FDA Grants Fast Track Designation to BioNTech and DualityBio for Next-Generation Antibody-Drug Conjugate Candidate BNT325/DB-1305
BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX, “BioNTech”) and Duality Biologics (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (“DualityBio”) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) granted Fast Track designation for BNT325/DB-1305 for the treatment of patients with platinum-resistant ovarian epithelial cancer, fallopian tube cancer, or primary peritoneal cancer who have received one to three prior systemic treatment regimens. BNT325/DB-1305 is a next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (“ADC”) candidate targeting the trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (“TROP2”), a protein that is overexpressed on a range of tumor types. The candidate is currently being evaluated in an ongoing Phase 1/2 study (NCT05438329) in patients with TROP2-expressing advanced solid tumors.
Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common gynecological tumor type, with over 300,000 cases diagnosed globally each year.3 Over 90% of ovarian tumors arise from epithelial cells including the epithelial tissue of the ovary, the lining of a fallopian tube or the peritoneum.4 Ovarian epithelial cancer is often diagnosed at advanced disease stages, leading to a poor prognosis for patients. This makes it one of the most frequent causes of cancer death in women.3 The 5-year survival rate ranges from 26% to 42%, depending on the initial disease stage.3
The FDA’s decision is an important recognition of the potential of our TROP2-targeting ADC candidate. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the backbone of treatment for ovarian epithelial cancer and related subtypes that form in the epithelial tissue. Patients with platinum resistance who relapse within under six months have a poor prognosis, and effective and well-tolerated treatment options remain a substantial unmet medical need,” said Prof. Özlem Türeci, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder at BioNTech. “Recent studies have indicated the role of TROP2 in aggressive tumor growth and progression in patients with chemotherapy-resistant ovarian tumors. We are committed to further advancing BNT325/DB-1305 and believe that a TROP2-targeted treatment approach has the potential to overcome current limitations in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancers.”
BNT325/DB-1305 is the second investigational asset in our strategic collaboration which has received FDA Fast Track designation highlighting the potential of the candidate to fill an unmet medical need,” said Vivian Gu, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at DualityBio. “Data from the Phase 1/2 clinical trial with BNT325/DB-1305 have demonstrated encouraging anti-tumor signals in heavily pretreated patients with TROP2-expressing solid tumors who had failed standard therapy with an objective response rate of 30.4% and a disease control rate of 87.0%.5 We look forward to progressing the further development of BNT325/DB-1305 within the fast track framework, and hope to be one step closer to potentially improving outcomes for a range of patients.”
Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review, of new drugs and vaccines that are intended to treat or prevent serious conditions that have the potential to address an unmet medical need. The designation is based on preliminary data from an ongoing Phase 1/2 study with BNT325/DB-1305 in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian epithelial cancer, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer patients.1 With the Fast Track designation, the development of BNT325/DB-1305 can benefit from more frequent engagement with the FDA, to support the development and expedite the review of BNT325/DB-1305.
