Rolapitant
Rolapitant is a potent and long-acting NK-1 receptor antagonist that is being developed as a supportive care product for the prevention of CINV and is currently being studied in Phase 3 clinical trials. TESARO is investigating whether a single dose of rolapitant will, when administered along with the current standard of care for CINV (a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist plus a corticosteroid), significantly increase the control of both nausea and vomiting over the 5-day period of risk for cancer patients receiving emetogenic chemotherapy as compared to the current standard of care alone. We presented data from a 454-patient, randomized, placebo controlled Phase 2 clinical trial that evaluated rolapitant in patients at high risk of CINV at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference in June 2012. We expect to report top line results for our ongoing Phase 3 clinical program for rolapitant during the second half of 2013.
About CINV
Chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) has the potential to afflict up to 90% or more of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, depending upon the type of chemotherapy administered, the dosing schedule of the chemotherapy and the patients’ gender, among other predisposing factors. Prolonged nausea and vomiting may result in unwanted weight loss, dehydration and malnutrition as well as hospitalization. If not prevented, CINV may result in a delay or even discontinuation of chemotherapy treatment.
The current standard of care for CINV consists of a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist plus a corticosteroid. 5-HT3, or serotonin sub-type 3, receptor antagonists block the binding of serotonin to the 5-HT3 receptor in specific nerve endings in the body and the brain, resulting in a reduction in nausea and vomiting in patients at risk for CINV. Optimal protection against CINV is provided to certain patients when a second class of drug, known as an NK-1 receptor antagonist, is administered together with a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist. NK-1 receptor antagonists block substance P from binding to NK-1 receptors. Neurokinin substance P is a natural substance in the brain that binds to the NK-1 receptor and represents a second mechanism that induces nausea and vomiting.
There are two phases associated with CINV: acute and delayed. The acute phase occurs within the first 24 hours following chemotherapy treatment. It is believed that this phase is caused largely by chemotherapy-induced increases in serotonin release and activation of 5-HT3 receptors on vagal afferent neurons in the gut. There are currently four 5-HT3 receptor antagonists on the market in the US (ondansetron, palonosetron, granisetron and dolasetron) and one additional agent that is available in several international markets (tropisetron), all of which are clinically effective in preventing acute CINV, particularly when given in combination with a corticosteroid, such as dexamethasone.
Delayed CINV is described as occurring after 24 hours and up to five days following emetogenic chemotherapy and is believed to be primarily driven by a different etiology than acute CINV. Combination therapy with a corticosteroid and 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, particularly with the first generation 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, is less effective during the delayed phase than it is in the acute phase of CINV. This is because the primary etiology of delayed CINV appears to involve the neurokinin substance P. Substance P binds to NK-1 receptors, which are highly concentrated in the brain. Activation of NK-1 receptors plays a central role in nausea and vomiting induced by emetogenic stimuli, including certain cancer chemotherapies. Despite the importance of the NK-1 receptor in the etiology of both acute and delayed emesis, there are only two approved products that target this receptor, aprepitant and its pro-drug fosaprepitant (Merck – EMEND®).
Niraparib – Poly (ADP-ribose) Polymerase (PARP) inhibitor
Niraparib, formerly known as MK-4827, is an orally active and potent poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, or PARP, inhibitor that has undergone a Phase 1 clinical trial in cancer patients as a monotherapy and is currently under evaluation by Merck for use in combination with temozolomide for the treatment of solid tumors. We intend to evaluate niraparib for the treatment of patients with solid tumors. Potential cancer indications we may consider include breast, gastric, lung and ovarian cancer.
PARP is a family of proteins involved in many functions in a cell, including DNA repair, gene expression, cell cycle control, intracellular trafficking and energy metabolism. PARP inhibitors have shown preclinical efficacy as a monotherapy against tumors with existing defects, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, and as a combination therapy when administered together with anti-cancer agents that induce DNA damage. Results to date for clinical trials of PARP inhibitors indicate anti-cancer activity, particularly in patients with germ-line BRCA mutations.
TSR-011 – Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) inhibitor
TSR-011 is an orally available ALK inhibitor currently in preclinical development. We plan to test TSR-011 in clinical trials as a treatment for NSCLC and potentially other cancer indications. Although the ALK gene is not widely expressed in adults, ALK is known to be involved in certain types of cancers, including subsets of NSCLC, neuroblastoma and lymphoma. For patients in these subsets, the ALK gene is fused to an activating partner or contains point mutations, resulting in constitutive activation of ALK and the growth of cancer cells and tumor development. Inhibition of ALK in these cancer cells results in cell death and tumor growth inhibition or regression. The limited tissue distribution and expression of ALK in adult subjects means that ALK may be a good molecular target for a cancer therapeutic because an ALK inhibitor would primarily affect cancer cells and tumors. We plan to submit an Investigational New Drug application, or IND, during the second half of 2012. If the FDA does not object to that filing, we intend to then initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial of TSR-011.
About Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)
According to the American Cancer Society, over 1.6 million new lung cancer cases are identified worldwide annually, of which over 200,000 of these new lung cancer cases are in the United States. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in men and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. Lung cancer is typically divided into two groups based upon the histologic appearance of the tumor cells—small cell and non-small cell lung cancer, each of which is treated with distinct chemotherapeutic approaches. According to the American Cancer Society, NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of lung cancer cases, with approximately 75% of these patients being diagnosed with metastatic or advanced disease. Patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC have five-year survival rates of just 24% and 4%, respectively, according to the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results program of the National Cancer Institute. ALK is believed to be a key driver of tumor development in approximately 5% of all NSCLC patients.
