Calithera Biosciences Announces Clinical Trial Collaboration to Evaluate IBRANCE (palbociclib) and talazoparib in Combination with CB-839

Calithera Biosciences (Nasdaq:CALA), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel cancer therapeutics, today announced two new clinical trial collaborations to evaluate Pfizer’s palbociclib, also known as IBRANCE, and the investigational dual-mechanism poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor talazoparib, each in combination with Calithera’s glutaminase inhibitor CB-839. As part of the collaboration, Pfizer will provide palbociclib and talazoparib, as well as financial support.

As quoted in the press release:

“Tumor metabolism is a unique therapeutic approach that exploits the way in which cancer cells utilize nutrients to grow and survive,” said Susan Molineaux, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Calithera. “CB-839, a novel glutaminase inhibitor, has the potential to be developed in combination with palbociclib or talazoparib to improve patient outcomes. We look forward to collaborating with Pfizer on the combination clinical trials planned in the first quarter of 2019.”

Preclinical data suggest that CB-839, which is designed to starve tumor cells of the key nutrient glutamine, synergizes with CDK4/6 inhibitors by enhancing cell cycle arrest and blocking cancer cell proliferation. The combination of CB-839 with CDK4/6 inhibitors has demonstrated synergistic activity in a number of preclinical cancer models, including colorectal cancer (CRC), non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and ER+ breast cancer. Based on these data, Calithera will initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of the combination of CB-839 plus palbociclib in patients with KRAS mutated CRC and patients with KRAS mutated NSCLC in the first quarter of 2019.

Click here to read the full press release.