Benzinga | Nov 20, 2020 07:49AM EST

Black Diamond Therapeutics Highlights Presentation At 2020 SNO Annual Meeting

* BDTX-1535 nominated as development candidate with IND-enabling studies underway

* Pre-clinical data support novel and differentiated approach in GBM

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and NEW YORK, Nov. 20, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black Diamond Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDTX), a precision oncology medicine company pioneering the discovery and development of small molecule, tumor-agnostic therapies, today announced the nomination of BDTX-1535 as the Company's development candidate for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), as well as the commencement of Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies.

Additionally, Black Diamond Therapeutics today announced a presentation at the 2020 Society for Neuro-Oncology Annual Meeting (SNO) of the pre-clinical data for BDTX-1535 and the biological rationale for a MasterKey approach to treating GBM patients whose tumors harbor allosteric oncogenic mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

"These pre-clinical data demonstrate the achievement of our program's key design principles, including potent and selective inhibition of the family of EGFR variants implicated in GBM and penetration of the blood-brain barrier, and further support our ability to develop a novel and differentiated candidate for the treatment of this disease," said Elizabeth Buck, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Discovery and Translational Sciences at Black Diamond Therapeutics. "This profile, coupled with the in vivo data that showed tumor growth inhibition in intracranial patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor models expressing allosteric EGFR mutants, supports the potential for BDTX-1535 to meaningfully transform the treatment paradigm for patients with GBM."

GBM tumors express a family of allosteric oncogenic EGFR variants that often appear together in GBM and, as shown by the Company's pre-clinical work, must all be effectively inhibited to secure a meaningful anti-tumor response. In cell-based assays, BDTX-1535 achieved potent MasterKey inhibition of all members of the family of oncogenic EGFR variants expressed in GBM with selectivity v. wild-type-EGFR (WT-EGFR). Additionally, in mouse models, BDTX-1535 demonstrated a pharmacokinetic profile that supports its ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. BDTX-1535 achieved complete and sustained inhibition of the phosphorylated state of EGFR in mouse models bearing Ba/F3 allosteric EGFR mutants, as well as tumor growth inhibition in mouse models bearing intracranial PDX tumors expressing allosteric EGFR mutants.

"Glioblastoma places an enormous burden on patients and their families, and we're encouraged by these pre-clinical data that support BDTX-1535's potential to improve treatment options for those impacted by GBM. The advancement of BDTX-1535 into early development is a critical step in our pursuit of a truly innovative approach for the treatment of this devastating disease," said David M. Epstein, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Black Diamond Therapeutics. "We remain committed to the broad deployment of our proprietary MAP platform to produce novel MasterKey inhibitor therapies for a range of genetically defined diseases."

The presentation from the SNO 2020 meeting is available on the "Scientific Presentations and Publications" section of the Black Diamond Therapeutics website.