Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced interim results from its Phase 1, dose escalation 065-101 study of fadraciclib in patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphoma. In the ongoing 065-101 study of oral fadra, a CDK2/9 inhibitor, a total of 29 patients have been treated as monotherapy. The study is enrolling unselected, all comer patients with advanced solid tumors and lymphoma.

Six patients have been treated on dose level 6A (125mg twice daily for 5 days per week, 4 out of 4 weeks). The sixth patient on dose level 6A with pancreatic cancer and CDKN2A deletion enrolled on the study experienced dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of hyperglycemia. The patient, who has a diabetic profile history and was on metformin treatment, remains on study as blood glucose level was managed.

A previous patient on dose level 6A with a pre-diabetic profile had DLT of hyperglycemia which also resolved rapidly. The previous dose level 5 (100mg twice daily for 5 days per week, 4 out of 4 weeks) on this schedule accrued six patients with no DLT and per protocol is safe for continued development. Dose level 6B (150mg once daily for 7 days per week, 4 out of 4 weeks) continues accrual with two patients treated, which are ongoing at three and five cycles of treatment.

To date single agent activity, including CR, PR and SD, has been observed in patients with advanced endometrial, squamous NSCLC lung cancer and T-cell lymphoma. Encouraging signals of activity were observed in patients with advanced cervical, hepatocellular, ovarian and pancreatic cancers. The Company believes that fadra?s inhibition of CDK2 and CDK9 may be superior to inhibiting either CDK2 or CDK9 alone.

Fadra tablets can be given orally with repeat dosing which has led to transient suppression of anti-apoptosis proteins with generally good tolerability and no Grade 3 or higher hematological toxicity in the first cycle. The Phase 2 part of the 065-101 study is designed to further evaluate fadra safety and efficacy in up to 8 cohorts defined by histology and/or NGS. The study is powered to demonstrate response in the molecular subtype suggested by the Phase 1 data and others that may be sensitive.

CDKN2A gene deletions occur in over 40% of several solid tumors, including glioma, head and neck, pancreatic, esophageal, lung (incl. squamous), bladder, melanoma, and others. CDKN2B deletions occur in over 30% of several solid tumors, including bladder, glioma, pancreatic, esophageal, lung (incl.

squamous), head and neck, melanoma, and others. MTAP deletions occur in over 25% of several solid tumors, including glioma, mesothelioma, pancreatic, bladder, esophageal and others.1 MTAP deletion confers dependency on the PRMT5 enzyme in cancer cells which was identified as a synthetic lethal target for MTAP deleted cancers. In the 140-101 study of oral plogosertib, PLK1 inhibitor, as monotherapy, patients are being recruited at dose level 5. The anticancer activity observed at low levels of continuous exposure may be due to plogosertib?s novel epigenetic mechanism.

To date, 15 patients have been recruited at five dose escalation levels. Encouraging signals of activity were observed in five patients with advanced biliary, ovarian, NSCLC and other cancers. The Company expects to announce details of plogosertib?s differentiated, epigenetic mechanism and biomarkers which may identify patients with sensitive tumors, after preclinical studies at collaborating laboratories are completed.