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- Amplia Therapeutics (ATX) releases data from two mice studies, showing potential for its AMP886 drug to reduce cancer in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
- One study showed mice inoculated with MV4-11 cells who were then treated with AMP886, “significantly reduced” tumours in the mice after 21 days
- A second experiment showed AMP886 combined with a B-cell lymphoma 2 inhibitor also enhanced survival of mice
- At market close, ATX shares are unchanged at 10.5 cents
New data from Amplia Therapeutics (ATX) trials, dosing mice with its drug AMP886, show potential for the drug to reduce disease in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
AMP886 is designed to reduce or inhibit focal adhesion kinase (FAK) – which is a kinase that is often over-expressed in a number of different cancers.
The drug also aims to inhibit Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), which the company says “is mutated in around a third of AML patients.”
Because of its prevalence, FLT3 is a good target for chemotherapy, however, current FLT3 inhibitors have failed to produce to beneficial response, resulting in disease relapse and poor patient outcomes.
The company says there is growing research to support the inhibition of both FLT3 and FAK in combination, to stop the disease coming back after FLT3 monotherapy.
The company also says this approach may have a beneficial impact on AML patients.
A recent study by the company found mice inoculated with MV4-11 cells, then orally dosed with AMP886, “significantly reduced” tumours in the mice after 21 days.
A second experiment saw the company combine AMP886 with a B-cell lyhmphoma 2 inhibitor called venetoclax to measure the efficacy.
The results showed that AMP886 was more effective in reducing AML cell growth than venetoclax, however, the combination of both tended to enhance survival even further.
“The impressive results we are reporting today tell us that there may be a clinical rationale to include AMP886 as part of new treatment regimens for unmet needs in AML,” CEO Dr John Lambert said.
“With an eye to expanding Amplia’s clinical development pipeline, further experiments are already underway with AMP886 to build on this data and establish a scientifically solid
foundation for initiation of formal development of AMP886.”
At market close, ATX shares were unchanged at 10.5 cents.
