Study to evaluate ganetespib as single agent and in combination with
bortezomib
NORWALK, Conn. & LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 10, 2012--
The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) today announced the
start of a clinical trial evaluating ganetespib, a second generation
Hsp90 inhibitor being developed by Synta Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SNTA),
as a single agent and in combination with the proteasome inhibitor
bortezomib (VELCADE®) for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma.
The trial, made possible by the funding up to $1 million by the Multiple
Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), will be conducted through the MMRC.
The MMRC is a consortium of sixteen world-renowned academic institutions
and community centers whose mission is to accelerate the development of
novel and combination treatments for patients with multiple myeloma by
promoting and facilitating collaborative research between industry and
academia.
Funding for this trial is made possible by the donor-supported MMRF
Clinical Fund, which enables the MMRF to invest in the development of
industry-owned compounds that have stalled in multiple myeloma
development due to financial or market constraints, but have potential
for treating this disease.
“Ganetespib has already demonstrated clear signals of single agent
activity in several tumor types and a favorable safety profile. We
believe that patients with multiple myeloma may also benefit from
treatment with an Hsp90 inhibitor such as ganetespib,” said Sagar
Lonial, M.D., Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and principal
investigator on the Phase 1 trial. “An earlier Phase 1b clinical trial
of the first generation Hsp90 inhibitors 17AAG and 17DMAG in combination
with bortezomib in multiple myeloma demonstrated signs of activity in
patients who had experienced a median of four prior therapies. Based on
these results, we believe that ganetespib, a second generation, small
molecule inhibitor of Hsp90 may provide benefit to patients with
multiple myeloma.”
“Our continued investment in drug development, whether through our
annual Biotech Investment Awards or through our new Clinical Fund
projects with biopharmas like Synta, signify the MMRF’s continued
commitment to share in the risk of drug development to ensure promising
treatments are brought to patients as quickly as possible,” said Kathy
Giusti, Founder and CEO of the MMRF and MMRC, and a multiple myeloma
patient.
“Working with the MMRF and the MMRC provides both the resources and the
access to top-tier investigators and clinical trial sites that can be of
tremendous help in accelerating the potential of novel therapies, such
as ganetespib, to benefit patients with multiple myeloma,” said Safi
Bahcall, Ph.D., President and CEO, Synta Pharmaceuticals. “We are
excited to begin this partnership.”
A recent study showed that the MMRC enrolls patients 10% faster when
compared to their baseline enrollment timeline, with 67% of trials
meeting their pre-study enrollment commitment 34%, or 4.5 months faster
than their baseline enrollment timeline.
About Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that originates in plasma
cells. It is the most common type of white blood cell cancer and the
second most common blood cancer. In 2012, it is estimated that more than
20,000 adults in the United States will be diagnosed with multiple
myeloma and nearly 11,000 people are predicted to die from the disease.
About Ganetespib
Ganetespib (formerly STA-9090) is a potent, synthetic, small-molecule
inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). Hsp90 is a molecular
chaperone required for the proper folding and activation of many
cancer-promoting proteins, and is recognized as a key facilitator of
cancer cell growth and survival. In preclinical experiments, ganetespib
has shown activity in multiple tumor models both as a single agent and
in combination with certain widely used cancer agents.
Ganetespib is currently being evaluated in over 20 clinical trials, with
over 500 patients treated to date. In these trials, ganetespib has shown
clinical activity in heavily pretreated patients and has been well
tolerated to date with no evidence of severe liver or common ocular
toxicities seen with other Hsp90 inhibitors. The most common adverse
event seen to date has been transient, mild or moderate diarrhea, which
has been manageable with standard supportive care. Information on
clinical trials with ganetespib can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
About the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) was established in 1998 as a
501(c)3 non-profit organization by twin sisters Karen Andrews and Kathy
Giusti, soon after Kathy's diagnosis with multiple myeloma. The mission
of the MMRF is to relentlessly pursue innovative means that accelerate
the development of next-generation multiple myeloma treatments to extend
the lives of patients and lead to a cure. As the world's number-one
private funder of multiple myeloma research, the MMRF has raised over
$190 million since its inception to fund nearly 120 laboratories
worldwide, including 70 new compounds and approaches in clinical trials
and pre-clinical studies and has facilitated more than 30 clinical
trials through its affiliate organization, the Multiple Myeloma Research
Consortium (MMRC). As exceptional stewards of its donors' investments,
the MMRF has been consistently recognized for its sound fiscal
management. For more information about the MMRF, please visit www.themmrf.org.
About the Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC)
The Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium (MMRC) is a 509(a)3 non-profit
organization that integrates leading academic institutions to accelerate
drug development in multiple myeloma. It is led from MMRC offices in
Norwalk, Conn., and comprises 16 member institutions: Barbara Ann
Karmanos Cancer Institute, Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at
Dallas, City of Hope, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Emory University's
Winship Cancer Institute, the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack
University Medical Center, Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai School of Medicine,
Ohio State University, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, University
Health Network (Princess Margaret Hospital), University of
California-San Francisco, University of Chicago, University of Michigan,
Virginia Cancer Specialists, and Washington University in St. Louis.
The MMRC was founded in 2004 by Kathy Giusti, a myeloma patient, and
with the help of the scientific community. The MMRC is a sister
organization to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF), the
world's leading funder of multiple myeloma research. The MMRC is widely
recognized as an optimal research model to rapidly address critical
challenges in drug development and to explore opportunities in the
today's most promising research areas in genomics, compound validation,
and clinical trials. The MMRC is the only consortium to join academic
institutions through membership agreements, customized IT systems, and
an integrated tissue bank. For more information, please visit www.themmrc.org.
About Synta Pharmaceuticals
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on
discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to
extend and enhance the lives of patients with severe medical conditions,
including cancer and chronic inflammatory diseases. Synta has a unique
chemical compound library, an integrated discovery engine, and a diverse
pipeline of clinical- and preclinical-stage drug candidates with
distinct mechanisms of action and novel chemical structures. All Synta
drug candidates were invented by Synta scientists using our compound
library and discovery capabilities. For more information, please visit www.syntapharma.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This media release may contain forward-looking statements about Synta
Pharmaceuticals Corp. Such forward-looking statements can be identified
by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will", "would",
"should", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes",
"may", "estimates", "predicts", "projects", or similar expressions
intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements,
including statements relating to the timing, developments and progress
of our clinical programs, in particular the timing of initiation of
clinical trials of ganetespib in combination with VELCADE® in multiple
myeloma reflect our current views with respect to future events and are
based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements, including those described in
"Risk Factors" of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 as
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Synta undertakes no
obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether
because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as
required by law.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50232540&lang=en
Source: Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF)/Multiple Myeloma Research
Consortium (MMRC)
Anne Quinn Young, MPH, 203-652-0212
or
Synta
Pharmaceuticals Corp.
George Farmer, Ph.D., 781-541-7125
