Product Development Programs: VAL-083
Del Mar Pharma's first product candidate, VAL-083, benefits from an historical investment of more than US$50 million by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States. The drug is well-characterized and has been studied in more than 40 Phase I & Phase II NCI-sponsored human clinical trials in the United States and in Europe. VAL-083 is approved as a cancer chemotherapeutic in China for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and solid tumors, including lung cancer.
VAL-083 Target Markets
Additional Orphan Drug Indications - AML
We have opened an IND with the US FDA to begin Phase II human clinical trials with VAL-083 in patients suffering from glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer.
VAL-083 represents a 'first in class' small-molecule chemotherapeutic. VAL-083 has been assessed in multiple NCI-sponsored clinical studies in various cancers including lung, brain, cervical, ovarian tumors and leukemia. Published pre-clinical and clinical data suggest that VAL-083 may be active against a range of tumor types.
Based on published research, the mechanism of action of VAL-083 is understood to be a bi-functional alkylating agent; however, the functional groups associated with alkylating events has been shown to differ from other alkylating agents used in the treatment of GBM.
VAL-083 has demonstrated activity in cyclophosphamide, BCNU and phenylanine mustard resistant cell lines and no evidence of cross-resistance has been encountered in published clinical studies. Based on the presumed alkylating functionality of VAL-083, published literature suggests that DNA repair mechanisms associated with Temodar and nitrosourea resistance, such as 06-methylguanine methyltransferace (MGMT), may not confer resistance to VAL-083.
VAL-083 readily crosses the blood brain barrier where it maintains a long half-life in comparison to the plasma. Published preclinical and clinical research demonstrates that VAL-083 is selective for brain tumor tissue.
VAL-083 has been assessed in multiple studies as chemotherapy in the treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent brain tumors. In published clinical studies, VAL-083 has previously been shown to have a statistically significant impact on median survival in high grade gliomas when combined with radiation vs. radiation alone. The main dose-limiting toxicity related to the administration of VAL-083 in previous clinical studies was myelosuppression.
Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM)
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and most malignant form of brain cancer. Of the estimated 17,000 primary brain tumors diagnosed in the United States each year, approximately 60% are gliomas. Attention was drawn to this form of brain cancer when Senator Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with glioblastoma and ultimately died from it.Newly diagnosed patients suffering from GBM are initially treated through invasive brain surgery, although disease progression following surgical resection is nearly 100%. Temozolomide (Temodar™) in combination with radiation is the front-line therapy for GBM following surgery. Temodar™ currently generates more than US$950 million annually in global revenues primarily from the treatment of brain cancer.
Approximately 60% of GBM patients treated with Temodar® experience tumor progression within one year. Bevacizumab (Avastin®) has been approved for the treatment of GBM in patients failing Temodar®. According to the Avastin® label, approximately 20% of patients failing Temodar™ respond to Avastin™ therapy. Analysts anticipate annual Avastin® revenues for the treatment of brain cancer may reach US$650 million by 2016.
Approximately 48% of patients who are diagnosed with GBM will fail both front-line therapy and Avastin™. DelMar Pharma estimates that the market for treating GBM patients the post-Avastin failure exceeds US$200 million annually in North America.