Soquelitinib registrational Phase 3 clinical trial in PTCL advancing toward initial enrollment in Q3 2024

Fast track designation underscores unmet need for patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL, an indication with poor overall outcomes and no approved drugs based on randomized trials

BURLINGAME, Calif., Aug. 01, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Corvus or the Company) (Nasdaq: CRVS) (GLOBAL NEWSWIRE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track Designation to soquelitinib for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory peripheral T cell lymphoma (PTCL) after at least two lines of systemic therapy.

“The granting of Fast Track Designation by the FDA highlights the significant unmet need for patients with relapsed or refractory PTCL,” said Richard A. Miller, M.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Corvus. “The current treatment options for these patients provide limited efficacy and are associated with significant toxicity, and there are no FDA fully approved agents. There continues to be strong interest in soquelitinib from investigators at sites with deep experience treating T cell lymphomas and we are on track to initiate patient enrollment in our registrational Phase 3 trial in PTCL in the third quarter 2024.”

The Fast Track program is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs or biologics that are intended to: 1) treat serious or life-threatening conditions and 2) demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs. Fast Track designation can accelerate development and review of new drug and biological products by increasing the level of communication between FDA and drug developers and by enabling the FDA to review portions of a drug application on a rolling basis. In addition to Fast Track Designation, soquelitinib has also been granted FDA Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of T cell lymphoma, which provides benefits to drug developers, including assistance in the drug development process, tax credits for clinical costs, exemptions from certain FDA fees and seven years of post-approval marketing exclusivity.

About Corvus Pharmaceuticals
Corvus Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of ITK inhibition as a new approach to immunotherapy for a broad range of cancer and immune diseases. The Company’s lead product candidate is soquelitinib, an investigational, oral, small molecule drug that selectively inhibits ITK. Its other clinical-stage candidates are being developed for a variety of cancer indications. For more information, visit www.corvuspharma.com.

About Soquelitinib
Soquelitinib (formerly CPI-818) is an investigational small molecule drug given orally designed to selectively inhibit ITK (interleukin-2-inducible T cell kinase), an enzyme that is expressed predominantly in T cells and plays a role in T cell and natural killer (NK) cell immune function. Based on interim results from a Phase 1/1b clinical trial in patients with refractory T cell lymphomas, which demonstrated tumor responses in very advanced, refractory, difficult to treat T cell malignancies, the Company plans to initiate a registrational Phase 3 clinical trial of soquelitinib in patients with relapsed PTCL. Soquelitinib also is now being investigated in a randomized placebo controlled phase 1 clinical trial in patients with atopic dermatitis. The immunologic effects of soquelitinib lead to what is known as Th₁ skewing and inhibition of Th₂ and Th₁₇ cells. Research on soquelitinib’s mechanism of action suggests that it has the potential to control differentiation of normal T helper cells and enhance immune responses to tumors by augmenting the generation of cytotoxic killer T cells and the production of cytokines that inhibit cancer cell survival. Soquelitinib has also been shown to prevent T cell exhaustion, a major limitation of current immunotherapy and CAR-T therapies. Soquelitinib has been shown to affect T cell differentiation and induce the generation of Th₁ helper cells while blocking the development of both Th₂ and Th₁₇ cells and production of their secreted cytokines. Th₁ T cells are required for immunity to tumors, viral infections and other infectious diseases. Th₂ and Th₁₇ helper T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune and allergic diseases. The Company believes the inhibition of specific molecular targets in T cells may be of therapeutic benefit for patients with cancers, including solid tumors, and in patients with autoimmune and allergic diseases.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements related to the potential efficacy of the Company’s product candidates including soquelitinib; and the timing of clinical and other development milestones for the Company’s product candidates. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. These statements often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “seek,” “will,” “may” or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond the Company’s control. The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those stated or implied in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including but not limited to, risks detailed in the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2024, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 7, 2024, as well as other documents that may be filed by the Company from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, the following factors, among others, could cause results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: the Company’s ability to demonstrate sufficient evidence of efficacy and safety in its clinical trials of soquelitinib and its other product candidates; the results of preclinical studies, including preclinical studies conducted by third-parties using the Company’s product candidates, and interim data from clinical trials not being predictive of future results; the Company’s ability to enroll sufficient numbers of patients in its clinical trials; the unpredictability of the regulatory process; regulatory developments in the United States, and other foreign countries; and the costs of clinical trials may exceed expectations. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that the events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur, and the timing of events and circumstances and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. All such statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

INVESTOR CONTACT:
Leiv Lea
Chief Financial Officer
Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
+1-650-900-4522
llea@corvuspharma.com

MEDIA CONTACT:
Sheryl Seapy
Real Chemistry
+1-949-903-4750
sseapy@realchemistry.com

Source: Corvus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.