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ALX Oncology (ALXO) Posts Upbeat Results From Lymphoma Study

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ALX Oncology Holdings Inc. (ALXO - Free Report) reported positive results from an ongoing phase I/II investigator-sponsored study of evorpacept, in combination with Roche’s (RHHBY - Free Report) Rituxan (rituximab) and Bristol Myers’ (BMY - Free Report) Revlimid (lenalidomide) (R2), to treat indolent and aggressive relapsed or refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (R/R B-NHL). The early to mid-stage study is sponsored and conducted by MD Anderson Cancer Center, which is based in Texas.

ALX Oncology announced that, per findings, patients receiving evorpacept in combination with standard R2 treatment achieved a promising initial activity with a best overall response rate (ORR) of 94% and a complete response rate (CRR) of 83% in patients with indolent R/R B-NHL.

The results are even better than that observed with only R2 treatment, reporting an ORR of 78% and a CRR of 34% in the benchmark phase III AUGMENT clinical study, which was conducted in a similar patient population.

ALX Oncology reported that the phase I/II study enrolled 20 R/R B-NHL patients (18 indolent and 2 aggressive) who had previously been treated with Roche’s Rituxan. Out of the total patient population, 72% of patients had previously received chemoimmunotherapy.

The patient population was administered either a 30 mg/kg dose of evorpacept every two weeks or a 60 mg/kg dose of evorpacept every four weeks, both in combination with standard R2 treatment. It was observed that the treatment regimen had an acceptable safety profile and was overall well tolerated. No dose-limiting toxicities were reported. Treatment-related adverse events were also predominantly mild to moderate in severity.

Per ALX Oncology, such positive initial results reaffirm the therapeutic benefit of evorpacept’s novel mechanism of action that results in anti-cancer activity while minimizing hematologic toxicities inherent to other CD47 blocking agents.

The phase II portion of the early to mid-stage study of the evorpacept and R2 combination is currently enrolling patients with previously untreated indolent B-NHL.

Roche’s Rituxan is currently approved in the United States and several other countries to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, CLL and rheumatoid arthritis. Rituxan is co-marketed by Biogen and Roche in the U.S. market.

On the other hand, Bristol Myers’ Revlimid is currently approved across different countries for several oncology indications, including multiple myeloma, myelodysplastic syndrome and B-NHL.

However, Bristol Myers’ Revlimid is facing generic competition, which has impacted its sales in 2023.

B-NHL is a type of B-cell malignancy that begins in damaged B cells and affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the immune system, causing painless swollen lymph nodes in the neck, chest pain, abdominal pain, tiredness, night sweats, weight loss and fever.

Several companies in the medical sector, including Nurix Therapeutics, Inc. (NRIX - Free Report) , are currently developing distinguished candidates to treat B-cell malignancy indications.

We remind the investors that shares of Nurix were up significantly on Apr 9. The stock price surge was driven by the presentation of initial findings of clinical responses in the brain for its investigational targeted protein degrader, NX-5948, from the dose escalation stage of its ongoing phase Ia/Ib study in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies.

Nurix’s NX-5948 is an orally available and selective degrader of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase.

Nurix presented new case studies for two patients, one with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and the other with primary central nervous system lymphoma, each with central nervous systeminvolvement. Initial findings demonstrated the therapeutic effect of NX-5948 in the brain, observing clinically meaningful responses in both patients.

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