FLX475 and Pembrolizumab to Expand the Cancer Therapeutics Market at Global Level

Release Date: 02-Nov-2020

As per the research findings, it is observed that the oral small molecule called as FLX475 alone or in combination with other immunotherapy drugs such as pembrolizumab in a phase andfrac12; dose-escalation and expansion study had an anti-tumor activity. The drug developed by the researchers is considered to be a potent and non-depleting CCR4 antagonist protein capable of blocking regulatory T cells. It is observed that FLX475 is capable of treating large variety of cancer cells.

The total number of patients that were enrolled in the study were 37. Some of the cancer types that were selected for the study were nonandndash;small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC), urothelial carcinoma, gastric cancer, esophageal carcinoma, cervical cancer, and classical Hodgkin lymphoma and the doses of FLX475 which was given to the patients were 25 mg, 50 mg, 75 mg or 100 mg once daily. Out of the 37 patients enrolled, 18 patients received dose levels of 50 mg, 75 mg or 100 mg once daily.

14 out of the enrolled patients received disease control, complete response rate or stable disease. 2 patients who were having non-small cell lung cancer also received partial response.  It was observed that the initial data received showed an influx in the CD8 to Treg ratio after the complete treatment procedure, thus concluding that the hypothetical study was true. The researchers also demonstrated that CCR4 antagonist carries the ability to block the tumor Treg and further enhance the anti-tumor activity.

Afterwards, phase 2 study of same was conducted in which 80 patients were enrolled. This study included 4 cohorts of the FLX475 monotherapy as well as 4 of FLX475 and immune checkpoint inhibitor pembrolizumab. In this respective study, cancer types such as Epstein-Barr Virus- or Human Papillomavirus-associated cancers such as nasopharyngeal cancer, cervical cancer, and subsets of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas as well as head and neck cancer were studied. As per study conducted, it is observed that the combination had a beneficial clinical activity which is sufficient to take the study into next clinical phase study. Researchers working on this study will continue to enroll the patients for further evaluation of the combination or monotherapy into the cancer patients.