Scholar Rock, a late-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in treatments for serious diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), cardiometabolic disorders, and cancer, will present data from its Phase 1 DRAGON trial of SRK-181 at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer’s (SITC) 39th Annual Meeting. The presentation, scheduled for November 9th, 2024, will focus on updated safety, efficacy, and biomarker results for SRK-181 in patients with advanced solid tumors resistant to anti-PD-1 therapy. This data comes from the expansion phase (Part B) of the DRAGON trial. The presentation, titled “DRAGON Trial: Durable remission rate with the latent TGFβ1 inhibitor linavonkibart (SRK-181) and pembrolizumab in patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor-resistant advanced cancers,” will be delivered by Dr. Timothy A. Yap of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Abstracts will be available on the SITC website on November 5th, 2024, and the full presentation will be accessible on Scholar Rock’s website after the conference concludes.
SRK-181 is a selective inhibitor of TGFβ1 activation, designed to combat primary resistance to checkpoint inhibitor therapies, such as anti-PD-(L)1 antibodies, in advanced cancers. TGFβ1, the predominant TGFβ isoform in many human tumors, is implicated in creating an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. This environment restricts the entry and activity of cytotoxic T cells, hindering anti-tumor immunity. SRK-181 specifically targets latent TGFβ1 to inhibit its activity within the tumor microenvironment comprehensively. This approach aims to reverse the immunosuppressive effects, promote tumor regression with anti-PD-(L)1 therapy, and potentially minimize the toxicities linked to non-selective TGFβ inhibition.
The DRAGON trial (NCT04291079) completed enrollment in December 2023, but treatment continues for the remaining participants. The trial included multiple parallel cohorts focusing on various cancer types, including urothelial carcinoma, cutaneous melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and clear cell renal cell carcinoma. It is important to note that SRK-181 is currently an investigational product candidate, and the FDA or any other regulatory agency has not yet established its efficacy and safety.
Scholar Rock is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative treatments for serious diseases with unmet needs. The company focuses on the transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily of cell proteins, leveraging its proprietary platform to develop selective monoclonal antibodies that modulate protein growth factors. Scholar Rock’s pipeline targets neuromuscular disease, cardiometabolic disorders, cancer, and other conditions where growth factor modulation could offer significant therapeutic benefits. The company regularly communicates with investors and the public via its website, SEC filings, press releases, and social media channels. It encourages interested parties to review these resources for updates regularly.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Jon, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.
