SINGAPORE, Oct. 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ASLAN Pharmaceuticals (ASLAN, 6497.TT, Nasdaq: ASLN), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company targeting cancers that are both highly prevalent in Asia and orphan indications in the United States and Europe, today announced that two abstracts on varlitinib and ASLAN003 have been accepted for presentation at the upcoming 2018 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress in Munich, Germany on 19 - 23 Oct 2018.

Varlitinib is a highly potent pan-HER inhibitor that targets the human epidermal growth factor receptors HER1, HER2 and HER4. At ESMO, new data will be presented from a phase 1 study to determine the safety, tolerability and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of varlitinib in combination with oxaliplatin and capecitabine (COX) or oxaliplatin and 5-FU (FOL) in advanced solid tumours. The investigator-initiated trial was conducted by Dr Matthew Chau Hsien Ng and supported by ASLAN and the Singapore National Medical Research Council.

30 patients were enrolled and had a median of 3 lines of prior chemotherapy. Of 28 patients evaluable for response, 3 showed partial response (PR), 16 experienced stable disease (SD) and the disease control rate (PR and SD for at least 12 weeks) was 46%. The maximum tolerated dose for varlitinib in combination with COX and FOL was 300mg BID and durable efficacy was seen in patients with biliary cancers and colorectal cancer, with 5 patients having progression free survival over 220 days up to 645 days.

ASLAN003 is an orally active, potent inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) that has the potential to be first-in-class in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). ASLAN003 has demonstrated the ability to induce differentiation in AML cell lines, xenograft models, and the primary AML blast obtained from patients. In a second poster, ASLAN will present the study design of an ongoing phase 2A dose optimisation study of ASLAN003 as monotherapy in AML patients who are ineligible for standard therapy.

Details of the presentations:
Poster Number: 430P
Abstract Title: Phase I study: Safety and tolerability of varlitinib (VAR) in combination with Oxaliplatin and Capecitabine (COX) or Oxaliplatin and 5-FU (FOL) in advanced solid tumours
Session Title: Breast cancer - early stage, locally advanced & metastatic, CNS tumours, Developmental therapeutics, Genitourinary tumours - prostate & non-prostate, Palliative care, Psycho-oncology, Public health policy, Sarcoma, Supportive care
Date/Time:22 October 2018, 12:45 – 13:45 CET
Location:  Hall A3 - Poster Area Networking Hub, ICM München, Munich, Germany

Poster Number: 1043TiP
Abstract Title: A phase IIA dose optimization study of ASLAN003 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
Session Title: Biomarkers, Gynaecological cancers, Haematological malignancies, Immunotherapy of cancer, New diagnostic tools, NSCLC – early stage, locally advanced & metastatic, SCLC, Thoracic malignancies, Translational research
Date and time: 20 October 2018, 12:30 - 13:30 CET
Location: Hall A3 - Poster Area Networking Hub, ICM München, Munich, Germany

The abstracts are available online at: https://www.esmo.org/.

Media and IR contacts

Emma Thompson Spurwing Communications Tel: +65 6340 7287 Email: ASLAN@spurwingcomms.com

Robert Uhl Westwicke Partners Tel: +1 858 356 5932 Email: robert.uhl@westwicke.com

About varlitinib (ASLAN001)
Varlitinib (ASLAN001) is a highly potent, oral, reversible, small molecule pan-HER inhibitor that targets the human epidermal growth factor receptors HER1, HER2 and HER4. These receptors can be mutated or overexpressed in many tumors, which can cause excessive proliferative activity and uncontrolled growth. Therefore, by inhibiting the activation of the HER receptors, varlitinib could inhibit proliferation and control tumor growth. Varlitinib is currently being studied in gastric, biliary tract, breast and colorectal cancers. Varlitinib has been granted orphan drug designation in the United States for gastric cancer and cholangiocarcinoma, a sub-type of biliary tract cancer, and was awarded orphan drug designation for the treatment of biliary tract cancer by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in South Korea.

About ASLAN003
ASLAN003 is an orally active, potent inhibitor of DHODH that has the potential to be first-in-class in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Licensed from Almirall in 2013, ASLAN has global rights for all non-topical and non-dermatological indications. AML is a cancer of the myeloid line of blood cells, characterised primarily by the rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells that build up in the bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. ASLAN is conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial to develop ASLAN003 in AML and also exploring other solid tumour types where DHODH may be relevant.

About ASLAN Pharmaceuticals
ASLAN Pharmaceuticals (ASLAN, 6497.TT, Nasdaq: ASLN) is a clinical-stage oncology-focused biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for global markets. ASLAN targets diseases that are both highly prevalent in Asia and orphan indications in the United States and Europe. Led by a senior management team with extensive experience in global and regional development and commercialization, ASLAN is headquartered in Singapore and has offices in Taiwan and China. ASLAN’s portfolio is comprised of four product candidates which target validated growth pathways applied to new patient segments, novel immune checkpoints and novel cancer metabolic pathways. ASLAN’s partners include Array BioPharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Almirall and CSL. For additional information please visit www.aslanpharma.com.

Source: ASLAN Pharmaceuticals Limited