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No targeted treatments are currently FDA approved for high-grade IDH1 -mutant gliomas
After a favorable meeting with FDA, protocol amendment will make G203 a Phase 3 trial to support potential registration
Nuvation Bio Inc. (NYSE: NUVB), a global oncology company focused on tackling some of the toughest challenges in cancer treatment, today announced enrollment of the first patient into part 2 of G203 ( NCT05303519 ), a global, randomized study evaluating the efficacy and safety of safusidenib versus placebo for the maintenance treatment of patients with high-grade IDH1 -mutant astrocytoma following standard-of-care radiation or chemoradiation and adjuvant temozolomide. Safusidenib is a novel, oral, potent, brain-penetrant targeted inhibitor of mutant IDH1 .
"Following surgery and standard-of-care treatment, these patients and their healthcare providers are left to watch and wait for progression or recurrence," said Dr. Katherine Peters, professor of neurology and neurosurgery at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke Cancer Institute and a trial investigator. "Patients with this form of glioma need effective, well-tolerated options that can further delay this eventuality. Safusidenib has shown promising activity in a Phase 1 study of patients with recurrent or progressive high-grade IDH1 -mutant gliomas, with higher response rates than other IDH inhibitors have demonstrated in this setting. We look forward to further studying its potential in this trial."
A protocol amendment is in progress to finalize G203 as a global Phase 3 study by increasing the study size to support potential regulatory approvals. Based on this amendment, which has been aligned on with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), G203 part 2 is now enrolling approximately 300 patients with newly diagnosed IDH1 -mutant astrocytoma—either grade 3 with high-risk features or grade 4—in the U.S., Australia, and China. Following resection, radiation or chemoradiation, and adjuvant chemotherapy, patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive 250 mg safusidenib or placebo twice daily. The primary endpoint is progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed by Blinded Independent Central Review (BICR) per Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) 2.0; FDA agreed that the primary endpoint of PFS could support full approval in this setting. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, PFS as assessed by the investigator, objective response rate, and duration of response, among others.
"No targeted therapies have been approved to delay recurrence or progression in these patients, who are dealing with an aggressive disease that inevitably returns," said David Hung, M.D., Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Nuvation Bio. "With our first patient now enrolled in the U.S., we look forward to expanding the study into additional sites to support potential registration, as we continue our commitment to bringing therapies with meaningful clinical benefits to more patients with cancers that have severe unmet treatment needs."
Nuvation Bio will provide further updates on the progress of the safusidenib program in the upcoming earnings call on November 3, 2025.
About IDH1 -Mutant Glioma
Gliomas are the most common type of brain cancer in adults worldwide. In the U.S., nearly 2,400 people are diagnosed with IDH1 -mutant gliomas each year. Most patients are diagnosed in their 30s and 40s. While patients with IDH1 mutations generally have longer survival times than those with wild-type IDH1 , prognosis worsens for those with high grade tumors.
About Safusidenib
Safusidenib is a novel, oral, potent, brain-penetrant, targeted inhibitor of mutant IDH1. In a Phase 1 clinical study, safusidenib was well-tolerated and demonstrated anti-tumor activity and high blood-brain barrier penetration.
About Nuvation Bio
Nuvation Bio is a global oncology company focused on tackling some of the toughest challenges in cancer treatment with the goal of developing therapies that create a profound, positive impact on patients' lives. Our diverse pipeline includes taletrectinib (IBTROZIâ„¢), a next-generation ROS1 inhibitor; safusidenib, a brain-penetrant IDH1 inhibitor; NUV-1511, an innovative drug-drug conjugate (DDC) designed for targeted cancer treatment; and NUV-868, a BD2-selective BET inhibitor.
Nuvation Bio was founded in 2018 by biopharma industry veteran David Hung, M.D., who previously founded Medivation, Inc., which brought to patients one of the world's leading prostate cancer medicines. Nuvation Bio has offices in New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Shanghai. For more information, visit www.nuvationbio.com or follow the company on LinkedIn and X ( @nuvationbioinc ).
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are sometimes accompanied by words such as "believe," "may," "will," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," "should," "would," "plan," "predict," "potential," "seem," "seek," "future," "outlook" and similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the need for new therapeutic options in glioma and the therapeutic potential of safusidenib, and our expectations for updating the G203 study protocol and expanding the study to additional sites. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of the management team of Nuvation Bio and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to whether Nuvation Bio is successful in commercializing IBTROZI; the challenges associated with conducting drug discovery and initiating or conducting clinical studies due to, among other things, difficulties or delays in the regulatory process, enrolling subjects or manufacturing or acquiring necessary products; the emergence or worsening of adverse events or other undesirable side effects; risks associated with preliminary and interim data, which may not be representative of more mature data; whether Nuvation Bio meets its post-marketing requirements and commitments for IBTROZI; and competitive developments. Risks and uncertainties facing Nuvation Bio are described more fully in its Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 7, 2025 under the heading "Risk Factors," and other documents that Nuvation Bio has filed or will file with the SEC. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Nuvation Bio disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, supplement or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this press release.
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