SAN DIEGO, Oct. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Halozyme
Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO), an oncology biotech developing
novel oncology and drug-delivery therapies, today announced that
its investigational drug, PEGPH20, and a companion diagnostic assay
for assessment of hyaluronan (HA) under development by Ventana
Medical Systems, Inc. will be included in a groundbreaking
pancreatic cancer clinical trial initiative called Precision
Promise.
The Precision Promise initiative aims to change the current
treatment approach to pancreatic cancer, offering options to
patients based on the molecular profile of their tumor. This is
being accomplished through the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
leading an unprecedented collaboration that brings together
clinicians, researchers, and drug developers. Precision Promise
plans to enroll patients at 12 initial consortium sites in Spring
2017.
President and CEO Dr. Helen
Torley said: "Halozyme is proud to be participating in this
important initiative that has the potential to change how pancreas
cancer is treated and improve outcome for patients. I want to
recognize The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network for their visionary
leadership in bringing the community together. The selection of
PEGPH20 and incorporation of HA testing into the trial supports the
science and promise of our targeted therapy."
Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer related
death in the United States and is
anticipated to become the second around 2020. Nationally, only 4
percent of pancreatic cancer patients enroll in clinical
trials.
"Precision Promise is an unprecedented opportunity for patients
and is vital to move the field forward," said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, president and CEO of
the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. "Instead of looking for the
right patient for a clinical trial, we are designing the right
clinical trial for each patient."
Halozyme's PEGPH20 is an enzyme that targets and degrades HA in
the tumor microenvironment. HA is a glycosaminoglycan – a chain of
natural sugars distributed throughout human tissue – that can
accumulate in higher concentrations around certain cancer cells,
potentially constricting blood vessels and impeding the access of
other therapies. Patients with high levels of HA will receive
PEGPH20 in combination with other therapies. In preclinical models,
this approach has enabled higher concentrations of the therapeutic
agent or the body's natural immune cells to reach the targeted
tumor.
More information on Halozyme's phase 3 clinical trial of
PEGPH20, HALO-301, may be found at www.halo301.com and additional
background and vision of Precision Promise may be found at
www.pancan.org/precision-promise.
About Halozyme
Halozyme Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on
developing and commercializing novel oncology therapies that target
the tumor microenvironment. Halozyme's lead proprietary program,
investigational drug PEGPH20, applies a unique approach to
targeting solid tumors, allowing increased access of
co-administered cancer drug therapies to the tumor in animal
models. PEGPH20 is currently in development for metastatic
pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, gastric cancer,
metastatic breast cancer and has potential across additional
cancers in combination with different types of cancer therapies. In
addition to its proprietary product portfolio, Halozyme has
established value-driving partnerships with leading pharmaceutical
companies including Roche, Baxalta, Pfizer, Janssen, AbbVie and
Lilly for its ENHANZE™ drug delivery platform. Halozyme is
headquartered in San Diego. For
more information visit www.halozyme.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
In addition to historical information, the statements set forth
above include forward-looking statements (including, without
limitation, statements concerning the Company's future expectations
and plans for growth, future execution of the Company's business
strategy, the development and commercialization of product
candidates and the potential benefits and attributes of such
product candidates, future prospects of the Company's ENHANZE
platform and increasing the number of strategic partners) that
involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements are typically, but not always,
identified through use of the words "believe," "enable," "may,"
"will," "could," "intends," "estimate," "anticipate," "plan,"
"predict," "probable," "potential," "possible," "should,"
"continue," and other words of similar meaning. Actual results
could differ materially from the expectations contained in
forward-looking statements as a result of several factors,
including unexpected results in executing the Company's business
strategy including its efforts to grow the ENHANZE platform,
unexpected expenditures and costs, unexpected fluctuations or
changes in revenues, including revenues from collaborators,
unexpected results or delays in development of product candidates
and regulatory review, regulatory approval requirements, the
Company's efforts to increase the number of strategic partners not
producing expected results, unexpected adverse events and
competitive conditions. These and other factors that may result in
differences are discussed in greater detail in the Company's most
recent Annual and Quarterly Reports filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission.
Contacts:
Jim
Mazzola/Carla Taub
858-704-8122/8370
media@halozyme.com
Chris Burton
858-704-8352
ir@halozyme.com
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SOURCE Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc.