Inhibitors BGB324 and BGB10C9 show promise in multiple murine models of pancreatic cancer

May 30 2015

BerGenBio AS ("BerGenBio" or the "Company"), an oncology biopharmaceutical company, today announces that an abstract on the latest data on BGB324, the Company's first-in-class, selective small molecule inhibitor of the Axl receptor tyrosine kinase, and BGB10C9, an Axl function-blocking monoclonal antibody in pre-clinical development at BerGenBio, has been published in conjunction with the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, May 29 - June 2, 2015.

The abstract entitled: "Targeting Axl for the treatment of pancreatic cancer" by Dr. Kathleen Ludwig and Prof. Rolf A. Brekken, The University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas, demonstrates that selective Axl-targeting with BGB324 or BGB10C9, inhibits tumour progression and blocks metastasis in multiple murine models of pancreatic cancer.

In vitro analysis was performed in pancreatic cancer cell lines and in vivo efficacy of Axl inhibition by BGB324, BGB10C9 or low-dose warfarin treatment (an inhibitor of the Axl ligand Gas6) was evaluated in several aggressive murine models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). By targeting Axl, markers of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were downregulated and PDAC tumour cell migration, invasiveness and proliferation were inhibited, while apoptosis (programmed cell death) and sensitivity to chemotherapy were increased. In the murine PDAC models, tumour progression was inhibited and spontaneous metastasis was blocked. This data supports the development of selective Axl-targeting agents to enhance pancreatic cancer treatment and suggests that BGB324, currently in two Phase Ib trials, or BGB10C9, may significantly improve outcomes in these patients.

Richard Godfrey, Chief Executive Officer of BerGenBio, commented:

"This data further supports the hypothesis that blocking EMT leads to a reduction in cancer progression and improves effectiveness of chemotherapy. These exciting results published at ASCO reinforce our view that selective Axl-targeting agents hold significant promise in aggressive cancers, including pancreatic cancer, where the Axl receptor is upregulated. BGB324 is currently in Phase Ib clinical trials for acute myeloid leukaemia and non-small cell lung cancer and we look forward to future studies that further explore the clinical opportunity for this drug candidate. These results suggest that BGB10C9 provides BerGenBio with an additional candidate for further development."

SOURCE BerGenBio