SUZHOU, China and ROCKVILLE, Md., June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK), a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancer, chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and age-related diseases, announced today that it has released updated data of the Bcl-2 inhibitor lisaftoclax (APG-2575), one of the company's key drug candidates, combined with novel therapeutic regimens in patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) multiple myeloma (MM) or immunoglobulin light-chain (AL) amyloidosis, in a poster presentation at the 2024 European Hematology Association Hybrid Congress (EHA 2024), taking place in Madrid, Spain.

Building on results from the study released for the first time at the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, the updated data presented at EHA 2024 continued to show impressive efficacy and favorable safety of lisaftoclax-based combinations, particularly the combination with pomalidomide and dexamethasone in R/R MM. Moreover, the study reported an incidence of Grade 3 or higher treatment-related neutropenia of 14.3%, which underscored the regimens' potential in offering patients a safe new treatment option.

Prof. Sikander Ailawadhi, MD, from Mayo Clinic and the principal investigator of this study, commented, "This is a study of lisaftoclax combined with novel therapeutic regimens in patients with R/R MM or AL amyloidosis. From the primary analysis, it demonstrated that lisaftoclax + pomalidomide in R/R MM could achieve ≥very good partial response (VGPR) rate of 33.3%, and higher VGPR along with increasing lisaftoclax dosage. Moreover, lisaftoclax based therapy in both R/R MM and amyloidosis is very well tolerated with Grade 3/4 neutropenia of 14.3%. This convincing data could provide an alternative treatment option to patients with MM and amyloidosis."

"It is our pleasure to release the updated data of lisaftoclax in patients with R/R MM or AL amyloidosis at this year's EHA Hybrid Congress," said Dr. Yifan Zhai, Chief Medical Officer of Ascentage Pharma. "These data underscore the outstanding safety and efficacy profiles of the combination therapies, once again demonstrating these regimens' global best-in-class potential. We will actively advance this clinical development program to bring patients a safe and effective new treatment option as soon as possible."

The EHA Hybrid Congress is the largest gathering of the hematology field in Europe. It showcases the most cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art innovative therapies, attracting over 10,000 clinical experts and researchers from more than 100 countries every year. This year, in addition to the latest data of lisaftoclax, Ascentage Pharma also released those of the third-generation BCR-ABL1 inhibitor olverembatinib (HQP1351) and the EED inhibitor APG-5918.

Highlights of the data on lisaftoclax presented at EHA 2024 are as follows:

Lisaftoclax (APG-2575) Combined with Novel Therapeutic Regimens in Patients (Pts) with Relapsed or Refractory (R/R) Multiple Myeloma (MM) or Immunoglobulin Light-Chain (AL) Amyloidosis

• Abstract#: P917

• Presentation Type: Poster presentation

• Topic: Myeloma and other monoclonal gammopathies – Clinical

• Date & Time: Friday June 14, 2024, 18:00 - 19:00 CEST

• Presenting Author: Prof. Sikander Ailawadhi, Mayo Clinic Florida

Highlights:

• Background: R/R MM is incurable, with virtually inevitable relapse without appropriate therapeutic intervention. AL amyloidosis is a rare disease that may cause serious organ damage or death. Lisaftoclax is a novel, potent, selective BCL-2 inhibitor with clinical benefits in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors and a low reported incidence of adverse events (AEs).

• Introduction: The aim of this multicenter study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of lisaftoclax combined with pomalidomide and dexamethasone (Arms A and C) or daratumumab, lenalidomide, and dexamethasone (Arm B) in patients with R/R MM (Arms A and B) or R/R AL amyloidosis (Arm C).

• Patient enrollment and methods: Patients with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status≤2 were administered lisaftoclax daily in repeated 28-day cycles. Pomalidomide, daratumumab, and lenalidomide were administered per label use. Dexamethasone was administered at 40 mg/day, and patients aged>75 were administered at the reduced dose of 20 mg/day.

  • As of January 25, 2024, 44 patients that included 36 patients with R/R MM and 8 patients with R/R AL amyloidosis were enrolled in the 3 arms of the study (Arms A, B, and C) to receive lisaftoclax at various doses.

  • The median (range) age of patients was 70.5 (24-88) years, 68.2% were male, and 65.9% were older than 65 years.

  • The median (range) number of lines of prior therapies was 3 (1-19), median (range) time from diagnosis to the first dose of study drug was 5.5 (1-29) years, and median (range) number of treatment cycles was 4 (1-26).

• Efficacy results:

  • In Arm A, 27 patients with R/R MM were efficacy evaluable. Among them, 10 had partial response (PR), 7 had very good PR (VGPR), and 2 had complete response (CR). The overall response rate (ORR [PR+VGPR+CR]) was 70.4%.

  • In Arm B, 2 patients with R/R MM achieved CR.

  • In Arm C, 7 patients with R/R AL amyloidosis were efficacy evaluable, and the ORR was 85.7% (4 VGPRs, 2 CR).

• Safety results:

  • Of the 42 patients included in safety analysis, 10 patients experienced Grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs), including neutropenia (14.3%), febrile neutropenia (2.4%). 3 patients experienced serious TRAEs that included febrile neutropenia, acute kidney injury, and diarrhea with electrolyte imbalance (1 each).

  • A total of 24 patients discontinued treatment because of disease progression (n=15), treatment-emergent AE (TEAE, n=3), nonadherence (n=1), or investigator/patient decision (n=5).

• Conclusions: Lisaftoclax plus novel therapeutic regimens was well tolerated and demonstrated preliminary antitumor activity in patients with either R/R MM or AL amyloidosis.

*Lisaftoclax is an investigational drug that has not been approved in any country and region.

About Ascentage Pharma

Ascentage Pharma (6855.HK) is a globally focused biopharmaceutical company engaged in developing novel therapies for cancers, chronic hepatitis B, and age-related diseases. On October 28, 2019, Ascentage Pharma was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code 6855.HK.

Ascentage Pharma focuses on developing therapeutics that inhibit protein-protein interactions to restore apoptosis, or programmed cell death. The company has built a pipeline of 9 clinical drug candidates, including novel, highly potent Bcl-2, and dual Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitors, as well as candidates aimed at IAP and MDM2-p53 pathways, and next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Ascentage Pharma is also the only company in the world with active clinical programs targeting all three known classes of key apoptosis regulators. The company is conducting more than 40 Phase I/II clinical trials, including 5 global registrational phase III studies, in the US, Australia, Europe, and China. Ascentage Pharma has been designated for multiple Major National R&D Projects, including five Major New Drug Projects, one New Drug Incubator status, four Innovative Drug Programs, and one Major Project for the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases.

Olverembatinib, the company's core drug candidate developed for the treatment of drug-resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and the company's first approved product, has been granted Priority Review Designations and Breakthrough Therapy Designations by the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). To date, the drug had been included into the China 2022 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL). Furthermore, olverembatinib has been granted an Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and a Fast Track Designation (FTD) by the US FDA, and an Orphan Designation by the EMA of the EU. To date, Ascentage Pharma has obtained a total of 16 ODDs from the US FDA and 1 Orphan Designation from the EMA of the EU for 4 of the company's investigational drug candidates.

Leveraging its robust R&D capabilities, Ascentage Pharma has built a portfolio of global intellectual property rights and entered into global partnerships with numerous renowned biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and research institutes such as UNITY Biotechnology, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, MSD, and AstraZeneca. The company has built a talented team with global experience in the discovery and development of innovative drugs and is setting up its world-class commercial manufacturing and Sales & Marketing teams. One pivotal aim of Ascentage Pharma is to continuously strengthen its R&D capabilities and accelerate its clinical development programs, in order to fulfil its mission of addressing unmet clinical needs in China and around the world for the benefit of more patients.

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