Clinical Trials

Date: 2014-12-19

Type of information: discontinuation of development

phase: 2

Announcement: discontinuation of development

Company: Novartis (Switzerland) Vernalis (UK)

Product: AUY922

Action mechanism:

heat shock protein inhibitor. AUY922 is a non-geldanamycin derivative Hsp90 inhibitor. In in vivo and in vitro preclinical studies, AUY922 binds to Hsp90 with high affinity in cancer cell lines of different tumor types. It destabilizes Hsp90 chaperoning complex and induces degradation of Hsp90 client proteins. This then results in induction of Hsp70, a sensitive pharmacodynamic marker of Hsp90 complex disruption. A first-in-human Phase I/II dose escalation study evaluating AUY922 has been completed, and the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) was determined. Four Phase II studies are ongoing to determine the clinical benefits of AUY922 in patients with non small cell lung cancer. One of these studies is evaluating the efficacy of AUY922 compared to that of pemetrexed or docetaxel in patients with EGFR mutations who have progressed on prior EGFR TKI treatment Other ongoing NSCLC studies are exploring AUY922 in patients who have received at least two lines of chemotherapy in patients with “acquired resistance” to EGFR TKIs, and in patients with ALK-rearranged advanced NSCLC who have acquired resistance to prior ALK TKI therapy.

Disease: non small cell lung cancer

Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology

Country:

Trial details:

Latest news:

• On December 19,2014, Vernalis announced that Novartis has informed Vernalis that it is has ceased all development work on AUY922, the novel intravenous Hsp90 inhibitor and rights from the programme will now revert to Vernalis. This programme was out-licensed to Novartis in 2004 and since then Vernalis has made no further investment. Novartis has been investigating AUY922 for the treatment of a range of solid cancer tumours. The process to hand back programme data will take place in early 2015. When completed, Vernalis will review the data and decide on next steps and how best to take the programme forward.