Viracta Therapeutics announces interim data from Phase 1b/2 trial of nana-val

Viracta Therapeutics announced that additional data from the Phase 1b/2 clinical trial of Nana-val in patients with recurrent or metastatic Epstein-Barr virus-positivenasopharyngeal carcinoma showed two ongoing confirmed partial responses at higher dose levels. These data were featured in an oral presentation made by A. Dimitrios Colevas, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the Stanford Cancer Institute, during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Asia Congress being held in Singapore. Nana-val is the company’s all-oral investigational therapy targeting Epstein-Barr virus-associated cancers. Key Data from the Oral ESMO Asia Congress Presentation: Interim data from the Phase 1b/2 study of Nana-val in patients with R/M EBV+ NPC revealed two ongoing confirmed partial responses at higher dose levels plus new nonclinical data that support the evaluation of a novel split daily dosing regimen. Best antitumor responses to date have included two PRs at the higher dose levels plus five stable diseases out of 17 patients treated to date. Confirmed PR at the third dose level demonstrated greater than50% reduction in tumor size through 50 weeks and confirmed PR at the fifth dose level demonstrated ~30-40% reduction in tumor size through 14 weeks. Increased antitumor activity observed in a preclinical murine EBV+ gastric cancer xenograft model supports investigation of Nana-val on an SDD schedule as a next step. In comparison to once daily dosing, split dosing four hours apart each day increased the expression of EBV protein kinase, which translated into increased antitumor activity. In comparison to intermittent dosing, daily dosing increased the exposure to Nana-val leading to a more sustained antitumor effect.