Amplia Therapeutics Ltd (ASX:ATX) welcomes the publication by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research of a key paper describing the fundamental biology underpinning the company’s planned Phase 2 clinical trial in pancreatic cancer patients.
The paper titled 'Intravital imaging technology guides FAK-mediated priming in pancreatic cancer precision medicine according to Merlin status' has been published in the high impact peer-reviewed journal 'Science Advances' and further highlights the potential benefits of using a focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibitor before administration of standard chemotherapy.
Promisingly, this provides further validation supporting Amplia’s strategy for treating first-line pancreatic cancer patients in its upcoming Phase 2 clinical trial.
Study “particularly exciting”
Amplia CEO John Lambert said: “There have been several publications over the last two years that have highlighted the potential of FAK inhibitors in pancreatic cancer, including their ability to work synergistically with chemotherapy agents.
“This latest study from our collaborators at the Garvan Institute is particularly exciting as its replicates the approach that we are taking to treat first-line pancreatic cancer patients in our recently announced Phase 2 clinical trial.
“We believe that making an established standard of care, namely chemotherapy with gemcitabine/Abraxane®, more effective offers a very promising approach for improving the outcomes for these patients.”
CEO John Lambert.
“Increased responsiveness”
Professor Paul Timpson, a leading researcher in FAK biology at Garvan and a member of Amplia’s Scientific Advisory Board, led the research program which has shown that in mice implanted with human pancreatic cancer tissue, pre-treatment with a FAK inhibitor (‘priming’) increased the responsiveness of cancer to subsequently administered gemcitabine/Abraxane® chemotherapy.
Furthermore, FAK-priming also reduced the metastatic spread of tumour cells to secondary sites such as the liver.
About Amplia
Amplia Therapeutics Limited is an Australian pharmaceutical company advancing a pipeline of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) inhibitors for cancer and fibrosis.
FAK is an increasingly important target in the field of cancer immunology and Amplia has a particular development focus in pancreatic and ovarian cancer.
Notably, It also plays a significant role in several chronic diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).