COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sermonix Pharmaceuticals Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics to specifically treat metastatic breast cancers (mBC), today announced it was selected to give an oral presentation on vaginal and sexual health at the RISE UP for Breast Cancer conference. RISE UP, a new interdisciplinary breast cancer meeting, will be held Nov. 1-3 at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco.
The presentation, led by Dr. David Portman, Sermonix founder and chief executive officer, will detail learnings from the company’s three EQUALS (ESR1 QUAlity of Life Survey) surveys. Conducted between June 2022 and September 2023, the surveys yielded 887 patient respondents.
Sermonix will also share a poster presentation on the results of its Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating neoadjuvant lasofoxifene in molecularly selected HR+/HER2-, locally advanced breast cancer. The open-label, randomized, multicenter trial is a new arm of the Endocrine Optimization Pilot Protocol (EOP), a sub-study of the ongoing I-SPY 2 TRIAL (Investigation of Serial studies to Predict Your Therapeutic Response with Imaging And moLecular analysis 2).
Session details are as follows:
Oral Presentation
Date and time: Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, from 4:15-6:30 p.m.
Session title: General Session #3: Increasing efficacy while decreasing toxicity of local and systemic therapy
Abstract title: “Vaginal/Sexual Health (VSH) in Patients with ER+/HER2- Metastatic Breast Cancer (mBC)”
Presenting Author: Dr. David Portman, Sermonix founder and CEO
Poster Presentation
Date and time: Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Session title: Poster Session 1
Abstract title: “I-SPY2 Endocrine Optimization Pilot (EOP): Neoadjuvant Lasofoxifene in Molecularly Selected Patients with hormone receptor positive (HR+)/HER2 negative (HER2-) Stage 2/3 Breast Cancer”
About Lasofoxifene
Lasofoxifene is an investigational novel endocrine therapy in clinical development which has demonstrated robust target engagement as an ESR1 antagonist in the breast, particularly in the presence of ESR1 mutations. Lasofoxifene has demonstrated anti-tumor activity as monotherapy and in combination with a CDK4/6 inhibitor in Phase 2 studies and has unique tissue selectivity distinguishing it from other current and investigational endocrine therapies, with beneficial effects seen on vagina and bone in previous clinical studies. Lasofoxifene, which Sermonix licensed globally from Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc., has been studied in previous comprehensive Phase 1-3 non-oncology clinical trials in more than 15,000 postmenopausal women worldwide. Lasofoxifene’s bioavailability and activity in mutations of the estrogen receptor could potentially hold promise for patients who have acquired endocrine resistance due to ESR1 mutations, a common finding in the metastatic setting and an area of high unmet medical need. Lasofoxifene’s novel activity in ESR1 mutations was discovered at Duke University and Sermonix has exclusive rights to develop and commercialize the product in this area. Lasofoxifene, a novel targeted and tissue selective oral endocrine therapy, could, if approved, play a critical role in the precision medicine treatment of advanced ER+ breast cancer.
About Sermonix
Sermonix Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of female-specific oncology products and is currently undertaking a Phase 3 clinical study of lasofoxifene, its lead investigational drug. The Sermonix management team, led by founder Dr. David Portman, has significant experience in all stages of the drug development, regulatory and commercialization processes. Paul Plourde, M.D., vice president of oncology clinical development, has many decades of experience at AstraZeneca in the breast cancer drug development arena. Barry Komm, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, is recognized for his expertise in nuclear receptor biology. Miriam Portman, M.D., is co-founder and chief operating officer, with expertise in clinical trial conduct and patient recruitment. Elizabeth Attias, M.M.Sc., Sc.D., chief strategy and development officer, has extensive experience in pharmaceutical drug commercialization. Simon Jenkins, Ph.D., vice president of operations, has over 30 years of experience in global drug development leadership. Sermonix non-executive chairman of the board is Anthony Wild, Ph.D., former president of both Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals and Warner-Lambert’s Pharmaceutical Division. Learn more at SermonixPharma.com. To learn more about the ELAINE studies, visit DiscoverElaine.com.
Sermonix Contact:
Elizabeth Attias, Sc.D.
Chief Strategy and Development Officer
EAttias@sermonixpharma.com
(973) 723-7832
