BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals Announces Analysis of New Data on the Plinabulin/Pegfilgrastim Combination in Breast Cancer at the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium

Rhea-AI Summary

BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BYSI) presented analyses from its PROTECTIVE-2 trial at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 10, 2021. The data indicated that the combination of plinabulin and pegfilgrastim significantly alleviates pegfilgrastim-related bone pain and enhances health-related quality of life (HrQoL) for breast cancer patients. Key findings showed lower incidences of bone pain and improved absolute neutrophil counts in patients receiving the combination therapy. Plinabulin is a promising candidate for preventing chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) and is being explored for various cancer therapies.

Positive

• Combination therapy of plinabulin and pegfilgrastim significantly alleviates pegfilgrastim-related bone pain, improving patient comfort.
• Patients experienced a higher absolute neutrophil count (ANC) at the nadir, indicating effective CIN prevention with plinabulin.
• The therapy shifts adverse events towards lower grades, enhancing the safety profile compared to pegfilgrastim alone.

Negative

• None.

• The two posters will be presented on Friday, December 10, 2021 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM EST
  

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals (the “Company” or “BeyondSpring”) (NASDAQ: BYSI), a global pharmaceutical company focused on the development of cancer therapeutics, today announced the presentation of additional analyses from the Phase 3 portion of the PROTECTIVE-2 trial evaluating the combination of plinabulin and pegfilgrastim for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) in breast cancer patients at the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), held both live and virtually from December 7-10, 2021.

“We’ve been able to demonstrate that adding plinabulin to pegfilgrastim significantly alleviates pegfilgrastim-related bone pain, decreases toxicity and improves health related quality-of-life (HrQoL) through new data analysis from the PROTECTIVE-2 study,” said Dr. Douglas Blayney, professor of medicine at Stanford University Medical School and global principal investigator for the CIN studies. “With the superior CIN prevention benefit, the bone pain reduction benefit and quality of life benefit from adding plinabulin to pegfilgrastim, the TAC regimen (docetaxel, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide) has the potential to become more tolerable in patients with breast cancer.”

Dr. Ramon Mohanlal, executive vice president of research and development and chief medical officer at BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals, added, “We’re pleased to be presenting at SABCS again this year and adding this new important data to our existing portfolio of CIN studies. Our goal has always been to create a better cancer treatment experience for these patients by alleviating some of the issues that can occur with CIN. We look forward to continuing to study how plinabulin can potentially make a difference in this indication.”

The posters will be presented by Dr. Blayney during Poster Session 5 on Friday, December 10, 2021, from 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM EST and will be available on the SABCS website.

Poster Title: Mechanistic evidence associated with the benefit of plinabulin significantly reducing bone pain in breast cancer patients (pts) treated with TAC (docetaxel, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide) and pegfilgrastim (Peg)
Publication Number: P5-18-01
Key Findings:

• Patients treated with pegfilgrastim and plinabulin experienced less bone pain than did patients treated with pegfilgrastim only (p=0.03).
• Treatment with plinabulin may mitigate the need for compensatory hematopoiesis and intracavitary pressure build-up, resulting in bone pain sensations.
• Patients treated with pegfilgrastim and plinabulin had a higher absolute neutrophil count (ANC) at the nadir (the point of their lowest ANC).
  • Treatment-emergent adverse events of bone pain, cycles 1 to 4 (% of patients): TAC+Peg (30%) vs TAC+Peg+Plin (18%), p=0.03
  • ANC nadir during cycle 1 (mean ANC nadir (10⁹ cells/L)): TAC+Peg (0.32) vs TAC+Peg+Plin (0.54), p=0.0002.
• The depth of ANC nadir was statistically significantly correlated with bone pain scores; TAC+Peg vs TAC+Peg+Plin, p=0.019.

Poster Title: Combination plinabulin+pegfilgrastim (Plin+Peg) had better toxicity management and health related quality-of-life (HrQoL) compared to Peg alone in early-stage breast cancer (BC) patients (pts) treated with taxotere, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (TAC)
Publication Number: P5-18-04
Key Findings:

• Adding plinabulin to pegfilgrastim decreases toxicity and improves HrQoL among patients with breast cancer receiving TAC. TAC should be reevaluated for patients with early-stage breast cancer in light of the improved outcomes seen with the addition of plinabulin and pegfilgrastim.
• The adverse event (AE) profile among patients treated with plinabulin and pegfilgrastim was shifted towards lower grade AEs.
• Adding plinabulin to pegfilgrastim prevented a decline in HrQoL scores for mobility, self-care, daily activities, pain and anxiety; significant change in EQ-5D-5L utility values, Cycles 1 to 4 for TAC+Peg vs TAC+Peg+Plin, p=0.024
  

About Plinabulin
Plinabulin, BeyondSpring’s lead asset, is a selective immunomodulating microtubule-binding agent (SIMBA), which is a potent antigen presenting cell (APC) inducer. It is a novel, intravenous infused, patent-protected asset for CIN prevention and a Phase 3 anti-cancer candidate for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with recently released positive topline data. Plinabulin triggers the release of the immune defense protein, GEF-H1, which leads to two distinct effects: first is a durable anticancer benefit due to the maturation of dendritic cells resulting in the activation of tumor antigen-specific T-cells to target cancer cells, and the second is early-onset of action in CIN prevention after chemotherapy by boosting the number of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs). Plinabulin received Breakthrough Therapy designation from both U.S. and China FDA for the CIN prevention indication. As a “pipeline in a drug,” plinabulin is being broadly studied in combination with various immuno-oncology agents that could boost the effects of the PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies and re-sensitize PD-1/PD-L1 antibody-resistant patients.

About BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals
Headquartered in New York City, BeyondSpring is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative cancer therapies to improve clinical outcomes for patients who have high unmet medical needs. BeyondSpring’s first-in-class lead asset, plinabulin, a selective immunomodulating microtubule-binding agent (SIMBA), is being developed as a “pipeline in a drug” in various cancer indications as a direct anti-cancer agent and to prevent chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN). In the DUBLIN-3 study, a global, randomized, active controlled Phase 3 study, the plinabulin and docetaxel combination has met the primary endpoint of extending overall survival compared to docetaxel alone, in 2^nd/3^rd line NSCLC (EGFR wild type). Additionally, it is being broadly studied in combination with various immuno-oncology regimens that could boost the effects of PD-1 / PD-L1 antibodies in seven different cancers. In addition to plinabulin, BeyondSpring’s extensive pipeline includes three pre-clinical immuno-oncology assets and a subsidiary, SEED Therapeutics, which is leveraging a proprietary targeted protein degradation drug discovery platform.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements that are not historical facts. Words such as “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “believe,” “design,” “may,” “future,” “estimate,” “predict,” “objective,” “goal,” or variations thereof and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on BeyondSpring’s current knowledge and its present beliefs and expectations regarding possible future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of several factors including, but not limited to, difficulties raising the anticipated amount needed to finance the Company’s future operations on terms acceptable to the Company, if at all, unexpected results of clinical trials, delays or denial in regulatory approval process, results that do not meet our expectations regarding the potential safety, the ultimate efficacy or clinical utility of our product candidates, increased competition in the market, and other risks described in BeyondSpring’s most recent Form 20-F on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date of this release and BeyondSpring undertakes no obligation to update publicly such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as otherwise required by law.

Investor Contact:
Ashley R. Robinson
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
+1 617-430-7577
arr@lifesciadvisors.com

Media Contact:
Darren Opland, Ph.D.
LifeSci Communications
+1 646-627-8387
darren@lifescicomms.com

FAQ

What were the key findings from BeyondSpring's presentation at the SABCS 2021?

BeyondSpring's presentation highlighted that plinabulin significantly reduces pegfilgrastim-related bone pain and enhances health-related quality of life for breast cancer patients.

What is the significance of the PROTECTIVE-2 trial data for plinabulin?

The PROTECTIVE-2 trial data suggests that adding plinabulin to pegfilgrastim provides superior prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia and improves patient quality of life.

When was BeyondSpring's study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium?

The study was presented on December 10, 2021, during the SABCS.

What is the stock symbol for BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals?

BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals is traded under the stock symbol BYSI.

How does plinabulin affect patients undergoing chemotherapy?

Plinabulin has been shown to alleviate bone pain and improve absolute neutrophil counts in patients receiving chemotherapy.