Hematology/Oncology: AOP Health’s Expanding Clinical Research Program Delivers New Results
10.6.2024 14:14:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals GmbH (AOP Health) continues a successful clinical research program in hematology/oncology with two abstracts accepted for presentation at the European Hematology Association (EHA) 2024 hybrid congress in Madrid, Spain. One results in an oral presentation of the latest results from the PROUD-PV and CONTINUATION-PV-trials. The outcomes show a correlation between the changes at genetic level (molecular response) and event-free survival (EFS) among patients with a rare blood cancer (polycythemia vera /PV) who received a certain interferon (ropeginterferon alfa-2b/BESREMi®) or best available treatment.1 A second accepted abstract reports on AOP Health’s recently initiated phase III clinical study extending investigation of ropeginterferon alfa-2b to patients with another rare blood cancer, essential thrombocythemia (ET).2 In a furthersignal of AOP Health’s commitment to innovative research, early development of a first-in-class investigative oncology drug is progressing towards clinical trials.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240610730599/en/
Professor Jean-Jacques Kiladjian, University of Paris, France Photo credit: AOP Health/Lorenz Paulus
Reduction of mutated cells improves event free survival in patients with PV and is effectively achieved by ropeginterferon alfa-2b
The latest findings of the large randomized controlled PROUD-PV trial and its extension CONTINUATION-PV3 showed that ropeginterferon alfa-2b reduced the amount of cells that carried a mutation of a certain gene (JAK2V617F, a gene, which regulates cellular growth) in the patient population studied.3 Analysis of all patients included in the trial over at least 6 years showed significantly prolonged event free survival (period in which patients remain free from events that the treatment was intended to prevent or delay) among patients in which the amount of mutated cells were reduced at the last available assessment.
Professor Jean-Jacques Kiladjian from the University of Paris, France and first author of the paper emphasizes: “This new evidence supports the clinical relevance of reducing the load resulting of JAK2V617F mutations to improve long-term outcomes in patients with PV, which should be considered as an aim of treatment. Ropeginterferon alfa-2b targets mutated blood-forming stem cells and is highly effective in decreasing the burden resulting from the mutation of JAK2V617F gene.”
Phase III clinical study of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in ET underway in Europe
With the aim of examining the potential utility of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in ET patients with significant unmet need, AOP Health has rolled out the ROP-ET trial, a prospective, multicenter, single-arm phase III study to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in ET patients unable to receive available cytoreductive therapies.4 The trial is being conducted at 36 sites in 10 countries in Europe. Almost 50 % of the required number of patients have already been enrolled in the study. This fast recruitment underlines the importance of the clinical trial.
New drug candidate: official start of clinical development imminent
Building on proven success in the development of cancer stem cell targeting therapies, AOP Health is expanding into a new area of research with a first-in-class investigational oncology drug candidate. This orally available, highly selective serotonin receptor 1B antagonist was discovered and initially developed by Leukos Biotech based on research performed at the Josep-Carreras Leukemia Research Institute and licensed by AOP Health for further development and commercial rights. SERONCO-1, a phase I, first-in-human trial in patients with solid tumors and lymphomas will be conducted in collaboration with Leukos Biotech at the Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology (VHIO) with partial funding from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the Public-Private Partnership Program (CPP2021-008715). A subsequent trial in acute myeloid leukemia is expected to commence in 2026.
References
- Kiladjian J-J, Klade C, Georgiev P, et al. JAK2V617F MOLECULAR RESPONSE CORRELATES WITH EVENT-FREE SURVIVAL IN AN EARLY POLYCYTHEMIA VERA POPULATION. 2024. https://library.ehaweb.org/eha/2024/eha2024-congress/422323 Last accessed 27 May 2024.
- Kiladjian J-J, Ferrer Marín F, Al-Ali FK et al. ROP-ET: A PROSPECTIVE PHASE III TRIAL INVESTIGATING THE EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF ROPEGINTERFERON ALFA-2B IN ESSENTIAL THROMBOCYTHEMIA PATIENTS WITH LIMITED TREATMENT OPTIONS. 2024. https://library.ehaweb.org/eha/2024/eha2024-congress/421616. Last accessed 27 May 2024.
- Gisslinger H, Klade C, Georgiev P, et al. Event-free survival in patients with polycythemia vera treated with ropeginterferon alfa-2b versus best available treatment. Leukemia. 2023 Oct;37(10):2129-32.
- Kiladjian JJ, Marin FF, Al-Ali HK, et al. ROP-ET: a prospective phase III trial investigating the efficacy and safety of ropeginterferon alfa-2b in essential thrombocythemia patients with limited treatment options. Annals of Hematology. 2024 Mar 4:1-2.
About BESREMi®
BESREMi® is a long-acting, mono-pegylated proline interferon (ATC L03AB15). Its unique pharmacokinetic properties offer a new level of tolerability. BESREMi® is designed to be conveniently self-administered subcutaneously with a pen once every two weeks, or up to monthly after stabilization of hematological parameters. This treatment schedule is expected to lead to overall better safety, tolerability and adherence compared to conventional pegylated interferons.
Approximately 7800 patients are currently treated or have been treated with BESREMi®.
For the EMA Summary of Product Characteristics please visit: BESREMi®
Link: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/besremi-epar-product-information_en.pdf
Ropeginterferon alfa-2b was discovered by PharmaEssentia, a long-term partner of AOP Health. In 2009, AOP Health in-licensed the exclusive rights for clinical development and commercialization of Ropeginterferon alfa-2b in PV and other MPNs such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) for European, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and Middle Eastern markets.
About AOP Health
The AOP Health Group incorporates several companies including AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals GmbH with its seat in Vienna, Austria (“AOP Health”). The AOP Health Group is the European pioneer for integrated therapies for rare diseases and in critical care. Over the past 25 years, the Group has become an established provider of integrated therapy solutions operating from its headquarters in Vienna, its subsidiaries and representative offices throughout Europe and the Middle East, as well as through partners worldwide. This development has been made possible by a continually high level of investment in research and development on the one hand and a highly consistent and pragmatic orientation towards the needs of all its stakeholders on the other – especially the patients and their families as well as also the healthcare professionals treating them.
Needs. Science. Trust.
AOP Orphan Pharmaceuticals GmbH
Member of the AOP Health Group
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240610730599/en/
Contact information
DI Isolde Fally
Isolde.Fally@aop-health.com
+43-676-500 4048
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
VerSprite Launches Fork and Knife: AI-Driven Threat Modeling and Adversarial Testing Built for the Speed of Modern Software27.6.2026 00:28:00 EEST | Press release
VerSprite, a global leader in risk-based threat modeling and the firm behind the PASTA (Process for Attack Simulation and Threat Analysis) methodology, today announced the general availability of Fork (www.forktm.com), a continuous application threat modeling platform, alongside Knife, an AI-led, human-on-the-loop adversarial testing platform for web applications and web API endpoints. Together, the two products operationalize a new model for product security—one where applications are securely designed, continuously modeled, and actively tested as part of the build process itself. The launch addresses a problem every security leader knows but few tools have solved: threat modeling is essential, never more so than in an AI-driven era, yet it has remained slow, manual, and anchored to frameworks designed for a different threat landscape. The problem: threat modeling matters more than ever—and most tools are stuck in 2005 For two decades, application threat modeling has leaned heavily on
Venture Global Announces Closing of $1.5 Billion Senior Secured Vessel Financing Facility26.6.2026 23:30:00 EEST | Press release
Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE: VG) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Venture Global Shipping Holdings, LLC (“VGSH”), has entered into a Credit and Guaranty Agreement providing for a senior secured term loan facility (the “Facility”) in an aggregate principal amount of up to $1,500,000,000. The Facility will mature on June 26, 2032. Deutsche Bank and ING acted as coordinating lead arrangers for the Facility. ING also serves as facility agent and security trustee. VGSH intends to use the net proceeds from the Facility for general corporate purposes, including to reimburse Venture Global LNG, Inc. for payments previously made by it or its affiliates in connection with the acquisition of nine LNG carriers, funding certain reserve accounts, and paying transaction fees and expenses. About Venture Global Venture Global is an American producer and exporter of low-cost U.S. liquefied natural gas (“LNG”) with over 100 MTPA of capacity in production, construction, or development. Ven
Capco Recognized by OpenAI for Innovation and Responsible AI Leadership26.6.2026 21:00:00 EEST | Press release
Global management and technology consultancy Capco, a Wipro company,has been recognized by OpenAI for both AI innovation and responsible AI leadership. Capco received the AI Governance & Risk Excellence Award at the recent OpenAI Partner Summit 2026 in San Francisco, highlighting Capco’s ability to deliver enterprise-grade AI outcomes in highly regulated environments. The award recognizes Capco’s expert advantage when helping financial services and energy organizations to scale AI with confidence, balancing innovation with strong governance to reduce risk, strengthen compliance and improve customer outcomes. This award follows Capco winning the OpenAI Codex Hackathon, where its UK AI Lab competed against more than 30 teams and over 100 participants from across the OpenAI partner ecosystem. Capco's winning entry Sentra – a consulting-led, AI-powered retail banking solution – uses digital twin technology to identify vulnerable customers and recommend explainable next-best actions for fro
Incyte Announces Positive CHMP Opinion for Opzelura ® (ruxolitinib) Cream for the Treatment of Adults with Moderate Atopic Dermatitis26.6.2026 14:30:00 EEST | Press release
Incyte (Nasdaq: INCY) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive opinion recommending the approval of Opzelura® (ruxolitinib) cream for the treatment of moderate atopic dermatitis (AD) in adult patients for whom topical corticosteroids (TCSs) and topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs) are inadequate or inappropriate. “AD is a chronic skin condition that can have a significant impact on daily life. The positive CHMP opinion for Opzelura marks meaningful progress toward bringing the first non-steroidal topical JAK treatment option to adults in Europe with moderate AD for whom standard topical therapies have failed,” said Lee Heeson, Executive Vice President and Head of Incyte International. “If approved by the European Commission, Opzelura could help address an important gap for patients who have limited treatment options when TCSs and TCIs are inadequate or inappropriate.” The positive CHMP o
Datroway ® Recommended for Approval in the EU by CHMP as First-Line Treatment for Patients with Metastatic Triple Negative Breast Cancer Who Are Not Candidates for Immunotherapy26.6.2026 14:00:00 EEST | Press release
Datroway® (datopotamab deruxtecan) has been recommended for approval in the European Union (EU) as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) who are not candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor therapy. Datroway is a specifically engineered TROP2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN). The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) based its positive opinion on results from the TROPION-Breast02phase 3 trial, which werepresented at the 2025 European Society for Medical Oncology Congress and published in Annals of Oncology. The recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority to grant marketing authorizations for medicines in the EU. In TROPION-Breast02, Datroway demonstrated a
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom