来，提供新的治疗选择，优化治疗策略。与此同时，市场竞争也变得越来越激烈。第一代不可逆抑制剂有伊布替尼，第二代不可逆抑制剂有泽布替尼、阿可替尼、奥布替尼、替拉鲁替尼，第三代可逆抑制剂匹妥布替尼。 由艾伯维与强生开发的首款BTK抑制剂伊布替尼2013年在美国获批上市，此后持续放量。其2021年全球销售额逼近百亿美元，之后有所下滑，2023年仍有超60亿美元（约合人民币436.76亿元）的销售收入。 二代BTK抑制剂也在近年来持续放量。2024年上半年，百济神州的泽布替尼销售额达到11.26亿美元，诺诚建华的奥布替尼2024年上半年销售额为4.2亿元，同比增长30%。根据弗若斯特沙利文数据，全球BTK抑制剂市场规模预计2025年达219亿美元，2030年达251亿美元。 此外，正在研究中的小野制药的Tirabrutinib是第二代高选择性共价BTK抑制剂，已在日本获批用于复发性和难治性原发性中枢神经系统淋巴瘤治疗，并正在中国等地进行更多适应症的研发。宜诺凯的奥布替尼于2021年6月被美国FDA指定为复发性和难治性MCL的突破性疗法，目前正在更多的适应症中进行研发。 Telios Pharma的TL-895（以前称为M7583）是另一款高效、高选择性的第二代BTK抑制剂，临床试验显示其在多种B细胞恶性肿瘤中疗效显著。浙江海正药业的DTRMWXHS-12则是另一款选择性共价BTK抑制剂，正在与mTOR抑制剂及免疫调节剂联用进行临床试验。 3 非共价BTK抑制剂的发展 从作用机制看，趋势是从不可逆共价升级到可逆非共价。不可逆抑制剂的治疗作用较强，可提高药物利用效率，但在高浓度下存在一定的脱靶毒性，如果患者产生BTK耐药突变，疗效将大打折扣。而可逆抑制剂则副作用较小，已经成为BTK抑制剂开发和应用领域的前沿。 除了联合疗法外，共价与非共价双重抑制剂正在开发中，取长补短，旨在最大限度地减少副作用并降低耐药性。LP-168就是这样一种双重抑制剂，能够根据突变是否存在进行共价和非共价结合。一项1期研究（NCT04993690）已经验证了LP-168的安全性和有效性。另一项1期研究（NCT04775745）发现，LP-168在患者中具有良好的耐受性，高达300mg的剂量都没有达到最大耐受剂量。 从clinicaltrials网站查询结果来看，目前开放中的BTK抑制剂临床试验有80多个，其中匹妥布替尼有17项。其他第三代BTK抑制剂包括默克的奈米他替尼、Aptose Biosciences的Luxeptinib以及和黄医药的HMPL-760等。奈米他替尼通过氢键可逆抑制野生型和C481S突变型BTK，但选择性较低。Luxeptinib是一种多激酶抑制剂，能非共价抑制多种激酶，包括野生型和突变型BTK、FLT3等。HMPL-760是一种高效、选择性、可逆BTK抑制剂，临床前模型显示其抑制活性高于匹妥布替尼片。 结语 相较于第一代BTK抑制剂，第二代BTK抑制剂在安全性上有显著提高，而非共价可逆BTK抑制剂的加入，为未来的临床治疗提供了更多的选择。BTK抑制剂单药或联合治疗模式在MCL治疗中逐渐成为趋势，并且有望作为一线诱导和维持治疗，让更多的MCL患者获得更佳的缓解和更长的无进展生存和总体生存。未来，第三代BTK抑制剂也会布局到更多适应症中。 参考来源： 1. Hematology Oncology Committee of China Anti-Cancer Association; Society of Hematology at Chinese Medical Association; Union for China Lymphoma Investigator at Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology. Zhonghua Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi. 2022;43(7):529-536. doi:10.3760/cma.j.issn.0253-2727.2022.07.001 2. 信达生物官网 3. 礼来官网 4. 行业深度报告 BTK 抑制剂问世开启靶向治疗，新型疗法突破耐药难题, 平安证券 5. Cool, Allison, et al. "BTK inhibitors: past, present, and future." Trends in Pharmacological Sciences (2024). 6. Stanchina, Michele D., et al. "Navigating the changing landscape of BTK-targeted therapies for B cell lymphomas and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia." Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology (2024): 1-21. 关于贝壳社 贝壳社是国内领先的医健创新创业服务平台，为医健创业者提供全路径创业服务。通过产业空间运营、创业教育、投资孵化、数字化赋能、企业价值增长等服务体系，给医健创业企业提供产业空间、人才战略培养、投融资、产业生态资源、数字化转型等服务。同时，贝壳社布局澳洲，帮助国内生物医药企业加速走向海外；成立“泰格-泰珑-贝壳社企业经营服务中心”为企业成长提供全生命周期的增值服务，提高企业运营效率，加快企业成长发展。我们深度链接政府、科研院所、临床机构、投资机构、第三方服务商、CXO等行业资源，致力于赋能医疗健康创业公司成长，推动创新技术造福人类生命健康。 往 期 推 荐 1 百亿大药，难逃“内卷”魔咒 2 破局！国内首款CD19 ADC药物获批上市 _ 3 最饥渴的大厂，全力扫货中国 _ *声明：本文仅为作者观点，不构成任何投资建议，且非治疗方案推荐。 投稿请添加小助手：bioclub666