REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 23, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:OMED), a clinical-stage company developing novel therapeutics that target cancer stem cells (CSCs), or tumor-initiating cells, today announced that several abstracts have been accepted for presentation at the upcoming American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting being held May 30 – June 3, 2014 in Chicago, IL.
OncoMed will present new clinical data from its ongoing studies, including the Phase 1b study of demcizumab (OMP-21M18, anti-DLL4) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the Phase 1/2 PINNACLE trial of OMP-59R5 (anti-Notch 2/3) in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and the Phase 1 trial of OMP-54F28 (FZD8-Fc) in patients with advanced solid tumors. The list of abstracts and timing of the presentations is provided below.
Oral Presentation
- A first-in-human Phase 1 study of anti-cancer stem cell agent OMP-54F28 (FZD8-Fc), decoy receptor for WNT ligands, in patients with advanced solid tumors. (Abstract# 2505)
Presenting author: Antonio Jimeno M.D., Ph.D., University of Colorado Cancer Center
Date and time: Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 1:15 PM – 4:15 PM CDT
Session: Oral Abstract Session - Developmental Therapeutics - Clinical Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Posters
- Phase 1b of anti-cancer stem cell antibody OMP-59R5 (anti-Notch2/3) in combination with etoposide and cisplatin (EP) in patients (pts) with untreated extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC). (Abstract# 7601)
Presenting author: David R. Spigel, M.D., Sarah Cannon Research Institute
Date and time: Saturday, May 31, 2014 at 1:15 PM – 5:00 PM CDT
Session: General Poster Session - Lung Cancer - Non-small Cell Local-regional/Small Cell/Other Thoracic Cancers
- A Phase 1b study of the anti-cancer stem cell agent demcizumab (DEM), pemetrexed (PEM), and carboplatin (CARBO) in pts with first-line nonsquamous NSCLC. (Abstract # 2544)
Presenting author: Mark McKeage, MBChB, MMedSc, Ph.D., FRACP, University of Auckland
Date and time: Sunday, June 1, 2014 at 8:00 am – 11:45 am CDT
Session: General Poster Session - Developmental Therapeutics - Clinical Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
About Cancer Stem Cells
Cancer stem cells, or CSCs, are the subpopulation of cells in a tumor responsible for driving growth and metastasis of the tumor. Also known as tumor-initiating cells, CSCs have the capacity to divide and give rise to new cancer stem cells via a process called self-renewal and to differentiate or change into the other cells that form the bulk of the tumor. Common cancer drugs target bulk tumor cells but have limited impact on CSCs, thereby providing a path for recurrence of the tumor. OncoMed's product candidates target CSCs by blocking self-renewal and driving differentiation of CSCs toward a non-tumorigenic state, and also impact bulk tumor cells. OncoMed believes its product candidates are distinct from the current generations of chemotherapies and targeted therapies, and have the potential to significantly impact cancer treatment and the clinical outcome of patients with cancer.
About OncoMed Pharmaceuticals
OncoMed Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage company focused on discovering and developing novel therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs). OncoMed has five anti-cancer product candidates in clinical development, including demcizumab (anti-DLL4, OMP-21M18), OMP-59R5 (anti-Notch2/3), OMP-52M51 (anti-Notch1), vantictumab (anti-Fzd7, OMP-18R5), and OMP-54F28 (Fzd8-Fc), which target key cancer stem cell signaling pathways including Notch and Wnt. OncoMed has two other antibodies in preclinical development, OMP-305B83 (Anti-DLL4/Anti-VEGF bispecific) and Anti-RSPO3, with Investigational New Drug filings planned for late 2014 or early 2015. OncoMed is also pursuing discovery of additional novel anti-CSC product candidates. OncoMed has formed strategic alliances with Celgene Corporation, Bayer Pharma AG and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Additional information can be found at the company's website: www.oncomed.com.