ArQule Presents Anti-Cancer Activity For Its ARQ 087 In Rare Liver Cancer

(RTTNews) - ArQule, Inc. (ARQL) Thursday said its preliminary clinical data for ARQ 087 demonstrated anti-cancer activity in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, a rare liver cancer with a high mortality rate and limited treatment options. The company has presented the details of the trial at the ESMO 18th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer.

The company said the anti-cancer activity was defined by objective response rate and disease control rate in an ongoing phase 1/2 biomarker driven trial. The data is comprised of 21 patients dosed with ARQ 087, 14 of which presented with FGFR2 genetic alterations and seven of which did not.

Among the 12 evaluable patients with FGFR2 genetic alterations, the objective response rate was 25 percent and disease control rate was 75 percent. Progressive disease was the best response in 25% of the patients.

ARQ 087 is a multi-kinase inhibitor designed to preferentially inhibit the fibroblast growth factor receptor family. ARQ 087 showed a manageable safety profile with mostly Grade 1 and 2 adverse events.

The company has been granted orphan drug designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicine's Agency for ARQ 087 in this indication.