MedPacto Reveals Clinical Abstract of Bactosertib Combination Therapy for Pancreatic Cancer at US ASCO

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] MedPacto announced on the 27th that it will disclose clinical abstracts on the combination therapy of Batocertinib for pancreatic cancer at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) held in the United States next month.

ASCO, held in Chicago, USA from June 4 to 8 (local time), is one of the world's top three cancer conferences, an international academic event attended annually by more than 40,000 cancer specialists and global pharmaceutical company representatives from about 70 countries.

At this ASCO, MedPacto will reveal interim data from a Phase 1b clinical trial on the combination therapy of Batocertinib and FOLFOX for pancreatic cancer. The company explained that in 16 pancreatic cancer patients treated with the combination of FOLFOX and Batocertinib, there was no significant difference in safety compared to existing treatments, but a high improvement effect was observed in efficacy.

Specifically, among 13 patients who received 200 mg of Batocertinib twice daily, the objective response rate (ORR) was 23.1%, and 38.5% were confirmed as stable disease (SD), meaning the tumor did not grow further. The resulting clinical benefit was 61.5%. Additionally, the median progression-free survival (mPFS) was 5.6 months. In contrast, for FOLFOX as a second-line therapy in gemcitabine-failed patients, the mPFS was 1.7 months and the ORR was 0%.

Pancreatic cancer is a difficult-to-treat disease with low response to chemotherapy because a dense extracellular matrix surrounds the tumor, making drug access difficult. Surgery is possible if the cancer has not spread beyond the pancreas and the patient is in a healthy condition to undergo surgery, but many patients are diagnosed at an unresectable stage. Even if detected early without symptoms, pancreatic cancer frequently recurs after surgery, so chemotherapy plays an important role in treatment.

A MedPacto official said, “The clinical data disclosed this time confirmed the therapeutic effect of the combination therapy of Batocertinib and FOLFOX in pancreatic cancer patients,” adding, “Expectations for the commercialization of Batocertinib combination therapy in pancreatic cancer patients are increasing.”