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Daiichi Sankyo’s valemetostat fares well in lymphoma and leukemia study

By Brian Buntz | June 11, 2021

Daiichi SankyoValemetostat, a potential first-in-class drug from Daiichi Sankyo, led to durable tumor response in patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) in a Phase 1 study. 

The company presented highlights from the trial at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2021 Virtual Congress today.  

In the study, the objective response rate was 54.5% in 44 patients with PTCL. That tally included 12 complete responses and 12 partial responses. The median duration of response was 56 weeks. 

[Related: View the 50 largest pharmaceutical companies of 2020]

Valemetostat inhibits two enzymes known as enhancer of zeste homolog 1 and 2 (EZH1/EZH2). As a Daiichi-Sankyo clinical trial synopsis explains, “EZH1/EZH2 are part of polycomb protein complexes and act through histone methylation to regulate expression of genes involved in maintaining hematopoietic stem cells.”

Researchers have observed altered EZH2 expression in the development and progression of blood cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL). EZH1 also plays a role in hematologic cancer progression. 

Daiichi Sankyo has noted that valemetostat has shown promise against hematologic malignancies in preclinical studies. 

Based on the most recent research, the company plans to launch a pivotal Phase 2 study known as VALENTINE-PTCL01 to further test valemetostat in patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL and ATL. The trial name is an abbreviation of Valemetostat Tosylate (DS-3201b), an Enhancer of Zeste Homolog (EZH) 1/2 Dual Inhibitor, for Relapsed/Refractory Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma.  

The prognosis for patients with PTCL and ATL is generally poor. The five-year overall survival rate for two common types of PTCL is 32% for PTCL-NOS (peripheral T-cell lymphoma not other specified) and AITL (angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma), while it is 14% for ATL.

Most patients with PTCL experience disease progression after multi-drug chemotherapy. 


Filed Under: clinical trials, Drug Discovery, Oncology
Tagged With: adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma, ATL, Daiichi Sankyo, EZH1/EZH2, peripheral T-cell lymphoma, PTCL, Valemetostat, VALENTINE-PTCL01
 

About The Author

Brian Buntz

As the pharma and biotech editor at WTWH Media, Brian has almost two decades of experience in B2B media, with a focus on healthcare and technology. While he has long maintained a keen interest in AI, more recently Brian has made making data analysis a central focus, and is exploring tools ranging from NLP and clustering to predictive analytics.

Throughout his 18-year tenure, Brian has covered an array of life science topics, including clinical trials, medical devices, and drug discovery and development. Prior to WTWH, he held the title of content director at Informa, where he focused on topics such as connected devices, cybersecurity, AI and Industry 4.0. A dedicated decade at UBM saw Brian providing in-depth coverage of the medical device sector. Engage with Brian on LinkedIn or drop him an email at bbuntz@wtwhmedia.com.

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