News Release Details
Halozyme Announces Podium Presentation On PEGPH20 At The New York Academy Of Sciences
10/09/2014
Preclinical Data Indicates Targeting Hyaluronan in the Tumor Stroma May Offer A New Approach to Pancreatic Cancer Treatment
SAN DIEGO, Oct. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) today announced an oral presentation on the pharmacology of PEGPH20 at the New York Academy of Sciences symposium "Targeting Key Vulnerabilities in Pancreatic Cancer," being held on October 9, 2014 in New York City. The presentation includes preclinical data showing that treatment with PEGPH20 of tumors with high levels of hyaluronan (HA) is associated with alterations of the tumor microenvironment resulting in a reduction of fluid pressure and an increase of blood flow inside the tumors. These changes allow anti-cancer therapies such as chemotherapies, monoclonal antibodies and activated immune cells to have greater access into the tumors. The presentation will also include data showing that in selected animal models, treatment with PEGPH20 plus anti-cancer therapies resulted in longer survival and reduced metastases compared to anti-cancer therapies alone.
PEGPH20, an investigational PEGylated form of rHuPH20 under development by Halozyme, degrades the hyaluronan in the tumor microenvironment that may provide a supportive environment in many solid tumors.
"These data in animal models support our ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial (Study 202) evaluating PEGPH20 in patients with pancreatic cancer and offer scientific insight into ways to utilize PEGPH20 to favorably alter the tumor stroma of HA rich tumors to potentially improve many cancer therapies," stated H. Michael Shepard, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer.
Presentation Details
Title: "Enzymatic Remodeling of the Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Tumor Microenvironment to Improve Chemotherapeutic Efficacy"
Presentation Time: 3:45 p.m. ET/12:45 p.m. PT.
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is characterized by a tumor microenvironment (TME) with high stromal desmoplasia, a reduction in vessel density, and poor perfusion, all instrumental in PDAs' observed resistance to chemotherapeutic intervention. Hyaluronan (HA) has been shown to accumulate to high levels in approximately 90% of PDA tumors, and is thought to be a key component of this desmoplastic response. In preclinical mouse models, including tumor xenografts, patient-derived tumor xenografts, and genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic cancer (KPC), depletion of HA from the TME with a pegylated recombinant human hyaluronidase PH20 (PEGPH20) is associated with remodeling of the tumor stroma, reduction of tumor interstitial fluid pressure, expansion of tumor blood vessels and facilitated delivery of chemotherapy. Studies in the KPC model have shown that increased tumor perfusion following PEGPH20 treatment in combination with gemcitabine persists for weeks after therapy cessation. Combinations with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine more than doubles survival in some pancreatic tumor models.
