Offering some relief for people suffering from prostate cancer, Starpharma (ASX: SPL) might be on the verge of a breakthrough as it announced that its drug DEP® cabazitaxel has shown promising anti-tumour activity data at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Paris, France.
The new data from its phase 2 trial reveals that DEP has key advantages for patients with metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) over Jevtana, which is conventional cabazitaxel. It boasts greater efficacy measured by longer progression-free survival (PFS) and lower incidence of major side effects, a noteworthy feat given that the cohort of patients had been heavily pre-treated.
Prostate cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in males globally, with over a million new prostate cancer patients diagnosed annually. In fact, in 2020, sales of Jevtana exceeded US$600 million, up 12% from 2019. There is growing demand for drugs to alleviate the symptoms while producing few side effects.
Starpharma CEO, Dr Jackie Fairley, shared, “Starpharma is very pleased to report this additional encouraging data at the ESMO Congress for DEP® cabazitaxel in heavily pre-treated, late-stage prostate cancer patients, including median progression-free survival for the first time, having now completed dosing in this cohort.”
He added that the latest results reveal that DEP achieved both a longer duration of progression free survival and fewer severe side effects compared to published data on Jevtana. This illustrates “the potential for DEP® cabazitaxel to provide better outcomes for patients.”
The cohort featured twenty-five patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer across five trial sites in the UK and Australia. Trial participants received an intravenous (IV) infusion of DEP® cabazitaxel every 21 days, repeated for up to 12 cycles. The median time on study was 18.4 weeks. These patients had already been heavily pre-treated before, receiving four other cancer treatment types. Some had also received surgery and radiation.
96% of patients had also previously received related chemotherapies, including docetaxel and/or conventional cabazitaxel (Jevtana®). As per Starpharma’s report, patients with this high level of prior cancer treatment would not be expected to respond as well to further similar therapies. But it looks like they did.
The trial showed lower incidence of severe (Grade 3 or 4) treatment related adverse events (TRAEs) for DEP of 7.5%, with standard cabazitaxel showing 39.7%. Plus, the patients had no severe hypersensitivity reactions, and they did not require steroid premedication, as would be the case with standard cabazitaxel.
Unlike standard cabazitaxel, DEP® cabazitaxel is highly water soluble and doesn’t require steroid premedication. In both preclinical and clinical studies, DEP showed an improved side effect profile, notably markedly reduced bone marrow toxicity demonstrated by lower rates of severe neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and severe anemia. Allegedly, these are side effects reported by those treated with Jevtana.
Whether the drug clears all tests and replaces Jevtana is yet to be seen. However, it seems like Starpharma is well on its way to beating the competition and ushering in a better life for patients with prostate cancer.
Alinda is a Business Reporter for The Sentiment
Latest posts by Alinda Gupta (see all)
- Ovanti’s iSentric signs contracts worth $14.4m with Malaysian commercial bank - June 27, 2024
- Baby Bunting fights back from retail downturn with 5-year strategy, includes Gen-Z focus and self-funded growth - June 27, 2024
- CLEO meets with US FDA to develop strategy for ovarian cancer test launch - June 26, 2024
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.