LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Puma Biotechnology, Inc. (NYSE:PBYI), a development stage
biopharmaceutical company, announced the presentation of positive
results from an ongoing Phase II clinical trial of Puma's
investigational drug PB272 (neratinib) for the treatment of HER2
positive metastatic breast cancer that has metastasized to the brain.
The data was presented today in a poster presentation at the American
Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2014 Annual Meeting in Chicago,
Illinois.
The multicenter Phase II clinical trial is enrolling patients with HER2
positive metastatic breast cancer who have brain metastases. The trial
is being performed by the Translational Breast Cancer Research
Consortium (TBCRC) and is enrolling three cohorts of patients. Patients
in the first cohort (n=40) represent patients with progressive brain
metastases who are administered neratinib monotherapy. Patients in the
second cohort (n=5) represent patients with brain metastases who are
amenable to surgery and are administered neratinib monotherapy prior to
and after surgical resection. The third cohort (n=60) enrolls patients
with progressive brain metastases who are administered neratinib in
combination with the chemotherapy drug capecitabine. The poster
presentation reflects only the patients in the first cohort of patients,
which are those with progressive brain metastases who received neratinib
monotherapy. Enrollment in the second and third cohorts, patients with
brain metastases amenable to surgery receiving neratinib monotherapy and
patients with progressive brain metastases receiving the combination of
neratinib plus capecitabine, is continuing.
In the first cohort of patients, all patients had received prior
radiotherapy with 38% of the patients receiving prior whole brain
radiotherapy (WBRT) alone, 23% receiving prior stereotactic radiosurgery
(SRS) alone and 40% of patients receiving both prior WBRT and SRS. 85%
of patients in the first cohort received prior treatment with lapatinib
and 83% of patients in the first cohort received two or more prior lines
of chemotherapy in the metastatic setting.
The results for the first cohort of the study presented showed that the
most frequently observed severe adverse event for the 40 patients
evaluable for safety was diarrhea. In the first 12 patients treated in
the study, there was no prophylaxis with antidiarrheal agents
(loperamide) given in order to try to reduce the neratinib-related
diarrhea. In these 12 patients, 29% of the patients experienced grade 3
or higher diarrhea and 25% experienced grade 2 diarrhea. In the next 28
patients, treatment with low doses of loperamide (2 mg) during the first
cycle was given in order to try to reduce the neratinib-related
diarrhea. In these 28 patients, the grade 3 or higher diarrhea rate was
21% and the grade 2 diarrhea rate was 12%. In the ongoing second and
third cohorts in the study, patients are receiving a prophylactic
protocol in which a high dose of loperamide, more specifically 16 mg on
day 1, then 12 mg for the next two days, then 8 mg for the first two
weeks, is given together with the combination of capecitabine plus
neratinib in order to try to further reduce the neratinib related
diarrhea.
The efficacy results from the first cohort of the trial showed that for
the 40 evaluable patients, 3 (8%) patients experienced a partial
response (PR), 4 (10%) patients experienced prolonged stable disease
(SD) for greater than or equal to 6 months and 12 (30%) patients
experienced stable disease (SD) for less than 6 months. The median
progression free survival of the 40 evaluable patients was seen to be
1.9 months and the median overall survival was seen to be 8.7 months.
“We are pleased with the initial signal of activity of neratinib in this
heavily pretreated population of patients with HER2 positive metastatic
breast cancer that has metastasized to the brain, especially given that
most of these patients were previously treated with the HER2 tyrosine
kinase inhibitor lapatinib,” said Alan H. Auerbach, Chief Executive
Officer and President. “We look forward to the continued enrollment in
the ongoing cohorts of patients and look forward to the data from the
cohort of patients who receive the combination of neratinib plus
capecitabine.”
About Puma Biotechnology
Puma Biotechnology, Inc. is a development stage biopharmaceutical
company that acquires and develops innovative products for the treatment
of various forms of cancer. The Company focuses on in-licensing drug
candidates that are undergoing or have already completed initial
clinical testing for the treatment of cancer and then seeks to further
develop those drug candidates for commercial use. The Company is
initially focused on the development of PB272 (oral neratinib), a potent
irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor, for the treatment of patients
with HER2-positive breast cancer and patients with non-small cell lung
cancer, breast cancer and other solid tumors that have a HER2 mutation.
Further information about Puma Biotechnology can be found at www.pumabiotechnology.com.
Forward-Looking Statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including
statements regarding anticipated timing for the commencement and
completion of various clinical trials and the announcement of data
relative to these trials. All forward-looking statements included in
this press release involve risks and uncertainties that could cause the
Company's actual results to differ materially from the anticipated
results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements.
These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts and
assumptions, and actual outcomes and results could differ materially
from these statements due to a number of factors, which include, but are
not limited to, the fact that the Company has no product revenue and no
products approved for marketing; the Company’s dependence on PB272,
which is still under development and may never receive regulatory
approval; the challenges associated with conducting and enrolling
clinical trials; the risk that the results of clinical trials may not
support the Company’s drug candidate claims; even if approved, the risk
that physicians and patients may not accept or use the Company’s
products; the Company’s reliance on third parties to conduct its
clinical trials and to formulate and manufacture its drug candidates;
the Company’s dependence on licensed intellectual property; and the
other risk factors disclosed in the periodic reports filed by the
Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time,
including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2013. Readers are cautioned not to place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the
date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update these
forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
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