Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Announces Clinical Collaboration with Merck to Evaluate RX-5902 (Supinoxin™) in combination with KEY...
August 21 2018 - 8:00AM
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE American:RNN), a clinical stage
biopharmaceutical company developing innovative, targeted
therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, today announced that it
has entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement with
Merck (known as MSD outside the United States and Canada) to
evaluate the combination of Rexahn’s RX-5902 and Merck’s anti-PD-1
therapy, KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab) in a Phase 2 trial in patients
with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC).
“Rexahn is excited to announce this collaboration with Merck, an
established leader in the field of immuno-oncology,” said Peter D.
Suzdak, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Rexahn. “RX-5902 has both
antitumor and immune-modulatory effects and augments the efficacy
of checkpoint inhibitors in animal models. Based on the mechanism
of action of RX-5902 and our observations in preclinical studies,
we are optimistic that the combination of RX-5902 with KEYTRUDA may
provide meaningful clinical benefit in patients with metastatic
triple negative breast cancer – a cancer that is notoriously
difficult to treat”.
The study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the
combination of RX-5902 and KEYTRUDA in patients with metastatic
TNBC who have progressed following at least one prior
treatment. Under the terms of the agreement, Rexahn will
sponsor the RX-5902 and KEYTRUDA study.
KEYTRUDA® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme
Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ,
USA.
About RX-5902
RX-5902 (Supinoxin) is an orally administered, potential
first-in-class, small molecule inhibitor of phosphorylated-p68
(P-p68). P-p68, which is selectively overexpressed in cancer cells
and is absent in normal tissue, modulates the activity of the
β-catenin/Wnt pathway and plays a role in tumor progression,
metastasis and tumor immunogenicity.
In preclinical studies, RX-5902 has been shown to inhibit the
growth and proliferation of multiple human cancer cell lines
(including triple negative breast cancer), decrease tumor growth in
patient derived xenograft models and potentiate the activity of
immune checkpoint inhibitors and other anti-tumor agents. RX-5902
is currently being evaluated as monotherapy in a Phase 2 clinical
trial in patients with metastatic TNBC. Preliminary data was
presented at ASCO (American Society for Clinical Oncology) Annual
Meeting in June 2018. Additional information on RX-5902 can
be found at: https://rexahn.com/cms/portfolio/rx-5902/.
About Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Rexahn Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NYSE American:RNN) is a clinical
stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel,
targeted therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. The company's
mission is to improve the lives of cancer patients by developing
next-generation cancer therapies that are designed to maximize
efficacy while minimizing the toxicity and side effects
traditionally associated with cancer treatment. Rexahn's product
candidates work by targeting and neutralizing specific proteins
believed to be involved in the complex biological cascade that
leads to cancer cell growth. Preclinical studies show that certain
of Rexahn's product candidates may be effective against multiple
types of cancer, including drug resistant cancers, and
difficult-to-treat cancers, and others may augment the
effectiveness of current FDA-approved cancer treatments. The
company has two oncology product candidates, RX-3117 and RX-5902,
in Phase 2 clinical development and additional compounds in
preclinical development including RX-0201. For more information
about the Company and its oncology programs, please
visit www.rexahn.com.
Safe Harbor
To the extent any statements made in this press release deal
with information that is not historical, these are forward-looking
statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements
about Rexahn’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with
respect to the Collaboration Agreement, the collaboration and
related study, the combination of RX-5902 and Keytruda, the path of
clinical trials and development activities, and other statements
identified by words such as “will,” “potential,” “could,” “can,”
“believe,” “intends,” “continue,” “plans,” “expects,”
“anticipates,” “estimates,” “may,” other words of similar meaning
or the use of future dates. Forward-looking statements by their
nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain.
Uncertainties and risks may cause Rexahn’s actual results to be
materially different than those expressed in or implied by Rexahn’s
forward-looking statements. For Rexahn, particular uncertainties
and risks include, among others, understandings and beliefs
regarding the role of certain biological mechanisms and processes
in cancer; drug candidates being in early stages of development,
including clinical development; the costs and timelines associated
with clinical development; the ability to transition from our
initial focus on developing drug candidates for orphan indications
to candidates for more highly prevalent indications; and the
expecting timing of results from our clinical trials. More detailed
information on these and additional factors that could affect
Rexahn’s actual results are described in Rexahn’s filings with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent
annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form
10-Q. All forward-looking statements in this news release speak
only as of the date of this news release. Rexahn undertakes no
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement,
whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
Media Contact:DGI CommSusan Forman or Laura
Radocaj
+1-212-825-3210sforman@dgicomm.comlradocaj@dgicomm.com
Investor contact:ir@rexahn.com
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