Cantex and Allegheny Health Network Announce Initiation of a Phase 1/2 Study of Azeliragon in Patients Refractory to First-Line Treatment of Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer

WESTON, Fla. and PITTSBURGH, Sept. 26, 2023

WESTON, Fla. and PITTSBURGH, Sept. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Cantex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative therapies for cancer and other life-threatening medical conditions for which new treatments are urgently needed, and Allegheny Health Network (AHN), an academic healthcare system serving the diverse greater western Pennsylvania community that provides pioneering medical research and education programs focused on transforming  healthcare, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1/2 study to assess the safety and efficacy of azeliragon in patients refractory to first-line treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer.

"We are extremely pleased to announce the initiation and patient enrollment at Allegheny Health Network, a world-class provider of cancer treatment, of this important Phase 1/2 clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of azeliragon in patients refractory to first-line treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer," said Stephen G. Marcus, M.D., Cantex's Chief Executive Officer.

"Azeliragon inhibits activation of a receptor known as 'RAGE' on the surface of cancer and cells in the tumor microenvironment. RAGE has been implicated in the growth and spread of pancreatic and other cancers, their resistance to chemotherapy, and complications stemming from pancreatic and other cancers and related treatments. With this study, we seek to slow the growth and spread of pancreatic cancer while alleviating some of its disabling effects," concluded Dr. Marcus.

"Through the initiation of this Phase 1/2 study at AHN, we seek to explore the safety and efficacy of azeliragon in pancreatic cancer patients who are no longer responding to other treatments. Targeting RAGE with azeliragon, a once-daily oral medication well tolerated in previous studies, greatly merits a clinical trial in this setting," said Nathan Bahary, M.D., Academic Chief of Medical Oncology at Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute. Amongst his various appointments, Dr. Bahary is a member of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Pancreatic Task Force, and the NCI's Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) where he serves on the ECOG GI Steering Committee.

Azeliragon is an orally administered capsule, taken once daily, that inhibits interactions of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (known as RAGE) with certain ligands, including HMGB1 and S100 proteins in the tumor microenvironment. Azeliragon was discovered by and originally under development for Alzheimer's disease by vTv Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: VTVT) from whom Cantex licensed worldwide rights to azeliragon. Clinical safety data from these trials, involving more than 2000 individuals dosed for periods up to 18 months, indicate that azeliragon is very well tolerated.