EGFR T790M

Company advancing BDTX-1535 in EGFRm NSCLC towards key inflection points in Q1 2025 Will deprioritize BDTX-4933 and seek potential partners Anticipated cost savings expected to extend cash runway into Q2 2026 CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 07, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black Diamond Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: BDTX), a clinical-stage oncology company developing MasterKey therapies that target families of oncogenic mutations in patients with cancer, announced today a corporate restructuring to focus resources on advancing lead program BDTX-1535 into pivotal development, and to extend the Company’s expected cash runway into Q2 2026. BDTX-1535 has demonstrated robust Phase 2 clinical activity across a broad spectrum of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations (EGFRm) in patients with recurrent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In Q1 2025, Black Diamond anticipates sharing initial Phase 2 data for BDTX-1535 in the frontline setting for patients with EGFRm NSCLC. Also in Q1 2025, the Company plans to present updated Phase 2 results for BDTX-1535 in patients with recurrent EGFRm NSCLC and a potential registration path in the recurrent setting based on feedback from the FDA. Black Diamond is actively seeking partnerships as it deprioritizes its BDTX-4933 program in RAF/RAS-mutant solid tumors. To enable focused investment in BDTX-1535, Black Diamond has also taken steps to optimize operations, including a reduction in force, while retaining core drug development and management expertise. As part of the restructuring, Chief Business Officer and Chief Financial Officer Fang Ni and Chief People Officer Elizabeth Montgomery are departing the Company. Erika Jones, Senior Vice President of Finance and Principal Accounting Officer, has been appointed Principal Financial Officer of the Company. Cost savings from the restructuring and other actions described above are expected to be sufficient to fund operations into Q2 2026. “BDTX-1535 is a well-tolerated oral TKI with the potential to benefit patients with EGFRm NSCLC across multiple lines of therapy,” said Mark Velleca, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Black Diamond Therapeutics. “We remain focused on advancing BDTX-1535 and presenting additional Phase 2 data in Q1 2025. I am deeply grateful to each member of the Black Diamond team, whose hard work and valuable contributions have brought us to the threshold of pivotal development for our lead program.” About BDTX-1535 BDTX-1535 is an oral, brain-penetrant MasterKey inhibitor of oncogenic EGFR mutations in NSCLC, including classical mutations, non-classical mutations, and the C797S resistance mutation. BDTX-1535 is a fourth-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that potently inhibits, based on preclinical data, more than 50 EGFR mutations expressed across a diverse group of patients with NSCLC in multiple lines of therapy. Based on preclinical data, BDTX-1535 also inhibits EGFR extracellular domain mutations and alterations commonly expressed in glioblastoma (GBM) and avoids paradoxical activation observed with earlier generation reversible TKIs. A “window of opportunity” trial of BDTX-1535 in patients with GBM is ongoing (NCT06072586) and a Phase 2 trial is ongoing in patients with NSCLC (NCT05256290). About Black Diamond Therapeutics Black Diamond Therapeutics is a clinical-stage oncology company developing MasterKey therapies that target families of oncogenic mutations in patients with cancer. The Company’s MasterKey therapies are designed to address a broad spectrum of genetically defined tumors, overcome resistance, minimize wild-type mediated toxicities, and be brain penetrant to treat central nervous system disease. The Company is advancing a Phase 2 NSCLC trial of BDTX-1535, a brain-penetrant fourth-generation EGFR MasterKey inhibitor targeting EGFR-mutant NSCLC and GBM. For more information, please visit www.blackdiamondtherapeutics.com. Forward-Looking Statements Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the potential of BDTX-1535 to address the unmet medical need for patients with recurrent NSCLC and for newly diagnosed NSCLC patients with non-classical EGFR mutations and benefit patients with NSCLC across multiple lines of therapy, the continued development and advancement of BDTX-1535, including the ongoing clinical trials and the timing of clinical updates for BDTX-1535 in patients with NSCLC; the expected timing for regulatory feedback and the disclosure of potential registrational pathways for BDTX-1535 in NSCLC; potential partnership opportunities for BDTX-4933; the expected cost savings from the restructuring; and expected cash runway. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include those risks and uncertainties set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in its subsequent filings filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. Contacts For Investors:investors@bdtx.com For Media:media@bdtx.com

In recent days, the long-standing patent dispute between Pfizer and AZ has finally come to an end. According to Reuters, US District Judge Matthew Kennelly dismissed the jury's decision that AZ's lung cancer drug Tagrisso (osimertinib) had infringed Pfizer's anti-cancer drug Nerlynx (neratinib) patent and should pay $107.5 million in damages. The judge ruled that Pfizer's two patents were invalid.   In the reversal of this patent lawsuit, neratinib, as a human epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), can irreversibly bind to EGFR (HER1), HER2, and HER4, inhibiting the phosphorylation of the receptor and blocking downstream signal transduction, thereby inhibiting the proliferation, survival, and migration of cancer cells and improving the tumor microenvironment.   Pfizer acquired Wyeth for $68 billion in 2009 and included neratinib in its product line. In 2011, Puma Biotechnology obtained a license from Pfizer for neratinib and took full responsibility for the global development and commercialization of the drug. In July 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved neratinib for reducing the risk of recurrence in early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. In 2020, the FDA further approved neratinib in combination with capecitabine for the treatment of adult patients with advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who had received two or more prior therapies. With this indication's approval, neratinib's application range has expanded from early-stage breast cancer patients to patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer.   Osimertinib is the third-generation EGFR-TKI developed by AstraZeneca, which was approved by the FDA in November 2015 for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with the T790M gene mutation as a second-line treatment. Currently, osimertinib has been approved for several indications in the NSCLC field. As the market leader of the third-generation EGFR-TKI, osimertinib's sales have continued to rise, reaching $5.799 billion in 2023 and becoming AstraZeneca's flagship product.   In 2021, Pfizer's subsidiary Wyeth and Puma Biotechnology filed a lawsuit against AstraZeneca, accusing osimertinib of infringing on their two key patents. One of the patents, "Patent 314," involves a method for treating NSCLC patients who are resistant to gefitinib and/or erlotinib with an EGFR inhibitor that covalently binds to cysteine 773 of the protein. The other is Wyeth's "Patent 162," which protects the use of these irreversible inhibitors to treat NSCLC patients who are resistant to gefitinib or erlotinib and carry a specific T790M mutation in the EGFR protein.   In May 2023, a federal jury in Delaware ruled that AstraZeneca had indeed infringed on Pfizer's patent and awarded $107.5 million in damages. Despite AstraZeneca's argument that Pfizer's patent was invalid, the jury did not adopt it. In response to this result, AstraZeneca filed an "additional defense."   In the latest ruling, the judge pointed out that two of Pfizer's patents were invalid because they lacked an effective written description of their invention, and that ordinary scientists in the field could not reproduce them based on these descriptions. Therefore, AstraZeneca has won the patent lawsuit. However, there are still many challenges ahead for Osimertinib.   At present, lung cancer has become the second most common type of cancer globally, according to statistics from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), with lung cancer accounting for 11.1% of all cancer cases worldwide in 2020. Among lung cancer patients, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 85% of the total, while small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for the remaining 15%. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is one of the most important oncogenic driver genes in NSCLC, and studies have shown that the incidence rate of EGFR mutations in metastatic NSCLC patients is about 30%. In China, the proportion of EGFR mutations among NSCLC patients is about 51%.   To date, three generations of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI) have been approved for marketing worldwide. The first and second generation EGFR-TKIs mainly target patients with the EGFR ex19del mutation and the EGFR 21L858R mutation. However, the third-generation drugs are not only effective against these sensitive mutations, but also against the T790M resistance mutation that arises after treatment with the first and second-generation TKIs.   Osimertinib, an EGFR-TKI that is already on the market, has seen consistent sales growth since its launch, becoming an important revenue driver for AstraZeneca. However, despite the huge market potential of the third-generation EGFR-TKIs, the competition is extremely fierce, with seven similar products approved globally and six approved in the domestic market.   Moreover, the compound patent for Osimertinib in China (CN103702990) will expire in July 2032. Given the huge potential of Osimertinib in the domestic market for imported anti-cancer drugs, Jiangsu Wanbangshenghua Pharmaceutical Group has submitted an application for the approval of a biosimilar and successfully obtained approval.   In the field of innovative drugs, Jiangsu Haosen Pharmaceutical's Ametinib and Aileris Pharmaceutical's Fumetinib have been approved for marketing by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Meanwhile, Oseacon's Limertinib, Johnson & Johnson's Lanresertinib, Tongyuan Pharmaceutical's TY-9591, and Aisen Pharmaceutical's Aivetinib have also submitted marketing applications or have entered the III phase clinical trial stage in China. In addition to the competition from similar products, osimertinib is also facing the challenge of dual antibody drugs. Recently, Johnson & Johnson's EGFR/C-MET dual antibody Amivantamab, combined with the third-generation EGFR-TKI Lartruvo (A+L), achieved the primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS) in a direct comparison clinical trial with osimertinib monotherapy for the first-line treatment of EGFR-mutated advanced NSCLC. The study results showed that compared with osimertinib, the A+L group significantly reduced the risk of PFS by 30% (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.58-0.85; P<0.001), with a median PFS of 23.7 months (compared with 16.6 months), and an objective response rate (ORR) of 86% (compared with 85%). In terms of overall survival (OS), the median OS for the A+L group could not be estimated (HR, 0.77), while the OS for the osimertinib group was 37.3 months (HR, 0.77). The OS reached a statistically significant endpoint, indicating that A+L may become a new standard for the first-line treatment of EGFR-mutated NSCLC.   Faced with the dual pressure of generic drugs and innovative drugs, AstraZeneca's osimertinib is facing a severe competitive situation. Nevertheless, the victory in the patent lawsuit has saved AstraZeneca up to $107 million in potential compensation.

Tagrisso generated $5.8bn in 2023 for AstraZeneca. Credit: rarrarorro via Shutterstock. AstraZeneca has won approval from the European Commission for Tagrisso (osimertinib) in combination with chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with epidermal growth factor receptor mutations (EGFRm) in adults. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor has been approved alongside pemetrexed and platinum-based chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of adults whose tumours have exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) mutations. Approval is based on positive data from the Phase III FLAURA2 trial (NCT04035486). The trial enrolled 557 patients, showing that Tagrisso and chemotherapy reduced the risk of disease progression or death by 38% by investigator assessment compared to Tagrisso monotherapy, which is the first-line global standard of care. Additionally, median progression-free survival was 25.5 months for patients treated with Tagrisso plus chemotherapy, an 8.8-month improvement versus monotherapy. Progression-free survival (PFS) results from a blinded independent central review (BICR) were consistent with the results by investigator assessment, showing 29.4 months median PFS with Tagrisso plus chemotherapy, a 9.5-month improvement over Tagrisso monotherapy. See Also: CAN-3110 by Candel Therapeutics for High-Grade Glioma: Likelihood of Approval ICTCAR-028 by Innovative Cellular Therapeutics for Hematological Tumor: Likelihood of Approval The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended approving Tagrisso last month. The drug earned AstraZeneca $5.8bn in sales last year, as per the company’s financials. According to GlobalData’s Pharma Intelligence Centre, Tagrisso is forecast to generate $7.4bn in 2030. GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology. Currently, AstraZeneca’s Imfinzi (durvalumab) is the standard of care for patients with stage III EGFRm NSCLC, but studies have shown that administering immunotherapy to patients with EGFRm is associated with very low response rates. In the announcement accompanying the approval, AstraZeneca oncology business executive vice president Dave Fredrickson said: “This approval reinforces Tagrisso as the backbone therapy in EGFR-mutated lung cancer either as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy. This is especially important for those with more aggressive disease, including patients whose cancer has spread to the brain and those with L858R mutations.” Tagrisso combined with chemotherapy is already approved for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic EGFRm NSCLC in the USA, China, Japan, and other countries. It is also approved as monotherapy in more than 110 countries, including in the USA, EU, China, and Japan, for locally advanced or metastatic EGFRm NSCLC, EGFR T790m positive NSCLC, and as an adjuvant therapy for early-stage EGFRm NSCLC.