Michael Glen Kauffman
Analyst
Thank you, Dan. We continue to make good progress across our pipeline programs, and I'll spend the next several minutes with an overview of our VS-7375 oral KRAS G12D inhibitor program. As Dan mentioned, we've named our VS-7375 trials Target-D. Target-D 101 is our ongoing Phase I/II dose escalation, dose expansion and combination evaluation trial. In the dose escalation portion, we are now evaluating the 1,200-milligram daily dose to fully characterize the dose range available. We will complete enrollment across the various expansion cohorts shortly as well as the current cohorts evaluating combinations with chemotherapies. And importantly, we are moving to enroll patients into each of our Phase II trials, which I'll describe in more detail. As we mentioned last quarter, the FDA requested that we develop separate Phase II protocols for any trials where we are seeking marketing authorization. Thus, we have developed 3 Phase II registration-directed trials in pancreatic cancer or PDAC, non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, and colorectal cancer or CRC. I'll now provide some detail on each of these. Target-D 201 is our second-line PDAC study. This Phase II open-label study is designed to evaluate VS-7375 at the 900-milligram daily dose, both as monotherapy and in combination with cetuximab. Based on strong preclinical rationale showing EGFR pathway activation in pancreatic cancer and its role as a potential resistance mechanism to RAS inhibition, we are studying the combination of VS-7375 and anti-EGFR antibodies to potentially deepen and prolong responses. We're also taking the opportunity to evaluate VS-7375 and anti-EGFR antibodies in first-line pancreatic cancer where we believe we can generate compelling data. It is worth noting that because VS-7375 has not been associated with skin rash to date, combination with EGFR inhibitors is expected to be clinically feasible and growing tolerability data to date support this. In addition, we are currently studying the combination of VS-7375 and gemcitabine nab-paclitaxel or GNP in patients with PDAC looking towards a frontline treatment regimen. Target-D 202 is our advanced non-small cell lung cancer study. This Phase II open-label study is designed to evaluate VS-7375 at the 900-milligram daily dose in patients who have received 1 or 2 prior lines of therapy, including a platinum-based chemotherapy and a PD-1 or PD-L1 blocker. We are currently evaluating VS-7375 at 600 milligrams daily in non-small cell lung cancer in our 101 trial, and this will provide information at this lower dose. But as in PDAC, we anticipate that the 900-milligram daily dose will be our go-forward monotherapy dose in previously treated non-small cell lung cancer as we look towards potential marketing authorization. We are also evaluating VS-7375 monotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and asymptomatic brain metastases where there remains a significant unmet medical need and an opportunity to improve outcomes. And as previously noted, we are evaluating the combination of VS-7375 plus pembrolizumab without or with platinum pemetrexed chemotherapy in the 101 study looking towards a frontline treatment regimen. Lastly, we have our Target-D 203 metastatic colorectal cancer study. This Phase II open-label study is designed to evaluate VS-7375 at the 900-milligram daily dose as both monotherapy and in combination with EGFR inhibitors, including cetuximab or panitumumab in patients with previously treated colorectal cancer. While we do not expect to see meaningful responses for VS-7375 as a single agent, this will be critical to showing the contribution of PARs for potential combination therapy regulatory submission. We're also going to evaluate VS-7375 in combination with anti-EGFR antibodies and the modified FOLFOX6 regimen in the first-line setting, again, to expand the opportunity and help us improve outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer with the goal to develop a frontline combination regimen. Importantly, across all 3 Phase II trials, the primary endpoint is overall response rate by blinded independent central radiological review or BICR, with BICR determined duration of response or DOR as the key secondary endpoint, supporting potential accelerated approvals in each of these 3 indications. The protocols have been sent to clinical trial sites, and we anticipate the first patient in each of these studies to occur mid-year, if not sooner. We continue to enroll patients and evaluate the 1,200-milligram dose, which is the highest practical dose that we can administer to define the upper end of the dosing range. We now have updated PK data that show that the 900-milligram dose delivers serum levels of VS-7375 at or above our target level and provides clear separation from the 600-milligram dose. While we are seeing good responses at 600 milligrams, these data, along with good tolerability, support our enthusiasm for advancing the 900-milligram dose in our Phase II trials. As additional data emerge, we expect to finalize the go-forward dose across tumor types and combination settings. As we shared last quarter, our goal is to generate meaningful data sets in these tumor types, both as single agent as well as in combination with other treatments with the goal of potential accelerated approvals in previously treated cancer as well as developing combination strategies to position our regimens in the frontline setting across all 3 tumor types. Now let me briefly set expectations for our first half update from the Target-D 101 trial. In terms of patient numbers, the safety data set will include a broad set of patients across Target-D 101. However, the number of patients evaluable for efficacy will still be relatively small. Recall that response evaluations require a minimum of 2 baseline scans, which are typically 6 to 8 weeks apart and not all responses occur at the first scan. And of course, duration of response requires follow-up for months after the initial response determination. We note again that meaningful response duration is typically about 6 months. As we've discussed previously, we believe that administering the highest well-tolerated dose of VS-7375 will maximize the chances for each patient to have a meaningful antitumor effect. And because the 900-milligram dose has been well tolerated to date in over 20 patients in the U.S., our results of this dose will require several additional months over what was originally projected for the 600-milligram dose. At this time, we can also add that the 400 and 600-milligram doses of VS-7375 in combination with cetuximab are well tolerated and that we are currently evaluating the 900-milligram dose in this combination. To reiterate, we will only be able to provide a preliminary view on activity overall because we've been able to utilize higher doses in our patients in the United States. That said, we see this first half update as an early checkpoint and believe the data set will be meaningful in terms of demonstrating our progress in enrollment, along with a more mature safety update and more PK data. We do plan to include some patient cases across tumor types and combinations in the update. Later this year, we expect to provide a more comprehensive data set, including tumor-specific breakdowns and more mature efficacy data as we enroll in our Phase II trials for potential marketing applications. Finally, switching gears for a minute to our avutometinib plus defactinib program. We remain on track to report an update on our RAMP-205 study in first-line PDAC before the end of the second quarter of this year. Now I'll turn the call over to Dan Calkins.