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Murray Ward
ASX-listed Amplia Therapeutics is aggressively broadening its clinical reach, unveiling a major new collaboration to throw its lead drug candidate, narmafotinib, into the ring against ovarian cancer.
The company has inked a deal with the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) to launch a new clinical study to evaluate its protein-inhibiting drug in combination with conventional chemotherapy.
Medically, ovarian cancer represents a major target for focal adhesion kinase (FAK) drugs. Ovarian tumours are notorious for producing large amounts of the FAK protein, which helps the cancer grow, survive and resist treatment.
The tumours also tend to build a thick, tough layer of scar-like tissue around themselves. That fibrous layer acts as a protective shield, making it harder to penetrate the tumour and kill the cancer cells with conventional chemotherapy.
‘This study will provide an opportunity to assess whether narmafotinib can improve outcomes for these patients.’
Dr Chris Burns
For patients, the inability to effectively shrink a tumour often prevents successful “debulking” surgery, a critical hurdle in achieving long-term recovery and improved survival rates.
Amplia’s narmafotinib, as a best-in-class FAK inhibitor, is designed to break through the tumour’s fibrotic defence, opening a path for the immune system and conventional first-line chemotherapy agents such as carboplatin and paclitaxel to work more effectively. By “priming” the tumour environment, the drug aims to make the cancer more vulnerable to these established medical interventions.
Amplia Therapeutics managing director and chief executive officer Dr Chris Burns said: “We are very pleased to be collaborating with ANZGOG and Dr Ho on this promising study. Based on the compelling biological rationale for the potential of FAK inhibitors in ovarian cancer, a clinical program in this indication is clearly warranted.”
Amplia’s upcoming trial, known as the PRROSE study, will target patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. The company says this patient group represents a significant area of unmet medical need, particularly for the estimated 20 per cent of individuals who don’t respond adequately to first-line chemotherapy.
Securing ANZGOG as a partner is a massive result for Amplia. As the peak national research body for gynaecological cancer in the region, ANZGOG brings a powerhouse network of more than 1650 members to the table.
The collaboration gives Amplia the keys to elite clinical infrastructure and a multidisciplinary brains trust of surgeons and researchers across Australia and New Zealand focused on improving outcomes for those with the disease.
The study will be led by Melbourne-based Monash Health cancer specialist Dr Gwo Yaw Ho and coordinated through the extensive ANZGOG network. The trial aims to enrol between 15 and 20 patients, prioritising safety whilst exploring the potential to improve post-surgical outcomes by shrinking the tumours, increasing the success rate of tumour resections.
While this new front in ovarian cancer is a major milestone, Amplia’s engine room is already purring. Its flagship ACCENT trial in pancreatic cancer, pairing narmafotinib with chemotherapy heavyweights gemcitabine and abraxane, is delivering the goods with a hefty 31 per cent response rate. The study has also reported a median progression-free survival of 7.6 months, outperforming that of chemotherapy alone.
A second study, the AMPLICITY trial, is currently underway at Australian sites investigating narmafotinib alongside Folfirinox chemotherapy. By broadening its clinical reach, the company is proving its FAK-inhibitor platform has serious legs across multiple solid tumour types.
The next steps for Amplia are to recruit patients for the PRROSE trial and then to dive into biomarker collection from candidates. The company says the collection of tissue and blood samples will also help researchers better understand exactly how narmafotinib works, potentially strengthening the case for its use as a standard addition to the global oncology toolkit.
Amplia is moving fast to prove up its FAK technology as a versatile platform with broad applications. By taking the fight to ovarian cancer alongside a heavyweight like ANZGOG, the company is potentially positioning itself at the sharp end of clinical innovation for cancer treatment.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
