BioLineRx Announces Positive Results From First Part Of Phase 2 Trial In R/r AML

(RTTNews) - BioLineRx Ltd. (BLRX) announced positive results from the dose escalation part of BL-8040's Phase 2 clinical trial in relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (r/r AML).

Results showed that BL-8040, as a single agent and in combination with Cytarabine (Ara-C), was safe and well tolerated at all doses tested up to and including the highest dose level of 1.5 mg/kg, with no major adverse events. The composite complete remission rate, including both complete remission (CR) and complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi), was 38% in subjects receiving only one cycle of BL-8040 treatment at doses of 1 mg/kg and higher (n=16). Patients included in this part of the study were patients that had undergone a significant number of prior treatment cycles or that were refractory to induction treatment.

Treatment with BL-8040 had a triple effect on the leukemic cells. First, following only two days of monotherapy, BL-8040 triggered an average 40-fold mobilization of immature AML progenitor cells from the bone marrow to the peripheral blood, thereby sensitizing these cells to the Ara-C chemotherapy and improving its efficacy. Second, BL-8040 showed a direct and significant apoptotic effect on the immature leukemia progenitor cells in the bone marrow following the two days of monotherapy.

Last, BL-8040 induced leukemia progenitor cells towards differentiation, as evidenced by a 58% median decrease in the number of bone marrow leukemia progenitor cells, along with a three-fold increase in differentiated granulocytes, in the bone marrow biopsy conducted on Day 3 of the treatment cycle prior to the Ara-C treatment, as compared to the biopsy performed at baseline.

Acute myeloid leukemia or AML is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow and is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults.