TRACON Pharmaceuticals Presents Data from Phase 2 Trial of TRC102 and Temodar

TRACON Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:TCON), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel targeted therapeutics for cancer, wet age-related macular degeneration and fibrotic diseases, yesterday presented data from the Company’s Phase 2 study of TRC102 and Temodar® (temozolomide) in patients with recurrent glioblastoma at the Society for Neuro-Oncology (SNO) annual meeting, taking place in New Orleans.

As quoted in the press release:

 TRC102 is a small molecule inhibitor of the base excision repair (BER) pathway that causes resistance to Temodar chemotherapy in preclinical tumor models.

In an oral presentation by Dr. Lisa Rogers, Director of Medical Neuro-Oncology at Cleveland Medical Center, entitled, “Phase 2 Trial of Temozolomide and TRC102, Base Excision Repair Inhibitor, in Bevacizumab Naive Glioblastoma at First Recurrence”, safety and efficacy data were presented from patients who received TRC102 and Temodar at the time of recurrence following first line therapy with Temodar chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

The combination of TRC102 and Temodar was tolerable, but did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint of demonstrating objective responses by Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria in the initial 19 enrolled patients, most of whom were treated at Cleveland Clinic.  Two patients (10.5%) demonstrated evidence of clinical benefit and met the secondary endpoint of progression free survival (PFS) beyond 6 months.  Both patients who demonstrated PFS for more than 11 months remain alive over 30 months following treatment initiation with TRC102 and Temodar for recurrent glioblastoma.  PFS of greater than 11 months was associated with N-methylpurine DNA glycosylase expression, a biomarker that initiates the BER pathway of resistance that is inhibited by TRC102.

Click here to read the full press release.