BOSTON, Oct. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ikena Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKNA, “Ikena”), a targeted oncology company breaking new ground in patient-centric cancer care, today announced a poster presentation highlighting preclinical data about the novel The Company’s TEAD Inhibitor, IK-930, at the 34th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, held October 26-28, 2022 in Barcelona, Spain (www.eortc.org /ena).
The poster (#111) is titled “IK-930, a Novel TEAD-inhibitor, Overcomes Hippo/YAP-mediated Adaptive Response to MEK and EGFR-targeted Therapies” and is co-authored by Ikena Senior Scientist Mihir Rajurkar, Ph.D. in today’s poster session. The results support the potential of TEAD inhibition by IK-930 to enhance antitumor activity in combination with EGFR or MEK inhibitors in several oncogene-driven solid tumors.
Highlights of the preclinical poster include:
- Activation of Hippo signaling is an adaptive response to targeted therapies, including MEK and EGFR inhibitors
- Addition of IK-930 blocked compensatory TEAD-mediated transcription induced by EGFR or MEK inhibitors
- The combination of IK-930 with EGFR or MEK inhibitors resulted in apoptosis in vitro and resulted in potent antitumor activity in vivo in KRAS and EGFR mutant tumor models
- Combination therapy with IK-930 and EGFR inhibitors reduced the prevalence of refractory disease stubborn Cells, a subpopulation of cells that can promote resistance to therapies
“ We are pleased to present this preclinical update on IK-930 at this year’s EORTC-NCI-AACR triple meeting, expanding the foundation we have built around our TEAD program. These data reinforce our belief that the Hippo pathway is often activated as a critical mechanism of resistance to other targeted therapies and that IK-930 has the potential to overcome therapeutic resistance,” said Jeffrey Ecsedy, Ph.D., Ikena’s Chief Development Officer . “One of the exciting aspects of this data is the impact that IK-930 is having stubborn Cells – showing that IK-930 has the potential to prevent resistance to EGFR inhibitors and even reverse the effect when administered after resistance has already emerged. We are advancing our ongoing investigation of IK-930, both as monotherapy and in combination, and look forward to sharing our clinical results over the next year.”
IK-930 is currently being evaluated in a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial in patients with advanced solid tumors (NCT05228015). Several combination cohorts are planned, the first of which will examine the effects of IK-930 on resistance to EGFR inhibitors.
More details on the conference program can be found on the conference website. Ikena’s poster presentation will be available after the conference in the Events & Presentations section of the company’s website.
About IK-930
IK-930 is an oral, paralog-selective TEAD inhibitor that targets Hippo signaling. IK-930 binds to TEAD transcription factors and prevents transcription of several genes that drive cancer progression. By targeting the Hippo signaling pathway, a key driver of cancer pathogenesis that is genetically altered in approximately 10% of all cancers, IK-930 could have a differentiating effect in many cancers with high unmet needs. Ikena is developing IK-930 both as a monotherapy in patients with mutant Hippo pathway cancers and in combination with other approved targeted therapies to combat drug resistance. IK-930 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial as monotherapy in patients with advanced solid tumors with or without gene alterations in the Hippo pathway, including NF2-deficient malignant mesothelioma, epitheloid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) with documented TAZ/CAMTA1 fusion Genes as well as other solid tumors with either NF2 deficiency or with YAP/TAZ gene fusions (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05228015).
About Ikena Oncology
Ikena Oncology™ is focused on developing novel therapies that target key signaling pathways that drive cancer development and spread. The company’s lead targeted oncology program, IK-930, is a TEAD inhibitor that targets Hippo signaling, a known tumor suppressor pathway that also promotes resistance to multiple targeted therapies. The Company’s ongoing discovery research includes other targets in the Hippo pathway as well as the RAS pathway. Additional programs targeting the tumor microenvironment and immune signaling are in the clinic, including IK-175, an AHR antagonist being developed in collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb. Ikena’s pipeline is based on treating genetically defined or biomarker-driven cancers and developing therapies that may serve specific patient populations in need of new therapeutic options. To learn more, visit www.ikenaoncology.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding: the timing and advancement of our targeted oncology programs, including the timing of updates; our expectations regarding the therapeutic benefit of our targeted oncology programs; our ability to efficiently discover and develop product candidates; our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates; the execution of our business model and strategic plans for our business and product candidates. The words “may”, “will”, “could”, “would”, “should”, “expect”, “plan”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict” ” Project”, “potential”, “continue”, “goal” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and important factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release contained statements, including but not limited to risks and uncertainties related to the timing and advancement of our targeted oncology programs; our expectations regarding the therapeutic benefit of our targeted oncology programs; expectations regarding our new board member; our ability to efficiently discover and develop product candidates; the execution of our business model and strategic plans for our business and product candidates; and other factors discussed in the Risk Factors section of Ikena’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 filed with the SEC, as by all subsequent SEC filings updated. We caution you not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement may be based or which may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent our views only as of the date of this release and should not be construed as representing your views as of a later date. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
Investor contact:
Rebekah Cohen
Ikena Oncology
Media contact:
Luke Shiplo
LifeSci Communication
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