Chimerix Acquires Oncoceutics to Expand Pipeline with Late-Stage Oncology Program

Excerpt from the Press Release:

DURHAM, NC, USA I January 8, 2021 I Chimerix (NASDAQ:CMRX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on accelerating the development of medicines to treat cancer and other serious diseases, today announced that the Company has acquired Oncoceutics, Inc., a privately-held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing imipridones, a novel class of compounds. Oncoceutics’ lead product candidate, ONC201, has been shown in clinical testing to selectively induce cell death in multiple cancer types. ONC201 is currently in a registrational clinical trial for recurrent H3 K27M-mutant glioma and a confirmatory response rate assessment is expected in 2021.

ONC201 is an orally administered small molecule dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) antagonist and caseinolytic protease (ClpP) agonist in late-stage clinical development for recurrent gliomas that harbor the H3 K27M mutation. Recurrent glioma is a form of brain cancer with a particularly poor prognosis having a median overall survival of approximately eight months. Recurrent pediatric patients, with cancer that carries the H3 K27M mutation, have an even worse prognosis with median overall survival of approximately four months. Compelling responses at this stage of disease are rare and lack durability. Patients with this mutation are considered grade IV by the World Health Organization, regardless of underlying histology or age. Initial evaluation of data from the full 50-subject registration cohort, which remains subject to full maturation and confirmation by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR), indicate a compelling and particularly durable single agent Overall Response Rate (ORR) of at least 20% as assessed by Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology-High Grade Glioma (RANO-HGG). The final confirmatory data analysis is expected in 2021.

Click the button below to read the entire Press Release:

Continue Reading The Press Release