Ph1b data support safety, predictable PK and adequate plasma exposure
Bergen, Norway, October 7, 2024 - BerGenBio ASA (OSE: BGBIO), a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company developing novel, selective AXL kinase inhibitors for
severe unmet medical needs, announced today preliminary safety data from the
Phase 1b portion of the BGBC016 study in first-line (1L) Non-Small Cell Lung
Cancer (NSCLC) patients.
The Phase 1b part of the study evaluated three escalating doses of BerGenBio's
selective AXL inhibitor bemcentinib in combination with standard chemo
-immunotherapy (CIT), doublet chemotherapy and pembrolizumab, Keytruda ®, for
the 1L treatment of advanced/metastatic NSCLC patients. The primary endpoint was
the assessment of the safety profile of the combination in NSCLC patients
regardless of their STK11 mutational status.
Key conclusions include:
· All three selected doses demonstrated that the triplet combination is well
tolerated with no new safety signals identified, supporting the further clinical
development of bemcentinib and CIT in 1L NSCLC patients.
· No dose-related impact on electrocardiographic changes (QTc), a known class
effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, was reported for bemcentinib during the
observation period.
· Pharmacokinetic analyses confirmed adequate plasma exposure of bemcentinib,
achieving levels consistent with that previously observed in responders in
BerGenBio's BGBC008 study of bemcentinib and pembrolizumab in second-line NSCLC
patients.
Martin Olin, Chief Executive Officer of BerGenBio, commented: "The data show
that bemcentinib has a manageable safety profile and gives us increased
confidence in continuing the BGBC016 clinical trial. The global trial is
currently enrolling patients in Phase 2a targeting patients with a mutation in
the STK11 gene, and we look forward to sharing the first preliminary data as
they mature."
Contacts
Martin Olin CEO, BerGenBio ASA
ir@bergenbio.com
Rune Skeie, CFO, BerGenBio ASA
rune.skeie@bergenbio.com
Investor Relations / Media Relations
Jan Lilleby
jl@lillebyfrisch.no
About STK11m NSCLC
Patients with STK11m NSCLC have a significantly poorer response to current
therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, when compared with patients
with wild-type (non-mutated) STK11. AXL plays a significant role in the survival
and spread of cancer and STK11m NSCLC patients have a high expression of AXL
suggesting that AXL is an important target to prevent disease progression and
resistance to existing therapies. Bemcentinib's selective inhibition of AXL has
been shown to improve the response to immune checkpoint inhibition in STK11m
patient-derived preclinical models and in early clinical studies. There are
currently no targeted therapies available for the STK11m NSCLC patient
population, which represents up to 20% of 1L NSCLC patients.
About BerGenBio ASA
BerGenBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing
transformative drugs targeting AXL as a potential cornerstone of therapy for
aggressive diseases, including cancer and severe respiratory infections. The
Company is focused on its proprietary lead candidate, bemcentinib, a potentially
first-in-class selective AXL inhibitor in development for STK11 mutated NSCLC
and severe respiratory infections. BerGenBio is based in Bergen, Norway with a
subsidiary in Oxford, UK. The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange
(ticker: BGBIO). For more information, visitwww.bergenbio.com
This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5
-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.