Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) and LYSA-LYSARC-CALYM announced that they have entered a strategic research collaboration to study valemetostat (DS-3201), Daiichi Sankyo’s potential first-in-class EZH1/2 dual inhibitor, in B-cell malignancies starting with a phase 2 study in patients with five subtypes of relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma.
The collaboration brings together Daiichi Sankyo’s innovative science and the multidisciplinary expertise of the Lymphoma Study Association (LYSA), the Lymphoma Academic Research Organization (LYSARC) and the CALYM research consortium to conduct clinical and translational research that will build upon the ongoing phase 1 study of valemetostat in patients with relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Lymphoma is a heterogenous disease with more than 90 different subtypes and while new treatment advances have improved outcomes for some patients, management of relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma remains a major challenge. There are currently no dual EZH1/2 directed therapies approved for cancer treatment.
“We are pleased to join forces with Europe’s largest lymphoma research organization to advance and strengthen the development of valemetostat as a potential novel precision medicine for patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell lymphoma,” said Arnaud Lesegretain, Vice President, Global Oncology Development, Alpha Portfolio, Daiichi Sankyo. “LYSA-LYSARC-CALYM together with Daiichi Sankyo have designed a phase 2 study that will enroll patients based on disease subtype and biomarkers in order to further evaluate safety and efficacy, and we are planning a comprehensive translational research program to answer important scientific questions relating to clinical utility, optimal patient selection and mechanisms of resistance.”
“We are very happy to engage our cooperative group in a collaboration with Daiichi Sankyo for this promising development program with valemetostat targeting relevant epigenetic factors EZH2 and EZH1 in B-cell lymphomas,” said Franck Morschhauser, Professor of Hematology in Lille, France and President of LYSA-LYSARC. “We believe that our extensive multidisciplinary and international expertise will help advance the science behind the novel mechanism of action and we look forward to playing a role in bringing this potential new medicine to patients with lymphoma.”