ERYTECH completes patient enrollment in phase 2 trial of eryaspase for pancreatic cancer

The multicenter, randomized Phase 2 trial is evaluating eryaspase as a second-line treatment of patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. In the study conducted in France, eryaspase was added to the standard of care (currently Gemcitabine or FOLFOX regimen) and then compared to the standard of care alone in a 2-to-1 randomization.

The primary endpoint of the trial is progression-free survival (PFS) at four months.

The trial has completed enrollment of 139 patients and we expect to report primary results from this trial by early 2017.

Gil Beyen, Chairman and CEO of ERYTECH, said: “The Phase 2 trial of eryaspase for pancreatic cancer is, to our knowledge, the largest cohort of solid tumor patients treated with an asparaginase-based product to date.

“Previously, deprivation of asparagine has shown to limit growth of pancreatic and other solid tumors in preclinical models, but clinical proof of concept has not yet been established. We believe a positive efficacy signal in this trial could open a potentially large application area for asparagine depletion in certain solid tumors.”

About pancreatic cancer:

Pancreatic cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells are found in the tissues of the pancreas. Every year there are about 150,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer diagnosed in Europe and the United States. Pancreatic cancer is a particularly aggressive cancer, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10% and is currently the fourth most common cause of cancer death in the EU for men and women.

Pancreatic cancer could be a suitable indication for eryaspase because it involves a large proportion of tumors that are believed to be sensitive to asparagine depletion, allowing it to potentially have an impact.