Ascenta, LLS enter agreement to develop AT-406 IAP small molecule inhibitor for acute myeloid leukemia

Ascenta Therapeutics, Inc. and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) today entered into an agreement whereby the LLS will support clinical development of Ascenta's oral small molecule inhibitor of IAPs (inhibitor of apoptosis proteins), AT-406, for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

“We are delighted to join forces with the LLS to pursue this novel approach for patients with leukemia.”

"Resistance to apoptosis, or programmed cancer cell death, is a central obstacle to treatments for leukemia and IAP-family proteins are known to be elevated in some leukemias," said Mel Sorensen, MD, Ascenta's President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are delighted to join forces with the LLS to pursue this novel approach for patients with leukemia."

Under the agreement, Ascenta will conduct its first Phase I trial of AT-406 in adults with AML in combination with the standard AML induction regimen. LLS will also support the investigation of biomarkers for AT-406 for this disease. Ascenta expects to start patient enrollment in this study in the first quarter of 2011 in the United States.

Taking an active role in accelerating development of novel therapies for patients, LLS has committed multi-year funding to support this collaboration as part of its Therapy Acceleration Program (TAP). The TAP supports private sector and academic-based projects with the goal of advancing investigational therapies with high prospects for providing near-term benefit to patients with blood cancers.

"Development of a therapeutic agent that allows clinicians to induce or regulate apoptosis directly would be a significant advance in the treatment of leukemia," said Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Mission Officer of LLS. "Our work with Ascenta will not only determine if their oral multi-IAP inhibitor shows promise in patients with AML but also help identify which of these patients might receive the most benefit."

SOURCE Ascenta Therapeutics, Inc. and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society