Lurbinectedin data in Progressive Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma presented at ESMO
- A multicenter, international, single-arm, Phase II trial of lurbinectedin in progressive Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma (MPM) has been presented at ESMO.
- The primary endpoint of the Phase II trial, Progression Free Survival (PFS) at 12-weeks has been achieved, being reached by 52.4% of patients.
Madrid, October 1st, 2019.- SAKK (Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research), in collaboration with PharmaMar (MSE:PHM), presented the results of the Phase II trial of lurbinectedin as a single agent in the treatment of progressive MPM, in an oral session. The oral presentation took place during the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress, which is being held from September 27th to October 1st in Barcelona.
The oral presentation, entitled "SAKK 17/16: Lurbinectedin as second or third line palliative chemotherapy in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM): A multi-center, single-arm Phase II trial", has shown results of the Phase II, multicenter, international, single-arm trial, which enrolled 42 patients with progressive MPM achieving its primary endpoint of Progression Free Survival (PFS) at 12 weeks in 52.4% of patients.
There is currently no standard second-line treatment for MPM. The most commonly used treatments in this setting are monotherapy with either vinorelbine or gemcitabine, both associated with a median PFS of less than 3 months and a median OS of less than 9 months[1]. Therefore, there is a high unmet medical need for novel treatments in progressive MPM.
According to Dr. Metaxas, coordinating investigator of this trial: "These results demonstrate that lurbinectedin might be active in progressive MPM and seems to work independently of histology or after prior treatment with immunotherapy. Both patients with a slow or fast disease progression on prior first-line platinum-pemetrexed chemotherapy could benefit from this treatment.”
Malignant mesothelioma is a tumor that originates from the mesothelial cells of the pleural, peritoneal or pericardial lining, and is often associated with exposure to asbestos, usually with a very poor prognosis at the time of diagnosis, the pleural mesothelioma being the most frequent location. The goal of current cancer treatments (surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy) is to reduce or eliminate symptoms, as well as to prolong progression-free survival (PFS) and/or overall survival (OS). It is estimated that the incidence of this type of cancer may increase in the coming years due to the long latency period between exposure to asbestos and the appearance of the tumor.
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About PharmaMar
Headquartered in Madrid, PharmaMar is a biopharmaceutical company, focused on oncology and committed to research and development which takes its inspiration from the sea to discover molecules with antitumor activity. It is a company that seeks innovative products to provide healthcare professionals with new tools to treat cancer. Its commitment to patients and to research has made it one of the world leaders in the discovery of antitumor drugs of marine origin.
PharmaMar has a pipeline of drug candidates and a robust R&D oncology program. It develops and commercializes Yondelis® in Europe and has other clinical-stage programs under development for several types of solid cancers: lurbinectedin (PM1183), PM184 and PM14. With subsidiaries in Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria and the United States. PharmaMar wholly owns other companies: GENOMICA, a molecular diagnostics company; Sylentis, dedicated to researching therapeutic applications of gene silencing (RNAi). To learn more about PharmaMar, please visit us at www.pharmamar.com.
About SAKK
The Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research (SAKK) is a non-profit organization, which has been conducting clinical trials in oncology since 1965. Its primary objective is to research new cancer therapies, to develop existing treatments further and to improve the chances of a cure for patients with cancer. This takes place through cooperative projects within Switzerland and in collaboration with centers and study groups abroad. The SAKK is supported by a service-level agreement with the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and also by partners such as the Swiss Cancer League and Swiss Cancer Research. For more information, go to www.sakk.ch, info@sakk.ch.
About lurbinectedin
Lurbinectedin (PM1183) is a synthetic compound currently under clinical investigation. It is a selective inhibitor of the oncogenic transcription programs on which many tumors are particularly dependent. Together with its effect on cancer cells, lurbinectedin inhibits oncogenic transcription in tumor-associated macrophages, downregulating the production of cytokines that are essential for the growth of the tumor. Transcriptional addiction is an acknowledged target in those diseases, many of them lacking other actionable targets.
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