Aptose and Hanmi Enter New Loan Agreement to Advance Development of Tuspetinib in Triplet Therapy for AML

Core Insights - Aptose Biosciences Inc. has entered into a loan agreement with Hanmi Pharmaceutical for up to US$8.5 million to support the clinical development of tuspetinib, a drug aimed at treating newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) [1][2] Group 1: Loan Agreement Details - The loan agreement is classified as a "related-party transaction" under Canadian securities laws, with Aptose relying on the "financial hardship" exemption from formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements [2] - The loan will be administered through multiple advances to facilitate ongoing clinical trials for tuspetinib [1] Group 2: Drug Development and Clinical Trials - Tuspetinib is a once-daily oral agent that targets various kinases associated with AML, showing promising antileukemic activity and safety in early trials [3] - The ongoing TUSCANY triplet Phase 1/2 study is evaluating the combination of tuspetinib with azacitidine and venetoclax in patients with newly diagnosed AML who cannot receive induction chemotherapy [3] - Early data from the first two dose cohorts indicate safety, complete responses (CRs), and minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity across diverse patient mutations [3] Group 3: Company Overview - Aptose Biosciences is focused on developing precision medicines for oncology, particularly in hematology, with a pipeline that includes small molecule cancer therapeutics designed to enhance efficacy without overlapping toxicities [4] - The lead compound, tuspetinib, is being developed as a frontline triplet therapy for newly diagnosed AML patients [4]