AVEO Oncology (Nasdaq: AVEO) today announced the initiation of a Phase 1
study examining the safety and preliminary efficacy of AV-203 along with
exploratory biomarkers in patients with advanced solid tumors. AV-203 is
a monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the receptor ERBB3, a new
and promising strategy for treating cancer. AV-203 was developed through
AVEO's Human Response Platform™, which evaluates drugs that can block
the function of cancer-causing target genes and identifies biomarkers
that are indicators of drug response or resistance in patients. This
advancement marks the third AVEO product candidate to enter clinical
development.
"We believe ERBB3 represents an exciting new oncology target," said
George Blumenschein, Jr., M.D., associate professor of medicine
thoracic/head and neck medical oncology at the University of Texas, M.D.
Anderson Cancer Center, and lead investigator of the AV-203 Phase 1
study. "Research has indicated ERBB3 acts as a central node of oncogenic
signaling. It may play a critical role not only in tumor formation and
proliferation across a broad range of cancer types, but also in the
development of resistance to currently used EGFR and HER2 inhibitors.
AV-203 has demonstrated potent inhibition of activated ERBB3 in a
variety of human tumor models with different genetic backgrounds. I look
forward to evaluating the utility of AV-203 as a potential new
therapeutic option for patients living with cancer."
The AV-203 Phase 1 trial, a multi-center, dose-escalation study, will
evaluate the safety, tolerability, dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs),
maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or recommended Phase 2 dose (RP2D) of
AV-203 in subjects with metastatic or advanced solid tumors. Secondary
endpoints in the study include characterizing the pharmacokinetic (PK)
profile of AV-203 and anti-drug antibody levels, and evaluating the
preliminary anti-tumor activity. A core component of the study will be
the exploration of predictive biomarkers for AV-203 response identified
using AVEO's Human Response Platform. Up to 30 patients are expected to
enroll in the dose-escalation portion of the study, and up to 60
additional patients may be enrolled in the biomarker exploration
component of the study. For further study details, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.
"With the initiation of this trial, we now have three targeted oncology
therapeutic candidates in clinical development, all of which use
distinct and novel mechanisms of action to fight cancer," said William
Slichenmyer, M.D., Sc.M., chief medical officer at AVEO. "The successful
advancement of AV-203 into the clinic and the identification of a
potential biomarker of AV-203 response provide further validation of the
advantages of our proprietary Human Response Platform."