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Positive preclinical tasquinimod data in myelofibrosis presented at ASH 2024 now available on Active Biotech’s website

Lund, December 9, 2024 – Active Biotech (NASDAQ STOCKHOLM: ACTI) today announced that preclinical data on tasquinimod, a small molecule immunomodulator in development for myelofibrosis are now available on the company’s website. The data were presented at the 66th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting (ASH 2024) in San Diego, CA, December 7-10, 2024.

The abstract, entitled Evaluation of the lethal activity and its mechanism of tasquinimod in advanced myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) in blastic phase, is presented as a poster by Warren Fiskus, PhD, assistant professor of Leukemia at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The abstract is the result of a collaboration between Active Biotech and Kapil Bhalla, M.D., professor of Leukemia at MD Anderson’s research group and aims to support the clinical development of tasquinimod in myelofibrosis. Presented data show that tasquinimod increases the lethality of disease cells in cellular models of late-stage myelofibrosis but not in normal cells. It is also shown that tasquinimod treatment reduces leukemia burden and improves survival in myelofibrosis models without inducing toxicity. Combination therapy with tasquinimod and ruxolitinib- or a BET inhibitor further improved survival in mice. These findings highlight the potential of tasquinimod alone and in combination with other agents in treating advanced myelofibrosis. A clinical phase II study with tasquinimod monotherapy and in combination with a JAK2 inhibitor in patients with myelofibrosis is recruiting patients at MD Anderson (NCT06327100).

Information on the presentation:

P3142 Evaluation of the Lethal Activity and Its Mechanism of Tasquinimod in Advanced Myeloproliferative Neoplasm (MPN) in Blastic Phase, Warren Fiskus et al. Session: 631. Myeloproliferative Syndromes and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: Basic and Translational: Poster II, December 8, 2024 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM San Diego Convention Center, Halls G-H

The poster is now available on Active Biotech’s website. The abstract is available on the ASH website.

About Active Biotech

Active Biotech AB (publ) (NASDAQ Stockholm: ACTI) is a biotechnology company that develops first-in-class immunomodulatory treatments for oncology and immunology indications with a high unmet medical need and significant commercial potential. Active Biotech currently holds three projects in its portfolio, of which tasquinimod and laquinimod are wholly owned small molecule immunomodulators with a mode of action that includes modulation of myeloid immune cell function. The projects are in clinical development for hematological malignancies and inflammatory eye disorders, respectively. The company's core focus is on the development of tasquinimod in myelofibrosis, a rare blood cancer, where clinical proof-of-concept studies has been initiated. Also ongoing is a clinical Phase Ib/IIa study in multiple myeloma. Laquinimod is in clinical development for the treatment of non-infectious uveitis. A clinical phase I program with a topical ophthalmic formulation is ongoing to support phase II development together with a partner. The third pipeline project is naptumomab, a targeted anti-cancer immunotherapy, partnered to NeoTX Therapeutics, which is in a phase Ib/II clinical program in patients with advanced solid tumors. Please visit www.activebiotech.com for more information.

About tasquinimod

Tasquinimod is an orally active small molecule immunomodulator with a novel mode of action, blocking tumor supporting pathways in the bone marrow microenvironment. Tasquinimod is being developed as a new immunomodulatory treatment for hematological malignances. Tasquinimod has previously been studied as an anti-cancer agent in patients with solid cancers, including a phase III randomized trial in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. The tolerability of tasquinimod is well-characterized based on these previous experiences. Tasquinimod has demonstrated a clear therapeutic potential in preclinical models of multiple myeloma, when used as a single agent and in combination with standard multiple myeloma therapy. A clinical Phase Ib/IIa study is ongoing with tasquinimod in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. Tasquinimod ameliorates disease development in preclinical models for myelofibrosis. In February 2022 Active Biotech entered into an exclusive patent license agreement with Oncode Institute, a foundation acting on behalf of Erasmus Universiteit Medisch Centrum (Erasmus MC) to develop and commercialize tasquinimod in myelofibrosis. Clinical studies with tasquinimod in patients with myelofibrosis are planned to start in 2024.