Maintenance therapy is now clinically proven to postpone disease progression in advanced CTCL which could significantly change current clinical practice

  • RESMAIN is one of the largest clinical trials in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) to-date
  • Resminostat (Kinselby) as a maintenance treatment for advanced CTCL, is clinically proven to postpone disease progression in patients – a new treatment paradigm in CTCL
    • Resminostat (Kinselby) treatment has shown a statistically significant improvement in progression free survival of 97.6% compared to placebo, with a risk reduction of 38% in recently announced headline trial results (median PFS: 8.3 months versus 4.2 months; p=0.015; HR: 0.623 (95%CI: 0.424, 0.916)
    • Resminostat (Kinselby)’s median time to next treatment (median TTNT) versus placebo showed a significant improvement, more than doubling to 8.8 months compared to 4.2 months; p= 0.002; HR: 594 (95% CI: 0.424, 0.916)
    • The side effects of resminostat were mainly mild to moderate, manageable and reversible
  • Additional analyses showed
    • A clinically meaningful improvement in median “total” PFS (defined from start of last prior therapy to disease progression) of 24.3 months for patients treated with resminostat, compared to 14.9 months for those in the placebo group
    • That resminostat (Kinselby) significantly delayed the development of new, or worsening of existing, skin tumours
  • 4SC is actively preparing to file for its Marketing Authorization approval in the European Union, Switzerland and UK
  • The Company will host a live webinar on Wednesday 4th October to discuss the findings presented at the EORTC. Dr. Susanne Danhauser-Riedl, 4SC’s Chief Medical Officer will be joined by medical experts, Professor Dr. Rudolf Stadler and Professor Julia Scarisbrick.

Planegg-Martinsried, Germany, 25 September 2023 – 4SC AG (4SC, FSE Prime Standard: VSC), a biotech company improving the lives of patients suffering with advanced-stage CTCL, today announces that renowned dermato-oncology expert and study investigator, Professor Dr. Rudolf Stadler, University Hospital Johannes Wesling, Minden, Germany, presented positive new data from the pivotal RESMAN study of resminostat (Kinselby) at the EORTC Cutaneous Lymphoma Tumour Group Annual Meeting, at the Leiden University Medical Center Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 21-23 September.

The presented findings show that maintenance therapy is now clinically proven to postpone disease progression in advanced CTCL which could significantly change clinical practice. In RESMAIN, one of the largest randomized, controlled clinical trials in advanced CTCL, resminostat (Kinselby) treatment has shown a statistically significant improvement in progression free survival of 97.6% compared to placebo, with a risk reduction of 38% in recently announced headline trial results (median PFS: 8.3 months versus 4.2 months; p=0.015; HR: 0.623 (95%CI: 0.424, 0.916).

Furthermore, resminostat (Kinselby)’s median time to next treatment (median TTNT) versus placebo showed a significant improvement of 8.8 months compared to 4.2 months; p= 0.002; HR: 0.594 (95% CI: 0.424, 0.916).

The side effects of resminostat were mainly mild to moderate, manageable and reversible and the known safety profile of resminostat (Kinselby) was confirmed in the RESMAIN study.

Additional analyses established that those treated showed a clinically meaningful improvement in median “total” PFS (defined from start of last prior therapy to disease progression) of 24.3 months, compared to 14.9 months for those in the placebo group. It was also noted that there was a significant delay in the development of new, or worsening of existing, skin tumours.

Jason Loveridge, Ph.D., CEO of 4SC, commented: “Positive data from the RESMAIN study demonstrate that resminostat (Kinselby) is effective in significantly slowing disease progression in CTCL patients. This unique treatment, which is the only proven maintenance therapy for CTCL, means that it is well placed to offer significant benefits for patients who would otherwise have no other similar treatment options available to them. 

Our focus in the near term is on the registration, approval and commercialization of Kinselby in the European Union, Switzerland and the UK and we are on track to file for European Marketing Approval of Kinselby in Q1 2024, to rapidly bring this therapy into clinical use. 4SC is well positioned for realization of resminostat (Kinselby)’s considerable value through either a sale, licensing, or partnership agreement.”

The Company will host a live webinar on Wednesday 4th October to discuss the findings presented at EORTC. Dr. Susanne Danhauser-Riedl, 4SC’s Chief Medical Officer, will be joined by medical experts, Professor Dr. Rudolf Stadler and Professor Julia Scarisbrick, who will provide further detail on these data, with the presentation being followed by the opportunity to ask questions during a Q&A session moderated by Dr. Jason Loveridge, 4SC’s Chief Executive Officer.

Title: Presentation by Professor Rudolf Stadler and Professor Julia Scarisbrick on recent new positive data from the RESMAIN study

Date and Time: Wednesday 4th October, 3.00pm CET

Register and submit questions: https://stream.brrmedia.co.uk/broadcast/64f5f2dac6e9d7476c27f154

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About 4SC

4SC AG is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing small-molecule drugs that target key indications in cancer with high unmet medical needs. 4SC’s pipeline is protected by a comprehensive portfolio of patents and currently comprises one drug candidate in clinical development: Kinselby – resminostat.

4SC aims to generate future growth and enhance its enterprise value by entering into partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotech companies and/or the eventual marketing and sales of approved drugs in select territories by 4SC itself.

4SC is headquartered in Planegg-Martinsried near Munich, Germany. The Company had 16 employees as of 30 June 2023 and is listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE Prime Standard: VSC; ISIN: DE000A3E5C40).

About Kinselby (resminostat)

Resminostat is an orally administered class I, IIb and IV histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor that potentially offers an approach to treating different kinds of cancer. Resminostat demonstrated that it is well tolerated and can inhibit tumor growth and proliferation, cause tumor regression, and strengthen the body’s immune response to cancer. Resminostat is currently being investigated in a pivotal study in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) as maintenance treatment by 4SC in Europe and by Yakult Honsha in Japan.

About cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL)

CTCL is a rare disease with approximately 5,000 patients being newly diagnosed in Europe each year. The disease arises from malignant transformation of T-cells, a specialized subgroup of immune cells, and primarily affects the skin, but may ultimately involve lymph nodes, blood and visceral organs.

Currently, CTCL is incurable and treatment options for advanced-stage CTCL are limited. Although patients respond to the available treatment options, the duration of response is often short-lived and declines as the severity of the disease increases. The key therapeutic challenge in advanced-stage CTCL is therefore to make remissions more durable by halting disease progression and improving patient’s quality of life.

About the RESMAIN study – resminostat for maintenance treatment of CTCL

The pivotal RESMAIN study was conducted at more than 50 clinical centers in 11 European countries and Japan. It included 201 patients who suffer from advanced-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) that have achieved disease control with systemic therapy. The patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either resminostat or placebo. Patients who experienced disease progression – while being on placebo – were offered resminostat in an open label treatment arm.

The primary goal of the study was to determine whether maintenance treatment with resminostat prolongs progression-free survival and other secondary objectives. Data demonstrating that resminostat met the primary endpoint of the RESMAIN study was published in May 2023.

About the concept of maintenance therapy

The pivotal RESMAIN study is focused on patients with advanced-stage, incurable, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Such patients suffer from painful and itchy skin lesions resulting in disfigurement and a severely impaired quality of life. Furthermore, lymph nodes, blood or visceral organs can be involved. The current therapeutic options rarely provide long-lasting responses or stabilization of disease for meaningful periods, with most patients progressing within a few months.

Resminostat is being evaluated as maintenance treatment – a unique innovative treatment approach in CTCL (Stadler et al., 2021) - intended to prolong the period patients are stable and not progressing.

Forward-looking information

Information set forth in this press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained herein represent the judgement of 4SC as of the date of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond 4SC’s control, and which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. 4SC expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any updates or revisions to any such statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Contacts:

4SC AG
Optimum Strategic Communications
Mary Clark, Jonathan Edwards, Eleanor Cooper