Marker Therapeutics Inc (MRKR)

[pharmeng]

Adding some historical info as well.

The last two FDA approved drugs for pancreatic cancer were Onivyde and Abraxane, which are new formulations of old chemotherapeutics.

Onivyde was tested in metastic patients who already failed gemcitabine treatment and the ORR (complete + partial response) was 7.7%. Not sure if any were complete response.

Abraxane (protein-bound paclitaxel) was tested with gemcitabine and had an ORR of 23%. I think there was only 1 CR out of 431 patients. Also, this was for first line treatment of metastic patients.

There will be a PARP inhibitor likely approved for pancreatic cancer, but this would be in the maintenance setting, also only a smaller percentage of patients would be eligible.

A quick search for what's going on with PD-1 and pancreatic cancer yielded the below: The data is from a phase 1 study of Opdivo and another investigational medicine.
"Preliminary efficacy data, collected from 31 patients with pancreatic cancer, found that three experienced a partial response and one had stable disease. Also, one patient with disease progression — and so not considered among those responding to treatment — saw a reduction in target lesions by over 40 percent.

The six-month disease control rate was 13 percent, and objective response rate was 10 percent."
so 3/31, or ~10% ORR and no CR.