NEW YORK – Denovo Biopharma said on Thursday that it has discovered a genetic biomarker that may predict brain cancer patents' response to gene therapy.
According to the San Diego-based firm, in a retrospective analysis of data from patients with high-grade gliomas, the genetic biomarker it is calling Denovo Genomic Marker 7, or DGM7, was associated with response to the gene therapy combination treatment DB107.
Denovo's investigational gene therapy product DB107 comprises Toca 511 (vocimagene amiretrorepvec) and Toca FC (extended-release flucytosine, or 5-FC), which is a part of the retroviral replicating vector platform that Denovo acquired from Tocagen last year.
Denovo discovered the potentially predictive biomarker DGM7 using its biomarker discovery platform, which also demonstrated the broad utility of the platform in identifying biomarkers associated with response to both small molecules and viral vectors.
"Biomarker-guided DB107 treatment brings a much-needed treatment option to patients with recurrent high-grade glioma," Denovo CEO and CSO Wen Luo said in a statement. "Denovo now has three biomarker-guided programs in active development using biomarkers discovered using its biomarker platform, which once again shows that it can deliver repeatable success."
Roughly a year ago, the firm began a Phase III trial evaluating its investigational agent enzastaurin for glioblastoma patients, including those with another novel biomarker dubbed Denovo Genomic Marker 1.