Actuate Therapeutics Reports Positive Biomarker and Machine Learning Data from Phase 2 Elraglusib Trial in First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer at ASCO
- Identification of 7 significant biomarker predictors for favorable survival in elraglusib-treated patients
- Machine learning models successfully predicted patients likely to survive over one year with elraglusib treatment
- Discovery of CXCL2 as a consistently reliable biomarker for survival
- Potential ability to use non-invasive blood-based markers to identify patients who may benefit from treatment
- Results are from Phase 2 trial, requiring further validation in larger studies
- Biomarkers still need to be tested prospectively in future trials
- Additional optimization and refinement of predictive models needed
Insights
Actuate's biomarker discoveries in Phase 2 trial may enable prediction of pancreatic cancer patients who respond better to elraglusib therapy.
Actuate Therapeutics has unveiled significant biomarker findings from their Phase 2 trial (Actuate-1801 Part 3B) investigating elraglusib combined with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel for first-line metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). Through sophisticated machine learning and statistical modeling of pre-treatment plasma samples, researchers identified 7 key biomarkers that predict favorable survival in patients receiving elraglusib.
The most compelling discovery involves CXCL2, which demonstrated an inverse survival trend compared to the control arm - high CXCL2 levels typically predict poor outcomes with standard therapy but correlate with improved survival when elraglusib is added. This suggests elraglusib may uniquely modulate the tumor immune environment in ways that convert unfavorable biology into therapeutic advantage.
Additional biomarkers showing predictive value include elevated TRAIL and reduced levels of CCL3, IL-1α, IL-18, TGF-β, and TRAIL R3. These were incorporated into multivariate models capable of predicting which patients would survive beyond one year on the combination therapy.
The identified biomarker signature suggests elraglusib exhibits immunomodulatory effects across multiple immune cell populations, including cytotoxic T cells, NK cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. Particularly noteworthy is that these unbiased mathematical approaches align with previously established mechanistic studies, strengthening confidence in these findings.
For pancreatic cancer - one of the most treatment-resistant malignancies with dismal survival rates - developing predictive biomarkers represents a critical advance. The ability to identify likely responders through simple blood tests could significantly improve patient selection, potentially increasing efficacy signals in future trials while sparing unlikely responders from ineffective therapy.
Phase 2 highlights robust biomarker identification and survival correlations in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPDAC) treated with elraglusib
CHICAGO and FORT WORTH, Texas, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Actuate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACTU) (“Actuate” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for the treatment of high-impact, difficult-to-treat cancers through the inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β), today announced biomarker data from a recent poster presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting from the Phase 2 (Actuate-1801 Part 3B) trial of elraglusib in combination with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (GnP) in first-line metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma (mPDAC). The study demonstrated the use of machine learning and statistical models to predict overall survival (OS) based on pre-dose plasma biomarkers.
The poster described an analysis of 40 cytokines, chemokines, soluble cell receptors, and growth factors (CCSGs) from plasma samples obtained prior to treatment from all patients enrolled in Actuate-1801 Part 3B. The analysis identified 7 biomarkers as uniquely significant predictors of favorable survival in the elraglusib-treated cohort, including one, CXCL2, with an inverse survival trend compared to the GnP control arm. This indicates that in patients not treated with elraglusib, high CXCL2 was unfavorable, but this trend is reversed with elraglusib treatment, highlighting the potential of elraglusib to favorably affect the immune microenvironment.
Univariate analysis revealed strong predictive performance with CXCL2 emerging as a consistently reliable biomarker for survival across multiple cross-validation analyses. Elevated levels of CXCL2 and TRAIL were associated with improved OS, while lower levels of CCL3, IL-1α, IL-18, TGF-β, and TRAIL R3 were similarly linked to better survival. These signatures were combined into multivariate machine learning models that accurately predicted patients who would survive for greater than one year if treated with elraglusib and GnP.
“These results represent an important advance in our biomarker strategy,” said Daniel Schmitt, President & Chief Executive Officer of Actuate. “They support the ability to use simple, non-invasive blood-based markers to potentially identify patients more likely to benefit from elraglusib. The pre-dose biomarker signatures identified in the 1801 Part 3B study, particularly involving high CXCL2 and low TGF-β, CCL3, and IL-18, which were all associated with a survival benefit, suggests that elraglusib may exert pleiotropic immunomodulatory effects regulating cytotoxic T cells, NK cells and cells of the myeloid lineage including macrophages and neutrophils. Crosstalk between components of the immune system support the growing body of evidence that elraglusib enhances immune response mechanisms critical to its antitumor efficacy.”
“The application of unbiased mathematical and machine learning models allowed us to pinpoint the strongest biomarker signals free from pre-conceived notions of elraglusib’s mechanisms. What is so exciting about this project is that the unbiased approach aligns with prior mechanistic studies. The congruence of our clinical data analytics and the preclinical research combined with the strength of our predictive models gives us confidence that these biomarkers could be extremely beneficial in identifying the right patients at the right time,” said Taylor Weiskittel, MD, Ph.D., the lead author on this study. “We look forward to applying this approach to guide the development of elraglusib in mPDAC as well as other advanced cancer indications in the future.”
The company plans to test the identified biomarkers prospectively in future trials. Additional efforts will focus on optimizing sequential univariate combinations for patient stratification, refining multivariate machine learning models for predictive accuracy, and comparing these approaches head-to-head.
About Actuate Therapeutics, Inc.
Actuate is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for the treatment of high-impact, difficult-to-treat cancers. Actuate’s lead investigational drug, elraglusib (a novel GSK-3β inhibitor), targets molecular pathways in cancer that are involved in promoting tumor growth and resistance to conventional cancer drugs such as chemotherapy through the inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB) and DNA Damage Response (DDR). Elraglusib may also mediate anti-tumor immunity through the regulation of multiple immune checkpoints and immune cell function. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at http://www.actuatetherapeutics.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements about us, including our and other parties’ clinical trials and development plans, and our industry. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “ongoing,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements, other than statements related to present facts or current conditions or of historical facts, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Accordingly, these statements involve estimates, assumptions, substantial risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in them, including but not limited to that preliminary and unpublished data including biomarker studies may be subject to change and further interpretation following the availability of more data or following a more comprehensive review of the data and should not be relied upon as a final analysis; clinical and preclinical drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with uncertain timelines and outcomes, results of prior preclinical studies, early clinical trials, machine learning and predictive modeling are not necessarily predictive of future results and may not correlate with improved responses, and elraglusib may not achieve positive clinical results or favorable preclinical results or receive regulatory approval on a timely basis, if at all; that we may not successfully enroll additional patients or establish or advance plans for further development, including through conversations with the FDA or EMA and the standards such bodies may impose for such development; that elraglusib could be associated with side effects, adverse events or other properties or safety risks, which could delay or preclude regulatory approval, cause us to suspend or discontinue clinical trials or result in other negative consequences; our reliance on third parties to conduct our non-clinical studies and our clinical trials; our reliance on third-party licensors and ability to preserve and protect our intellectual property rights; that we face significant competition from other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies; our ability to fund development activities, including because our financial condition raises substantial doubt as to our ability to continue as a going concern and we require additional capital to finance our operations beyond the second quarter of fiscal year 2025, and a failure to obtain this necessary capital in the near term on acceptable terms, or at all, could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our development programs, commercialization efforts or other operations. In addition, any forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the factors discussed under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 13, 2025, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on May 15, 2025, and other filings with the SEC. Because the risk factors referred to above could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by us or on our behalf, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Unless legally required, we do not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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FAQ
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