LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 12, 2013--
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA) announced today that the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to
the investigation of ganetespib, the Company’s lead Hsp90 inhibitor drug
candidate, to improve overall survival when administered in combination
with docetaxel for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small
cell lung adenocarcinoma who have progressed following one prior
chemotherapy regimen. FDA’s Fast Track Drug Development Program is
designed to facilitate the clinical development and expedite the review
of drugs that are intended to treat serious medical conditions and that
demonstrate the potential to fill unmet medical needs.
“We are very pleased that FDA has granted this important designation to
the ganetespib development program,” said Safi Bahcall, President and
CEO of Synta. “We look forward to continued progress and bringing
ganetespib to cancer patients as quickly as possible.”
Ganetespib is currently being evaluated as a treatment of non-small cell
lung adenocarcinoma in the GALAXY program, consisting of the GALAXY-1
Phase 2b/3 all-comer trial and the GALAXY-2 Phase 3 trial enriched for
patients most likely to benefit from ganetespib treatment.
About Ganetespib
Ganetespib, an investigational drug candidate, is a selective inhibitor
of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), a molecular chaperone which controls
the folding and activation of a number of client proteins that drive
tumor development and progression. Many solid and hematologic tumors are
dependent on Hsp90 client proteins including proteins involved in
“oncogene addiction” (ALK, HER2, mutant BRAF and EGFR, androgen
receptor, estrogen receptor, JAK2); proteins involved in resistance to
chemotherapy and radiation therapy (ATR, BCL2, BRCA1/2, CDK1/4, CHK1,
survivin, and WEE1); proteins involved in angiogenesis (HIF-1alpha,
VEGFR, PDFGR, and VEGF); and proteins involved in metastasis (MET, RAF,
AKT, MMPs, HIF-1alpha, and IGF-1R). In preclinical models, inhibition of
Hsp90 by ganetespib results in the inactivation, destabilization, and
eventual degradation of these cancer-promoting proteins. Ganetespib is
being evaluated in trials in lung cancer, breast cancer, and other tumor
types. 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 these trials can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
Ganetespib has received Fast Track designation from FDA for second-line
treatment of non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma in combination with
docetaxel.
About the GALAXY Program
The GALAXY (Ganetespib Assessment in Lung cAncer with docetaXel) program
consists of two randomized trials comparing the combination of
ganetespib and docetaxel versus docetaxel alone in patients with Stage
IIIB/IV NSCLC who have received one prior systemic therapy: a
300-patient Phase 2b/3 trial (GALAXY-1) to determine the patient
population most likely to derive benefit from ganetespib, and a
500-patient confirmatory Phase 3 trial (GALAXY-2). More information
about the GALAXY trials can be found at www.clinicaltrials.gov
(NCT01348126 and NCT01798485).
About Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world,
accounting for nearly 1.4 million deaths in 2008, according to the World
Health Organization. The five-year survival rate for this disease is
approximately 16%; over half of people with lung cancer die within one
year of being diagnosed. In the U.S., the American Cancer Society
estimates that 228,000 cases of lung cancer will be diagnosed in 2013.
Non-small cell adenocarcinoma comprises about 40% of all lung cancer.
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 timing and expected developments in the
ganetespib program, 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, 2012 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.
Source: Synta Pharmaceuticals
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp.
George Farmer, 781-541-7213
gfarmer@syntapharma.com
or
Argot
Partners
Andrea Rabney, 212-600-1494
andrea@argotpartners.com
