Verastem Oncology Granted Fast Track Designation for Combination of Avutometinib and Sotorasib for the Treatment of KRAS G12C-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
- FDA granting Fast Track Designation to avutometinib in combination with sotorasib for KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC treatment
- Confirmed responses in both KRAS G12C inhibitor resistant and naïve patients in the initial RAMP 203 trial results
- Ongoing enrollment in the expansion phase of RAMP 203 with updated results expected in the first half of 2024
- None.
The Fast Track Designation by the FDA for Verastem Oncology's avutometinib in combination with Amgen's LUMAKRAST (sotorasib) represents a significant milestone in the treatment landscape of KRAS G12C-mutant metastatic NSCLC. This designation is pivotal as it underscores the urgency and potential benefit of this combination therapy for patients who have limited treatment options after first-line therapy. The dual inhibition strategy targets the MAPK pathway more comprehensively, which may lead to more sustained tumor regression and reduced relapse rates. This is particularly important given the propensity for resistance development with single-agent KRAS G12C inhibitors.
From a clinical perspective, the ongoing RAMP 203 trial's initial results indicating efficacy in both treatment-naïve and pre-treated patients provide a beacon of hope for a broader patient population. The dual therapy's ability to inhibit ERK activation—an essential downstream component of the RAS pathway—could translate into improved progression-free survival rates, a critical outcome measure in oncology. The pharmacokinetic profile's consistency with monotherapy studies and the absence of drug-drug interactions further support the regimen's potential viability.
The Fast Track Designation is a strategic regulatory advantage that can potentially expedite the availability of avutometinib and sotorasib to the market. The RAMP 203 trial's progress is not only significant for Verastem Oncology's pipeline but also for investors monitoring the company's milestones and the potential impact on its valuation. The dual blockade approach may offer a competitive edge over existing treatments and positive trial outcomes could lead to increased market share in the NSCLC space.
Investors should note the trial's updated results expected in the first half of 2024, which will be critical in assessing the treatment's efficacy and safety profile. The combination therapy's success could also pave the way for similar strategies in other types of cancer with RAS pathway mutations, highlighting the importance of this research beyond NSCLC. The biopharmaceutical sector often sees stock volatility in response to clinical trial outcomes and Verastem's focus on a high-incidence mutation like KRAS G12C could have significant market implications.
The oncology market is highly competitive and Verastem Oncology's strategy to target KRAS G12C mutations positions the company in a niche but rapidly evolving segment. The KRAS G12C mutation is prevalent in NSCLC and advancements in treatment options can address a substantial unmet medical need, potentially leading to substantial revenue growth for Verastem. The market will be closely watching the trial's expansion phase and subsequent data readouts.
Given the strategic collaboration with Amgen, the combination therapy's success could also influence partnership dynamics within the industry, as companies strive to enhance the efficacy of cancer treatments through combination regimens. Such collaborations can be instrumental in sharing development costs and risks, as well as in leveraging each company's expertise for more effective drug development. The outcome of the RAMP 203 trial may thus have broader implications for strategic alliances in the oncology sector.
Ongoing RAMP 203 Trial Assessing a More Complete Vertical Blockade with RAF/MEK and KRAS G12C Inhibition Along RAS Pathway to Improve Outcomes in KRAS G12C-Mutant NSCLC
Confirmed Responses Observed in Both KRAS G12C Inhibitor Naïve and Pre-treated Patients in Initial RAMP 203 Trial Results; Enrollment Ongoing in Expansion Phase
“Receiving Fast Track Designation for the combination of avutometinib and sotorasib reinforces the importance of improving the depth of MAPK pathway inhibition to enhance tumor regression relative to KRAS G12C inhibition alone and the potential of the combination of avutometinib and sotorasib in KRAS G12C mutant locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC,” said Dan Paterson, President and CEO, Verastem Oncology. “Given that KRAS G12C is the most common KRAS mutation in NSCLC, the advancement of the combination is important in understanding potential new treatment approaches. We look forward to continued interaction with the FDA as we advance the development of this promising treatment regimen.”
While newer targeted therapies specific to KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC have shown significant promise, avutometinib targets the RAS pathway, which is a common source of acquired mutation. Preclinical proof-of-concept studies demonstrated improvements with the combination of avutometinib and sotorasib vs sotorasib alone, including deeper tumor regression through enhanced blockade of ERK activation and a decrease in the frequency of relapse of tumors. The RAMP 203 clinical development program will determine whether the promising preclinical results observed with the combination of avutometinib with sotorasib translate into improved clinical outcomes for patients with KRAS G12C-mutant locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC who have received prior therapy for metastatic disease and have not been previously treated with a KRAS G12C inhibitor.
Initial results of the RAMP 203 (NCT05074810) Phase 1/2, multicenter, open label, dose evaluation/expansion study evaluating the efficacy and safety of avutometinib + sotorasib in patients with KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC who have not been previously treated with a KRAS G12C inhibitor as well as in patients who have been previously treated with a KRAS G12C inhibitor demonstrated confirmed responses in both KRAS G12C inhibitor resistant and naïve patients. The pharmacokinetic profile of avutometinib in combination with sotorasib in the RAMP 203 trial was similar to results in monotherapy studies. No drug-drug interactions were observed between avutometinib and sotorasib. Avutometinib 4.0 mg PO BIW 21/28 days + sotorasib 960 mg PO QD 28/28 days was selected as RP2D based on dose limiting toxicity (DLT) assessment. These initial RAMP 203 results were presented at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in October, 2023. Enrollment of patients with KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC who are either naïve to or previously treated with a KRAS G12C inhibitor is ongoing in the expansion phase of RAMP 203 with updated results expected in the first half of 2024.
About Avutometinib
Avutometinib is a RAF/MEK clamp that induces inactive complexes of MEK with ARAF, BRAF and CRAF potentially creating a more complete and durable anti-tumor response through maximal RAS pathway inhibition. Avutometinib is currently in late-stage development.
In contrast to currently available MEK inhibitors, avutometinib blocks both MEK kinase activity and the ability of RAF to phosphorylate MEK. This unique mechanism allows avutometinib to block MEK signaling without the compensatory activation of MEK that appears to limit the efficacy of other inhibitors. The
Verastem Oncology is currently conducting clinical trials with its RAF/MEK clamp avutometinib in RAS pathway-driven tumors as part of its RAMP (Raf And Mek Program) trials. RAMP 201 is a Phase 2 registration-directed trial of avutometinib in combination with defactinib in patients with recurrent LGSOC and has completed enrollment in the dose optimization and expansion phases and is enrolling for low-dose evaluation. Verastem Oncology has established clinical collaborations with Amgen and Mirati to evaluate LUMAKRAS™ (sotorasib) and KRAZATI™ (adagrasib) in combination with avutometinib in KRAS G12C mutant NSCLC as part of the RAMP 203 and RAMP 204 trials, respectively. Supported by the “Therapeutic Accelerator Award” Verastem Oncology received from PanCAN, the Company is conducting RAMP 205, a Phase 1b/2 clinical trial evaluating avutometinib and defactinib with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in patients with front-line metastatic pancreatic cancer.
About Verastem Oncology
Verastem Oncology (Nasdaq: VSTM) is a development-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of new medicines to improve the lives of patients diagnosed with cancer. Our pipeline is focused on novel small molecule drugs that inhibit critical signaling pathways in cancer that promote cancer cell survival and tumor growth, including RAF/MEK inhibition and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibition. For more information, please visit www.verastem.com.
Forward-Looking Statements Notice
This press release includes forward-looking statements about Verastem Oncology’s strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements related to the expected outcome and benefits of the collaboration with Genfleet, the potential clinical value of various of its clinical trials, the timing of commencing and completing trials, including topline data reports, interactions with regulators and potential for additional development programs involving Verastem Oncology’s lead compound. The words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "predict," "project," "target," "potential," "will," "would," "could," "should," "continue," “can,” “promising” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Each forward-looking statement is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statement.
Applicable risks and uncertainties include the risks and uncertainties, among other things, regarding: the success in the development and potential commercialization of our product candidates, including avutometinib in combination with other compounds, including defactinib, LUMAKRASTM and others; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, such as negative or unexpected results of clinical trials, the occurrence or timing of applications for our product candidates that may be filed with regulatory authorities in any jurisdictions; whether and when regulatory authorities in any jurisdictions may approve any such applications that may be filed for our product candidates, and, if approved, whether our product candidates will be commercially successful in such jurisdictions; our ability to obtain, maintain and enforce patent and other intellectual property protection for our product candidates; the scope, timing, and outcome of any legal proceedings; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding trial design, labeling and other matters that could affect the timing, availability or commercial potential of our product candidates; whether preclinical testing of our product candidates and preliminary or interim data from clinical trials will be predictive of the results or success of ongoing or later clinical trials; that the timing, scope and rate of reimbursement for our product candidates is uncertain; that third-party payors (including government agencies) may not reimburse; that there may be competitive developments affecting our product candidates; that data may not be available when expected; that enrollment of clinical trials may take longer than expected; that our product candidates will cause adverse safety events and/or unexpected concerns may arise from additional data or analysis, or result in unmanageable safety profiles as compared to their levels of efficacy; that our product candidates may experience manufacturing or supply interruptions or failures; that any of our third party contract research organizations, contract manufacturing organizations, clinical sites, or contractors, among others, who we rely on fail to fully perform; that we face substantial competition, which may result in others developing or commercializing products before or more successfully than we do which could result in reduced market share or market potential for our product candidates; that we will be unable to successfully initiate or complete the clinical development and eventual commercialization of our product candidates; that the development and commercialization of our product candidates will take longer or cost more than planned, including as a result of conducting additional studies; that we may not have sufficient cash to fund our contemplated operations; that we may not attract and retain high quality personnel; that we or Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. will fail to fully perform under the avutometinib license agreement; that our target market for our product candidates might be smaller than we are presently estimating; that Secura Bio, Inc. will fail to fully perform under the asset purchase agreement with Secura Bio, Inc., including in relation to milestone payments; that we will not see a return on investment on the payments we have and may continue to make pursuant to the collaboration and option agreement with Genfleet or that Genfleet will fail to fully perform under the agreement; that we may be unable to obtain adequate financing in the future through product licensing, co-promotional arrangements, public or private equity, debt financing or otherwise; that we will not pursue or submit regulatory filings for our product candidates; and that our product candidates will not receive regulatory approval, become commercially successful products, or result in new treatment options being offered to patients.
Other risks and uncertainties include those identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on March 14, 2023 and in any subsequent filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Verastem Oncology’s views as of the date hereof, and the Company does not assume and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
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Argot Partners
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Corporate Communications
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lbuffington@verastem.com
Source: Verastem Oncology
