Amplia Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:ATX) has entered a second phase of its preclinical research collaboration with South Korean drug screening specialist Next & Bio, expanding work on Amplia’s focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitors in combination with experimental kRAS inhibitors for pancreatic cancer and other solid tumours.
The new agreement follows an initial phase in which Amplia assessed whether its FAK inhibitors could suppress growth in patient-derived pancreatic cancer cells carrying mutations in the kRAS gene. Amplia says kRAS mutations are present in more than 90% of pancreatic cancers and reported its lead FAK inhibitor narmafotinib (AMP945) delivered promising activity in the early work.
Amplia says data from the first phase will be presented at a forthcoming scientific conference.
Focus shifts to combination studies with kRAS inhibitors
Under the expanded collaboration, Next & Bio will conduct further studies assessing narmafotinib in combination with inhibitors that target mutant kRAS.
Amplia says kRAS inhibitors are an emerging drug class being developed across multiple cancer types, including pancreatic cancer, and that there is scientific rationale for combining FAK inhibition with kRAS inhibition to improve responses.
Next & Bio’s platform tests treatments on cancer cells taken directly from patients using models developed specifically for pancreatic cancer.
Amplia says the cells are grown in a way intended to closely replicate the tumour environment, supporting more predictive preclinical screening results.
Amplia CEO and managing director Dr Chris Burns said the first phase “successfully demonstrated” activity of Amplia’s FAK inhibitors on patient-derived pancreatic cancer cells and the company now wants to investigate potential synergy between narmafotinib and kRAS inhibitors.
“The initial phase of our collaboration successfully demonstrated the activity of Amplia’s FAK inhibitors on patient-derived pancreatic cancer cells. Building on these promising results, we are eager to further investigate the potential synergy between narmafotinib and kRAS inhibitors. This next phase of the collaboration is expected to strategically position Amplia for expanded partnering opportunities and commercial growth.”
Next & Bio CEO SangWook Park said the company will use its preclinical research platform to investigate synergistic effects with kRAS inhibitors, with the aim of supporting new therapeutic options for pancreatic cancer patients.
“We are delighted to build on the success of our initial collaboration and to advance into a second phase of partnership with Amplia Therapeutics. In this collaboration, Next & Bio will leverage its preclinical research platform to investigate synergistic effects with kRAS inhibitors, with the ultimate goal of delivering new therapeutic options for pancreatic cancer patients with high unmet medical needs.”
Pipeline context and clinical program update
Amplia is developing a pipeline of FAK inhibitors for cancer and fibrosis, with a stated focus on fibrotic cancers such as pancreatic and ovarian cancer.
Its lead asset narmafotinib is being evaluated clinically in advanced pancreatic cancer. Amplia says its ACCENT trial is dosing narmafotinib in combination with gemcitabine and Abraxane in first-line patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and has achieved a confirmed response rate of 35%, compared with 23% reported in the benchmark MPACT study for gemcitabine and Abraxane alone. Amplia also reported an interim median progression-free survival of 7.6 months.
A second trial, AMPLICITY, has opened under an IND at sites in Australia and the US to investigate narmafotinib in combination with FOLFIRINOX in advanced pancreatic cancer patients.