Benzinga | Feb 17, 2021 12:56PM EST

Kintara Therapeutics Concludes Enrollment In Recurrent Arm Of VAL-083 Mid-Stage Brain Cancer Study

* Kintara Therapeutics Inc (NASDAQ: KTRA) has enrolled the final patient in the recurrent arm of its ongoing Phase 2 study evaluating VAL-083 for glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.

* The study's recurrent arm in 83 pre-treated patients with temozolomide (TMZ) is being conducted at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. It is designed to determine whether treatment with VAL-083 improves overall survival. Topline results from the recurrent arm are expected in the second quarter of 2021.

* In addition to the recurrent arm, there is a second trial arm enrolling up to 36 newly-diagnosed patients who have undergone surgery and chemoradiation with TMZ and receiving VAL-083 in place of standard of care TMZ for adjuvant therapy.

* In November last year, the Company provided a clinical update on both arms of the study. For the recurrent arm, the median overall survival (mOS) for the 77 efficacy evaluable patients who completed at least one treatment cycle was 7.6 months. Additionally, for the 43 efficacy evaluable patients initially receiving the 30 mg/m2/day dose, mOS was 8.5 months. In the adjuvant therapy arm of the study, median progression-free survival (PFS) was ten months.

* VAL-083 is a small molecule bifunctional alkylating agent that crosses the blood-brain barrier and is approved as a cancer chemotherapeutic in China to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia and lung cancer.

* Price Action: KTRA shares increased 5.9% at $2.48 in the trading session on the last check Wednesday.