Clovis Oncology has signed an agreement to Develop and Commercialize hENT1 Companion Diagnostic with Ventana Medical Systems
Clavis Pharma ASA noted that Clovis Oncology, it’s partner in the development and commercialisation of Clavis Pharma drug candidate CP-4126, and Ventana Medical Systems, Inc. have entered into a collaboration agreement to develop a companion diagnostic to CP-4126 (also known as CO-101) for clinical and commercial use.
The companion diagnostic is being developed to identify pancreatic cancer patients with low-level tumour expression of the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) protein. Ultimately, the use of a hENT1 companion diagnostic will enable oncologists to identify patients who may show a significant benefit from treatment with Clavis Pharma’s novel drug candidates.
The hENT1 transporter on tumour cells plays a crucial role in the uptake of cytotoxic nucleoside-based drugs and their low level or absence have been correlated to a poor clinical outcome to treatment with drugs such as gemcitabine and cytarabine. It is estimated that pancreatic tumours in up to two-thirds of patients have low levels of hENT1 on the tumour cell surface.
CP-4126, and other drug candidates in Clavis Pharma’s portfolio, has been developed using its proprietary Lipid Vector Technology (LVT), which enables the compound to enter cancer cells independently of hENT1. CP-4126 is an LVT form of gemcitabine, the current standard treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer, and which is also used in combination with other chemotherapy agents for the treatment of other cancers, including ovarian, non-small cell lung, and breast cancer.
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