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(Sharecast News) - Avacta Therapeutics said on Wednesday that new data from the phase 1b cohort of its ongoing trial of faridoxorubicin, also known as AVA6000, showed clinically meaningful tumour shrinkage in patients with salivary gland cancer, reinforcing results previously reported from the phase 1a stage of the study.
The AIM-traded biopharmaceutical company said the combined disease control rate across phase 1a and phase 1b patients was 90%, with confirmed partial and minor responses observed.
Faridoxorubicin is the first peptide drug conjugate in Avacta's pipeline and is designed to deliver the chemotherapy agent doxorubicin selectively within tumours through cleavage by fibroblast activation protein-alpha, which is over-expressed in the tumour microenvironment.
In total, 30 patients with salivary gland cancer treated at doses of 250 milligrams per square metre and above were evaluable for efficacy across the phase 1a and phase 1b cohorts.
Nine patients experienced clinically meaningful tumour shrinkage, including two confirmed partial responses, defined as more than 30% tumour reduction, and seven minor responses of between 10% and 30% using RECIST v1.1 criteria.
Among the 19 patients evaluable for efficacy in the phase 1b cohort, median progression-free survival has not yet been reached, with a median follow-up exceeding 15 weeks at the data cut-off.
Avacta said safety findings in the phase 1b cohort were consistent with those seen in phase 1a, while baseline patient characteristics were broadly similar across both parts of the trial.
Based on the preliminary efficacy and safety profile observed, the company said enrolment would continue in the phase 1b cohort, with further data updates expected in the first half of 2026.
"These data continue to reinforce our belief in the transformative potential of our preCISION peptide drug conjugates to expand the therapeutic index and increase the efficacy of highly potent therapeutics and further strengthens our confidence across our broader pipeline," said Christina Coughlin, chief executive officer of Avacta.
"The clinically meaningful tumor shrinkage and prolonged progression free survival we have observed in the study highlight faridoxorubicin's potential as an important new treatment option for patients with SGC and other solid tumors."
Salivary gland cancer accounts for around 6% to 8% of head and neck cancers and has no established standard therapy in the metastatic setting.
Avacta said translational data from the trial continued to support the broader applicability of its preCISION platform, with optimal payload release observed even at low levels of FAP expression.
At the close on Wednesday, shares in Avacta Group were down 8.86% at 72p.
Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.