Novartis is showcasing the results of research efforts to target disease pathways with more than 150 abstracts at two upcoming cancer-focused meetings, including updated data in ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer and the first-ever presentations of key data in polycythemia vera, multiple myeloma (blood) and locally advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinoma (skin).

 

Clinical data featured at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the 19th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) will include Zykadia (ceritinib), Jakavi (ruxolitinib), Tasigna (nilotinib), Afinitor (everolimus) and Exjade (deferasirox), as well as pipeline compounds LBH589 (panobinostat), LDE225 (sonidegib) and others.

 

“Our research strategy continues to focus on the underlying cause of disease to develop targeted compounds or combinations of therapies,” said Alessandro Riva, president, Novartis Oncology ad interim, and global head, oncology development and medical affairs. “The approach has been shown to be successful in treating patients with lung, blood and breast cancers, and this latest research shows that we may have potential new treatments to continue addressing critical needs in cancer care.”

 

Data highlights include:

 

 

• Ceritinib: Ceritinib in advanced anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged (ALK+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): Results of the ASCEND-1 trial
• Ruxolitinib: Results of a prospective, randomized, open-label Phase 3 study of ruxolitinib in polycythemia vera patients resistant to or intolerant of hydroxyurea: the RESPONSE trial
• Panobinostat: PANORAMA 1: A randomized, double-blind, Phase 3 study of panobinostat or placebo plus bortezomib and dexamethasone in relapsed or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma
• Sonidegib: Randomized, double-blind study of sonidegib (LDE225) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinoma

 

 

• Everolimus: Meta-analysis of stomatitis incidence in everolimus clinical studies and its relationship with efficacy
• Everolimus: Prevention of stomatitis in patients with hormone receptor-positive advanced breast cancer treated with everolimus plus exemestane: A Phase 2 study of a steroid-based mouthwash
• Everolimus: Identification and validation of predictive biomarkers for everolimus in metastatic renal cell carcinoma: Analysis of 442 patients on RECORD-3
• Nilotinib: Treatment-free remission following nilotinib in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase: ENESTfreedom, ENESTop, ENESTgoal, and ENESTpath
• Nilotinib: ENESTnd 5-year update: Long-term outcomes of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase treated with frontline nilotinib versus imatinib
• Nilotinib: Effect of continued imatinib in patients with detectable BCR-ABL after >= 2 years on study on deep molecular responses (MR): 36-month update from ENESTcmr
• Ruxolitinib: Phase 1b, dose-finding study of ruxolitinib plus panobinostat in patients with myelofibrosis
• Deferasirox: Deferasirox-deferoxamine combination therapy reduces cardiac iron with rapid liver iron removal after 24 months in patients with severe transfusional iron overload (HYPERION)
• The signature program, a series of tissue-agnostic, mutation-specific signal finding trials

 

 

• INC280: Safety and efficacy of INC280 in combination with gefitinib in patients with EGFR-mutated, MET-positive NSCLC: A single-arm Phase 1b/2 study
• LEE011: Phase 1b/2 study of LEE011, everolimus, and exemestane in postmenopausal women with ER+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer
• LEE011: Phase 1b study of LEE011 and BYL719 in combination with letrozole in estrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer
• CTL019: Genetically Engineered T Cells and Beyond: Immune Modulation Therapy in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia 
• CTL019: Future Directions in Immune Targeting

 

Date: May 22, 2014

Source: Novartis