Conference Day 2
Opening Session: Developing Targeted Combinatorial Therapy Strategy for the Treatment of Head & Neck Cancer
9.00 am | Networking Coffee
9:30 am Opening Remarks from Chair
9:45 am Randomized Phase II Trial of Ficlatuzumab with or Without Cetuximab in Pan-refractory, Advanced Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC)
Synopsis
- Acts by blocking the HGF/cMet Pathway known to mediate resistance to EGFR blockade
- The objective response rate for the combination of 38% in HPV negative patients
- Combination well tolerated
10:15 am The BURAN Study of Buparlisib (AN2025) in Combination with Paclitaxel Compared to Paclitaxel Alone, in Patients with Recurrent or Metastatic Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Synopsis
- Buparlisib (AN2025) is a 2,6-dimorpholino pyrimidine derivative oral pan-class I PI3K inhibitor. The PI3K signaling pathway is one of the most frequently altered pathways in HNSCC
- Results suggest that buparlisib in combination with paclitaxel could be an effective treatment following the failure of platinum-based chemotherapy
Emerging Immunotherapies to Target Head & Neck Cancers
10:45 am Cancer Immunotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer: Current Status and Future Opportunities
Synopsis
- Exciting new advances have been made in the application of cancer immunotherapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer, including strategies encompassing both innate and adaptive immunity.
- This presentation will assess the current state of the field, key questions and future opportunities for cancer immunotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer
11:15 am PVSRIPO, a Novel Intratumoral Viral Immunotherapy, Generates a Robust Immune Response in the Tumor Microenvironment to Yield Systemic Anti-Tumor Efficacy
Synopsis
- PVSRIPO is a genetically modified type 1 oral poliovirus (PV) vaccine and engages CD155 (PV receptor and the ligand for TIGIT) on malignant cells and antigen-presenting cells (APC) in the tumor microenvironment (TME)
- Preclinically, PVSRIPO has demonstrated oncolytic activity in multiple tumor types, and a unique non-lethal infection of APCs leads to substantial innate immune activation and a robust polyfunctional CD8+ T cell anti-tumor response, which is potentiated by adaptive anti-PV memory CD4+ T cells from prior vaccination
- This unique engagement of the innate and adaptive arms of the immune system ultimately results in systemic anti-tumor immunity, which is being evaluated in clinical trials in breast, melanoma, recurrent glioblastoma, bladder, and H&N cancers +/- immune checkpoint inhibitors
11.45 pm | Networking Break
Developing a Clinical Program for Targeted Therapy in Head and Neck Tumors
12:15 pm Development of ASP-1929 Illuminox, a New EGFR Targeted Therapy for the Treatment of Advanced HNSCC
Synopsis
- ASP-1929 is an anti-EGFR mAb conjugated with a small molecule, based on the Illuminox platform, that can be activated at the tumor site to induce targeted cancer cell killing
- Illuminox treatments can induce immunogenetic cells death and activate anti-cancer immunity
- ASP-1929 has been recently approved for commercialization by the PMDA in Japan to treat advanced refractory HNSCC
- ASP-1929 is being developed in registration phase 3 studies in the USA in HNSCC and in phase 2 studies to treat other EGFR expressing cancer types
12:45 pm Differentiation-paired targeted therapy to improve outcomes in heterogenous head and neck cancer.
Synopsis
- A multi-omic approach identified a functional GRHL3-FLG tumor specific differentiation axis
- Disruption of this axis confers resistance to PI3K/AKT/mTOR and c-MYC inhibitors
- The GRHL3-FLG axis may serve as a predictive prognostic and response biomarker to targeted therapy in the clinic
1:15 pm MC-30, a Targeted MicroRNA Therapy Inhibiting RTK Signalling and Drug Resistance in Head and Neck Cancer
Synopsis
- miR-30-5p is a critical tumor suppressor in a subset of head and neck cancers targeting multiple receptor tyrosine kinase pathways
- Genetic loss is associated with increased recurrence and poor outcomes
- MC-30 a novel targeted therapy mimicking the natural miR-30 gene can reduce drug resistance and may extend progression-free survival
1.45 pm | Networking Lunch Break
Emerging Cellular Immunotherapies to Tackle Head & Neck Cancer
3:00 pm Fireside Chat: An Update on Novel Cellular Immunotherapies to Tackle Head and Neck Cancer
Synopsis
- Sharing rationale for targeting neoantigens for anti-tumor vaccination
- Summarizing therapeutic development of neoantigen vaccination for oncology to date
- Overview results of neoantigen vaccination application for H&N tumors
- Outlining next steps to optimize neoantigen vaccination for head and neck tumors