BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rhizen Pharmaceuticals AG (Rhizen), a Switzerland-based privately held, clinical-stage oncology & inflammation-focussed biopharmaceutical company announced today that it has commenced dosing in a phase II trial to evaluate Tenalisib (RP6530; isoform selective dual PI3K δ/γ inhibitor with additional SIK3 activity) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. This multi-center, randomized phase II study is being conducted in eastern Europe and is designed to assess Tenalisib’s anti-tumor activity and safety across two dose levels. The study also includes translational assessments intended to delineate the effect of Tenalisib’s multivalent mechanism on relevant cytokines/chemokine levels and gene expression changes within the tumor microenvironment.

Rhizen indicated that Tenalisib, in addition to its selective dual PI3K δ/γ inhibitory activity, also has Salt-Inducible Kinase 3 (SIK3) activity via its principal metabolite, that could potentially contribute to its chemo-sensitization effect as observed in its preclinical studies, especially in breast cancer. Rhizen hopes to establish the single agent activity of Tenalisib in this current study after which it plans to expand the assessment across additional solid tumor indications and combinations both with chemotherapeutic agents and with immune-checkpoint inhibitors.

“PI3K inhibition continues to remain a relevant therapeutic intervention across tumor types given the importance of its signalling in tumor development. We have demonstrated our ability to develop safe and differentiated isoform selective PI3K inhibitors that can withstand the rigors of development and be integrated into clinical practice” said Swaroop Vakkalanka, Founder & CEO of Rhizen Pharma. Swaroop also added that “This is a sentinel study that we expect will pave the way for Tenalisib’s potential to be expanded beyond haematological cancers into solid tumors, given its stellar safety profile, multivalent activity and consequent combinability.”

About Tenalisib (RP6530):

Tenalisib (RP6530) is a highly selective, next-generation, orally active, dual PI3K δ/γ inhibitor with additional SIK3 activity, that is currently in phase II clinical development for haematological malignancies & solid tumors. Tenalisib has been granted US FDA Fast Track & Orphan-Drug Designations for treatment of r/r PTCL and CTCL and had recently published data from its phase II study evaluating Tenalisib both as monotherapy and in combination with Romidepsin in r/r PTCL & CTCL which showed robust responses of ~75% ORR in r/r PTCL and ~54% in r/r CTCL. The combination was well tolerated with no additional toxicities noted over & above those of the individual agents, confirming Tenalisib’s superior safety profile in its class. Overall, Tenalisib has been studied in over 165 patients across studies till now and has shown potentially better safety outcomes vis-à-vis other agents in the PI3K class.

About Rhizen Pharmaceuticals AG.:

Rhizen Pharmaceuticals is an innovative, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel oncology & inflammation therapeutics. Since its establishment in 2008, Rhizen has created a diverse pipeline of proprietary drug candidates targeting several cancers and immune associated cellular pathways.

Rhizen has proven expertise in the PI3K modulator space with the discovery of our first PI3Kδ & CK1ε asset Umbralisib, that has been successfully developed & commercialized in MZL & FL by our licensing partner TG Therapeutics (TGTX) in USA. Beyond this, Rhizen has a deep oncology & inflammation pipeline spanning discovery to phase II clinical development stages.

Rhizen is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. For additional information, please visit https://www.rhizen.com/

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