CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- At last week's EHA meeting, Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc. presented positive data in patients treated with alvocidib, a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor class drug, in combination with standard of care for acute myeloid leukemia: Zeidner, et al., "Phase II Study Incorporating a Novel BH3-Profiling Biomarker Approach of Alvocidib Followed by Cytarabine and Mitoxantrone in Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)," EHA23, Abstract PF243. The trial design relied on selecting patients using a novel functional biomarker. Eutropics' PraediCare Dx^™ Noxa test provided the patient sample readout that revealed dependence on the anti-apoptotic protein MCL1. The data from the trial indicates that a majority of patients selected using Eutropics' PraediCare Dx^™ Noxa test achieved complete remission.

Encouraged by the improved response rates in selected patients Tolero announced that they will continue their Phase 2 study on alvocidib in patients with relapsed and refractory, MCL1-dependent AML. PraediCare Dx^™ accurately measures this dependence of malignant cells in a unique way that identifies what is termed the "Noxa primed state." Recent studies have shown that in addition to identifying alvocidib responsiveness, the occurrence of the Noxa primed state identifies patients who are most likely to respond to a range of MCL1 perturbing cancer therapies. This important biomarker is being further assessed for use in guiding such cancer treatments.

"We believe that the correlation between the PraediCare Dx^™-measured drug target function and clinical response to treatment can greatly benefit AML patients, both by speeding clinical development of alvocidib and other drugs in this class and by directing the most efficacious use of these drugs after they are approved," said Michael Cardone, Ph.D., CEO of Eutropics.

About PraediCare Dx™

Based on the fundamental principles of apoptosis biology and derived from the BH3 profiling methodology, PraediCare Dx^™ provides uniquely accurate predictive functional biomarkers for AML, multiple myeloma and CLL. The PraediCare Dx^™ Noxa assay was developed for CDK inhibitor class drugs and for other MCL1 targeting therapies. The platform has applicability to other targeted therapies, including BH3 mimetics.  

About Eutropics

Eutropics is a clinical diagnostics company developing a novel approach for guiding cancer treatment, enabling the delivery of personalized medicines to patients. Eutropics' PraediCare Dx^™ platform technology delivers medically useful in vitro diagnostics accelerating drug development including Eutropics' compounds.

Contact: Anne Assmus, aassmus@eutropics.com; Michael Cardone, mcardone@eutropics.com

SOURCE Eutropics Pharmaceuticals