Company Appointments - Avacta Therapeutics has appointed David Bryant and Richard Hughes as Non-Executive Directors, effective immediately [1] - David Bryant brings over 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, having held leadership roles at GSK and Pfizer, and was part of the management team at Clinigen Group during its IPO and subsequent sale for $1.6 billion [2] - Richard Hughes has over 30 years of corporate finance experience in UK capital markets, including roles in IPOs, equity capital raising, and M&A, and was a founder of Zeus Capital [3] Strategic Focus - The appointments are aimed at enhancing the Board's capabilities as Avacta transitions into a dedicated therapeutics company, focusing on its pre|CISION platform [4] - The pre|CISION platform is designed to deliver potent anti-tumor payloads directly to tumors while minimizing side effects, which is expected to improve patient outcomes [5][9] Executive Insights - David Bryant expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with the executive management team, particularly with the recent advancements in the pre|CISION platform and the upcoming clinical program [5] - Richard Hughes highlighted the potential impact of the pre|CISION platform on therapeutic standards and his commitment to leveraging his experience in fundraising and business scaling to benefit shareholders [5] Company Overview - Avacta Therapeutics is a clinical-stage life sciences company focused on developing peptide drug conjugates that utilize the pre|CISION platform to enhance cancer therapy effectiveness [8] - The pre|CISION platform utilizes a tumor-specific protease to release active drug payloads in the tumor microenvironment, thereby reducing systemic exposure and toxicity [9]

Core Insights - Avacta Therapeutics announced promising Phase 1 data for its lead program FAP-Dox (AVA6000), showing preliminary efficacy in salivary gland cancers and a favorable safety profile with no severe cardiac toxicity [1][3][4] - The Phase 1a study demonstrated a disease control rate of 91% in patients with salivary gland cancers, with median progression-free survival (PFS) not yet reached, indicating a significant improvement over previous benchmarks [5][6] - The proprietary pre|CISION platform targets fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAPα), allowing for tumor-localized drug activation, which enhances efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity [2][11] Clinical Data Highlights - AVA6000 was well-tolerated in a Phase 1a dose-escalation study, with no maximum tolerated dose reached despite dosing up to 385 mg/m² every three weeks [4][6] - In a cohort of 11 patients with salivary gland cancers treated at or above 250 mg/m², multiple confirmed responses were observed, and the median follow-up exceeded 25 weeks [5][7] - The exposure of released doxorubicin in plasma and normal tissues was lower than that of conventional doxorubicin, with a median tumor to plasma ratio of 100:1, further supporting its improved safety profile [6][11] Future Developments - Full Phase 1a data across all patients, including cardiac safety assessments, are expected in the second half of 2025 [7] - Avacta is enrolling patients in three Phase 1b expansion cohorts targeting salivary gland cancer, triple negative breast cancer, and high-grade soft tissue sarcoma, with data anticipated by the end of 2025 [7]