CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AVEO Oncology (NASDAQ:AVEO) today announced that the first patient has been dosed in the Company’s pivotal TIVO-3 trial, a randomized, controlled, multi-center, open-label study to compare tivozanib to sorafenib in subjects with refractory advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Tivozanib is an oral, once-daily, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI).
The Phase 3 trial is expected to enroll approximately 322 patients with recurrent or metastatic RCC who have failed at least two prior regimens, including VEGFR-TKI therapy (other than sorafenib). Eligible patients may also have received checkpoint inhibitor therapy in earlier lines of treatment. Patients will be randomized 1:1 to receive either tivozanib or sorafenib, with no crossover between arms. The primary endpoint of the study is progression free survival. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, overall response rate, and safety and tolerability. Top line readout of the study is currently projected for the first quarter of 2018.
The TIVO-3 trial, together with the previously completed TIVO-1 trial of tivozanib in the first line treatment of RCC, is designed to support a first and third line indication for tivozanib in the U.S. Marketing authorization applications seeking approval of tivozanib as a treatment for first line renal cell cancer are currently pending in Europe and Russia based on applications submitted by AVEO’s partners EUSA Pharma and Pharmstandard in those respective territories.
“While significant advances have been made in the treatment of renal cancer, there remains a need for effective yet more tolerable treatments, both for single agent and combination use,” said Brian Rini, M.D., Professor of Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. “In past studies, tivozanib has demonstrated a unique tolerability profile among VEGF targeted therapies, owing to its high selectivity for the VEGF pathway, that have resulted in fewer dose interruptions or reductions. I am pleased to see tivozanib return to the clinic, with the goal of better understanding its single agent potential through TIVO-3, and I look forward to realizing its potential for combination use with checkpoint inhibitors in future studies.”
“Launch of the pivotal TIVO-3 trial marks a vital step forward for our North American development and registration strategy for tivozanib, and is a defining moment in the turnaround story unfolding at AVEO,” said Michael Bailey, president and chief executive officer of AVEO. “In less than 18 months, we have meaningfully progressed our defined clinical development and regulatory paths forward for tivozanib in the US and Europe, executed multiple partnerships to advance and de-risk our pipeline while retaining substantial North American rights to our three oncology therapeutic assets, and strengthening our balance sheet. We look forward to diligently executing on this study, and to a number of potential value creating milestones, including those that could arise from tivozanib approval decisions, in the quarters ahead.”
About Tivozanib
Tivozanib is an oral, once-daily, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). It is a potent, selective and long half-life inhibitor of all three VEGF receptors and is designed to optimize VEGF blockade while minimizing off-target toxicities, potentially resulting in improved efficacy and minimal dose modifications. Tivozanib has been investigated in several tumors types, including renal cell, colorectal and breast cancers.
About AVEO
AVEO Oncology (AVEO) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to advancing a broad portfolio of targeted therapeutics for oncology and other areas of unmet medical need. The company is focused on developing and commercializing its lead candidate tivozanib, a potent, selective, long half-life inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor 1, 2 and 3 receptors, in North America as a treatment for renal cell carcinoma and other cancers. AVEO is leveraging multiple partnerships with the goal of developing and commercializing tivozanib in non-oncologic indications worldwide and oncology indications outside of North America, as well as advancing its pipeline of novel therapeutic candidates in cancer and cachexia (wasting syndrome). For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.aveooncology.com.
AVEO Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements of AVEO that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “could,” “should,” “seek,” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements include, among others: AVEO’s plans with respect to the design and execution of its TIVO-3 clinical trial and the timing of data readouts form the trial; the potential for the TIVO-3 trial to support third line and first line indications in the U.S.; AVEO’s expectations regarding registration decisions in the EU and Russia for tivozanib for first line renal cell cancer; the potential benefits of tivozanib in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma as a single agent or in combination with other therapies; AVEO’s plans and strategies and its potential achievement of value creating milestones, including with respect to potential tivozanib approvals in Europe and Russia. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements that AVEO makes due to a number of important factors, including risks relating to AVEO’s ability to maintain its third party collaboration agreements, and its ability, and the ability of its licensees, to achieve development and commercialization objectives under these arrangements; AVEO’s ability, and the ability of its licensees, to demonstrate to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory agencies the safety, efficacy and clinically meaningful benefit of AVEO’s product candidates; AVEO’s ability to successfully enroll and complete clinical trials, including the TIVO-3 study; AVEO’s ability to achieve and maintain compliance with all regulatory requirements applicable to its product candidates; AVEO’s ability to obtain and maintain adequate protection for intellectual property rights relating to its product candidates and technologies; developments, expenses and outcomes related to AVEO’s ongoing shareholder litigation; AVEO’s ability to successfully implement its strategic plans; AVEO’s ability to raise the substantial additional funds required to achieve its goals; unplanned capital requirements; adverse general economic and industry conditions; competitive factors; and those risks discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in AVEO’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and its other filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements in this press release represent AVEO’s views as of the date of this press release. AVEO anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its views to change. While AVEO may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, it specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing AVEO’s views as of any date other than the date of this press release.
