ASCO Conference Abstracts - Major Data Readouts

[John]

Virtual ASCO conference schedule happened from May 29 to May 31 and was an exciting event for major Oncology Pharmaceutical companies and their key presentations. Merck Lynparza has been a key drug for a poster presentation. Lynparza emerged out to be the main therapy in Merck's prostate cancer research field.

Lynparza (Olaparib) is the first and best-in-class oral poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor and the first targeted treatment to block DDR in tumors harboring a deficiency in homologous recombination repair (HRR), such as mutations in BRCA1 and/or BRCA2. In addition to that Astrazeneca prostate cancer research is carried out in collaboration with Merck.

In January 2020, the US FDA accepted the supplemental New Drug Application for Lynparza (Olaparib) and granted Priority Review in the US for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) and deleterious or suspected deleterious germline or somatic homologous recombination repair (HRR) gene mutations, which have progressed following prior treatment with a new hormonal agent.

During the ASCO conference 2020, there were many abstracts presented related to oncology including Abstract No - 7507 where the tolerability and efficacy of the first-in-class anti-CD47 antibody magrolimab combined with azacitidine in MDS and AML patients was presented. The Phase Ib results of magrolimab MDS and magrolimab AML were indicative of efficacy with 91% and 64% ORR respectively. 

Another abstract was presented by Bayer Healthcare and Orion Corporation on the  studies of Nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC). In June 2014, Orion and Bayer entered a global agreement for the development and commercialization of the compound ODM-201 (sold under the brand name Nubeqa) which is also known as darolutamide, an investigational novel oral androgen receptor inhibitor.

Under the terms of the agreement, Bayer AG paid USD 68 Million upfront for Orion Corporation's prostate cancer candidate ODM-201. Nubeqa is an oral androgen receptor inhibitor (ARi) with a distinct chemical structure that binds to the receptor with high affinity and exhibits strong antagonistic activity, thereby inhibiting the receptor function and the growth of prostate cancer cells. Bayer Nubeqa was granted fast-track designation by the US FDA for men with nmCRPC cancer in the year 2019.

Whereas In March 2020, the European Commission has granted marketing authorization in the European Union (EU) for Nubeqa for the treatment of men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC). Additionally, in January 2020, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) granted marketing authorization to Bayer Nubeqa for the treatment of men with non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC).

Also, Read- asco 2020 abstracts | Macrolimab | Merck Prostate Cancer | Lynparza Merck