Core Insights - Kazia Therapeutics Limited announced new findings from a collaborative research program indicating that paxalisib, an investigational PI3K–mTOR inhibitor, significantly reduces circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in Stage IV HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients [2][3] Company Overview - Kazia Therapeutics is an oncology-focused drug development company based in Sydney, Australia, with a lead program centered on paxalisib, which targets multiple forms of cancer [5] - The company has been developing paxalisib since it was licensed from Genentech in late 2016, and it has been involved in ten clinical trials for various cancers [5] Research Findings - In an ex vivo study, paxalisib monotherapy achieved a complete (100%) disruption of CTC clusters containing three or more cells, which are associated with metastasis and poor prognosis [2][6] - The results extend the understanding of paxalisib's potential beyond triple-negative breast cancer into HER2-positive disease, highlighting its ability to disrupt CTC clusters [3][6] - The findings complement ongoing Phase 1b trials in Stage IV triple-negative breast cancer, where significant reductions in CTCs and clusters have been observed [3] Future Directions - Detailed datasets regarding metastatic signatures and disrupted progenitor populations in Stage IV HER2-positive breast cancer have been submitted for presentation at an upcoming global oncology meeting in 2025 [4]