Kazia Calls for Increased Focus on Brain Cancer Research this GBM Awareness Day
Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA) highlights Glioblastoma (GBM) Awareness Day on July 21, 2021, urging increased research focus on this aggressive brain cancer, which affects around 13,000 Americans annually. Current GBM treatments yield limited benefits, with median survival at 16 months. CEO Dr. James Garner expresses confidence in future treatment advancements, particularly with the drug paxalisib, currently in phase II trials. Kazia calls for collaboration among stakeholders to improve GBM treatment prospects.
- Paxalisib shows promising clinical efficacy in interim analyses of phase II study.
- GBM AGILE clinical trial has screened over 650 patients, indicating strong recruitment progress.
- Current GBM treatment options have not significantly improved in 20 years.
- Two-thirds of patients receive no meaningful benefit from existing treatments.
SYDNEY, July 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA; ASX: KZA), a leading drug development company in the field of brain cancer, today recognizes Glioblastoma (GBM) Awareness Day and calls for a greater focus on research from industry, academia, and government in order to better treat the disease.
GBM is the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer, and it is expected that approximately 13,000 Americans will receive a GBM diagnosis in 2021. Unlike many other cancers there has been little progress made in the treatment of this disease and the standard of care has remained largely unchanged since the turn of the century.
Current treatment for GBM includes surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide. However, around two-thirds of patients receive no meaningful benefit from temozolomide. The median survival from diagnosis remains approximately 16 months and has improved little in the last twenty years.
Kazia CEO, Dr James Garner, said, "Enormous progress has been made in the treatment of so many cancers, but GBM has thus far remained intractable, with outcomes for patients relatively unchanged in two decades. However, the future for this disease looks much more promising, with new insights into the biology of GBM and a renewed focus from academia and industry combining to explore new therapeutic frontiers. We remain wholly confident that this disease can be beaten, and we call on all stakeholders – clinicians, researchers, government, industry, and patient advocates – to redouble their efforts on improving the prognosis for patients with glioblastoma."
About GBM Awareness Day
Glioblastoma Awareness Day takes place on July 21, 2021, with a specific focus on:
- Increasing public awareness of glioblastoma
- Honoring the individuals who have lost their lives to glioblastoma, a devastating disease, or are currently living with it
- Supporting efforts to develop better treatments for glioblastoma that will improve the long term prognosis and quality of life of individuals diagnosed with the disease
- Expressing support for the individuals who are battling brain tumors, as well as the families, friends, and caregivers of those individuals
- Urging a collaborative approach to brain tumor research, which is a promising means of advancing the understanding and treatment of glioblastoma
- Encouraging continued investment in glioblastoma research and treatments, including through the Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network and other existing brain tumor research resources
About Kazia's Paxalisib
Kazia Therapeutics is at the forefront of potential new therapies for glioblastoma with the drug paxalisib, a brain-penetrant inhibitor of the PI3K / Akt / mTOR pathway. Licensed from Genentech, Inc, in October 2016, paxalisib is currently completing a phase II study which has shown promising indications of clinical efficacy in interim analyses. Paxalisib has been granted orphan designation and Fast Track designation by FDA.
GBM AGILE
The GBM AGILE clinical trial, sponsored by the Global Coalition for Adaptive Research, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, commenced recruitment in June 2019. GBM AGILE aims to accelerate the development of new therapies for GBM via an adaptive study design that can explore multiple potential therapies in parallel. To date, three investigational drugs have joined the study: Bayer's regorafenib, Kintara Therapeutics' VAL-083, and Kazia Therapeutics' paxalisib.
To date, GBM AGILE has screened over 650 patients. This progress is expected to accelerate as new sites in new territories come on stream.
For further information on GBM Awareness Day please visit: https://braintumor.org/take-action/act-on-gbm-day/
About Kazia Therapeutics Limited
Kazia Therapeutics Limited (NASDAQ: KZIA; ASX: KZA) is an oncology-focused drug development company, based in Sydney, Australia.
Our lead program is paxalisib, a brain-penetrant inhibitor of the PI3K / Akt / mTOR pathway, which is being developed to treat glioblastoma, the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer in adults. Licensed from Genentech in late 2016, paxalisib commenced recruitment to GBM AGILE, a pivotal study in glioblastoma, in January 2021. Eight additional studies are active in various forms of brain cancer. Paxalisib was granted Orphan Drug Designation for glioblastoma by the US FDA in February 2018, and Fast Track Designation for glioblastoma by the US FDA in August 2020. In addition, paxalisib was granted Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Orphan Designation by the US FDA for DIPG in August 2020.
Kazia is also developing EVT801, a small-molecule inhibitor of VEGFR3, which was licensed from Evotec SE in April 2021. Preclinical data has shown EVT801 to be active against a broad range of tumour types and has provided compelling evidence of synergy with immuno-oncology agents. A phase I study is expected to begin in CY2021.
For more information, please visit www.kaziatherapeutics.com or follow us on Twitter @KaziaTx.
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SOURCE Kazia Therapeutics Limited
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