(Alliance News) - Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd on Monday said it was encouraged by promising early data from trials for its investigative precision immunotherapy, which aims to provide permanent immune stimulation for difficult-to-treat cancers by targeting myeloid cell function.
Faron Pharmaceuticals is a Turku, Finland-based clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel treatments for medical conditions caused by dysfunction of the immune system.
Its Phase I/II BEXMAB study is investigating bexmarilimab, its wholly-owned precision immunotherapy, in combination with standard of care in aggressive hematological malignancies including acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome.
The primary objective of the trial is to determine the safety and tolerability of bexmarilimab in combination with azacitidine treatment, and to identify the recommended Phase II dose.
In its latest update, Faron said that an AML patient with partial responses on October 31 had progressed to achieve complete remission, with incomplete blood cell count recovery after four treatment cycles. This was followed by full blood count recovery after five treatment cycles.
Faron Pharmaceuticals shares were trading 15% higher at 325.00 pence each in London on Monday morning.
The second patient, recently diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, showed early signs of efficacy, with reduced blast counts. Faron said this pattern was similar to the first patient, and as such, the patient could be considered a partial responder.
The remaining patients of the first cohort have reported stable disease status, and bexmarilimab continues to be well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or safety concerns observed in the five patients.
"We continue to be encouraged by the promising early data observed in this trial, notably the patients who have already shown control of blast counts in blood and bone marrow," said Chief Medical Officer Marie-Louise Fjallskog.
"These observations support the potential for synergy of bexmarilimab in combination with standard of care. In addition, patient recruitment has started in the first-line triplet therapy with bexmarilimab, azacytidine and venetoclax in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukaemia patients deemed unsuitable for conventional chemotherapy."
Study expansion to major haematological US centres is ongoing.
By Holly Beveridge; hollybeveridge@alliancenews.com
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Faron Pharma (FARN)