Esperance completes EP 100 and paclitaxel Phase 2 combination trial on advanced ovarian cancer

Esperance Pharmaceuticals today announced the completion of the run-in cohort of its Phase 2, randomized, multi‐center trial of EP‑100 in combination with paclitaxel for patients with advanced ovarian cancer. EP‐100 is a targeted membrane‐disrupting peptide (tMDP) designed to seek and destroy cancer cells that overexpress luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) receptors on their surfaces. LHRH receptors are overexpressed in a wide range of cancers including ovarian cancer. In June, the Company presented results from the successful completion of a Phase 1 study of EP‑100 in advanced solid tumors at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

"We are pleased with the continued momentum behind EP‑100 and the progress of enrollment as we begin the randomized treatment phase," said Dr. Hector Alila, CEO of Esperance. "We are encouraged with early results, and look forward to accelerating enrollment in a very important, underserved patient population and providing an update on the clinical progress over time."

The randomized, Phase 2 trial of EP‑100 in combination with paclitaxel versus paclitaxel alone in patients with histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian carcinomas expressing LHRH‐receptors is actively enrolling patients in key clinical sites across the United States. Rationale for the study is based on the positive clinical evidence from escalating doses in 38 patients in the Phase 1 study and on preclinical studies showing synergies between EP‑100 and various chemotherapeutic agents.