Mersana Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: MRSN) has offered its strategic priorities and expected milestones for this year. In addition, the biopharmaceutical firm’s CEO and President Anna Protopapas stated is expected to offer a business update on January 12, 2022, at the virtual 40th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.
Mersana building UpRi as foundation treatment for ovarian cancer
Protopapas said, “During 2021, we have made substantial progress in executing on the four strategic pillars that underlie our vision of building Mersana into an ADC leader: building UpRi into a foundational medicine in ovarian cancer, advancing a diverse pipeline of first-in-class ADCs addressing areas of high unmet medical need, driving ADC innovation and building Mersana into an organization with world-class talent.”
She added, “With UPLIFT and UPGRADE ongoing and UP-NEXT expected to initiate in Q2 2022, we have established a highly differentiated development strategy with the goal of bringing UpRi to a broad population of ovarian cancer patients with limited options. With XMT-1660 and XMT-2056, two first-in-class candidates initiating Phase I dose-escalation in mid-2022 and two additional candidates that will be disclosed during the course of the year, we are expanding and diversifying our pipeline by leveraging our three innovative product engines: Dolasynthen, Dolaflexin, and Immunosynthen. Our selection as a Top Place to Work by the Boston Globe is a validation of the talent we have attracted to Mersana and the mission-focused culture we have built.”
UPLIFT and UP-NEXT studies in ovarian cancer expected in 2022
As an ovarian cancer foundation, the company plans to build Upifitamab Rilsodotin (UpRi), a novel Dolaflexin ADC targeting NaPi2b. In addition, the company expects to complete enrolment in the UPLIFT single-arm registrations study in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. UPLIFT is enrolling more platinum resistance ovarian cancer subjects than other trials using flexible inclusion criteria.
Also, the UP-NEXT third phase monotherapy maintenance study in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer is expected to commence in Q2 2022. Discussions with the FDA and CHMP will inform the design of the UP-NEXT study, which will act as a confirmatory study expanding UpRi into previous therapy lines.
