- Thinly traded nano cap Macrocure (MCUR +36.4%) jumps on almost a 15x surge in volume in response to merger partner Leap Therapeutics' announcement of encouraging results from a Phase 1 clinical trial assessing lead product candidate DKN-01, in combination with chemo agents gemcitabine and cisplatin, in patients with advanced biliary cancer. The data were presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology 2016 Annual Meeting in Copenhagen.
- In 21 evaluable patients who received a 300 mg regimen of DKN-01 plus chemo, 33% (n=7/21) were partial responders. Additionally, the disease control rate (partial responders + those with stable disease) was 95% (n=20/21). Median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) have yet to be reached.
- The combination regimen was safe and well-tolerated with no reported serious adverse events or dose-limiting toxicities.
-
DKN-01 is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that binds to Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), a protein associated with a poor prognosis in a range of cancers. Specifically, it inhibits a pathway called canonical Wnt/Beta-catenin which plays a key role in embryonic development, cell proliferation and differentiation.
- Bile duct cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, occurs in ~6K Americans each year. The five-year survival rate is less than 10% because it is usually in an advanced stage when first diagnosed.
- Leap and Macrocure announced their merger plans in late August.
- Previously: Macrocure up 102% on merger with Leap Therapeutics (Aug. 29)