Synta Announces Journal Publication Describing Complementary Activity of Hsp90 Inhibition and Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Cancer Therapy

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun. 23, 2015-- Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA) today announced the publication in this month’s issue of Cancer Immunology Research of an in-depth review describing the rationale for pursuing the combination of Hsp90 and immune checkpoint inhibition for cancer therapy. The review article, titled “Targeting Heat-Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) as a Complementary Strategy to Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Cancer Therapy,” is available online at http://cancerimmunolres.aacrjournals.org. Synta is currently studying the Hsp90 inhibitor ganetespib in several randomized studies, including the GALAXY-2 trial, a global, randomized, multi-center Phase 3 study of ganetespib and docetaxel for the second-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma.

The review article describes preclinical findings that suggest that proteasomal degradation of cellular client proteins associated with Hsp90 inhibition may augment antitumor immune response through increased cellular antigen expression and subsequent enhanced T-cell recruitment and tumor-cell recognition. The review article also explains that client proteins affected by Hsp90 inhibition include oncogenes that may drive expression of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1), a key immune checkpoint. The resulting reduction of PD-L1 expression on tumor cells may increase T-cell mediated cytotoxic activity and complement the activity of selective anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibody therapies. This is supported by in vivo study results, where ganetespib was found to potentiate the antitumor efficacy of anti-PD-L1 antibody treatment. In these studies, the combination of ganetespib and an anti-PD-L1 antibody displayed significantly greater antitumor activity than either individual agent, in mouse models of both colon carcinoma and melanoma.

“While there is still more to learn regarding the mechanistic basis for combining Hsp90 and immune checkpoint inhibitors, and the role of Hsp90 in antitumor immunity, the findings in this review suggest that this approach may be complementary and therapeutically advantageous. We look forward to exploring the combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors and ganetespib in future clinical studies,” said Chen Schor, President and Chief Executive Officer of Synta. “Our team and collaborators are also conducting preclinical studies investigating potential combinations of ganetespib and other emerging forms of immunotherapy for cancer, including T-cell therapy. We are encouraged by our progress thus far and will look to present and publish results of these studies in the future.”

About Synta Pharmaceuticals

Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. is an innovative, agile biopharmaceutical company focused on research, development and commercialization of novel oncology medicines that have the potential to change the lives of cancer patients. Synta’s lead oncology drug candidate, ganetespib, a novel heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor, is currently being evaluated in several clinical trials including the pivotal GALAXY-2 Phase 3 trial in non-small cell lung cancer. Building on its extensive expertise in the science of Hsp90, Synta also has a novel proprietary Hsp90 inhibitor Drug Conjugate (HDC) small molecule drug development program. IND enabling studies have commenced for the first clinical candidate from the HDC program, STA-12-8666, and preclinical evaluation of additional HDC candidates is ongoing. 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 augmentation of antitumor response via proteasomal degradation of cellular client proteins associated with Hsp90 inhibition, the connection between Hsp90 inhibition and increased T-cell mediated cytotoxic activity to complement the activity of selective anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 antibody therapies, the potential for the combination of Hsp90 and immune checkpoint inhibition to be complementary and therapeutically advantageous, future clinical studies of immune checkpoint inhibitors and ganetespib and future presentation and publication of preclinical studies investigating potential combinations of ganetespib and other emerging forms of immunotherapy for cancer, reflect Synta’s 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, 2014 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 Corp.

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