Core Insights - Avacta Therapeutics will present updated data from the Phase 1a trial of FAP-Dox (AVA6000) at the 2025 ESMO Congress in Berlin from October 17-21, 2025 [1][2] - FAP-Dox is a peptide drug conjugate designed to target FAP-positive solid tumors, utilizing a mechanism that cleaves doxorubicin specifically in the tumor microenvironment [1][5] Company Overview - Avacta Therapeutics is a clinical-stage life sciences company focused on developing targeted oncology drugs through its proprietary pre|CISION platform [5][6] - The pre|CISION platform aims to deliver highly potent cancer therapies by concentrating drug payloads in the tumor microenvironment while minimizing exposure to normal tissues [5][6] Clinical Trial Details - The Phase 1a trial of FAP-Dox has completed the enrollment dose escalation phase, with ongoing patient enrollment in multiple dose expansion cohorts for a Phase 1b study [2] - The presentation at ESMO will include data from patients with FAP-positive solid tumors, highlighting the drug's targeted approach [2][3]

Core Insights - Avacta Group plc has appointed David Liebowitz, M.D., Ph.D. as Chief Medical Officer and Yulii Bogatyrenko as an advisor in business development, aiming to enhance its clinical strategy and business development efforts [1][5] Company Overview - Avacta is a clinical-stage life sciences company focused on developing targeted oncology drugs, utilizing its proprietary pre|CISION platform to deliver potent cancer therapies while minimizing damage to normal tissues [7] Leadership Background - Dr. Liebowitz brings over 30 years of experience in hematology-oncology and drug development, having successfully filed more than 25 Investigational New Drug (IND) applications [2] - Prior to joining Avacta, Dr. Liebowitz held senior positions at Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Xencor, Vaxart, and Amgen, focusing on oncology and immunotherapy [2] - Mr. Bogatyrenko has extensive experience in business development and commercial strategy, having led global drug launches and partnerships at major pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Bayer, and Teva [4] Strategic Importance - The appointments of Dr. Liebowitz and Mr. Bogatyrenko are seen as pivotal for Avacta, as they aim to advance the company's clinical development strategy and corporate growth [5]

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]

Core Insights - Avacta Therapeutics announced promising preclinical results for its second pre|CISION candidate, FAP-EXd (AVA6103), which shows tumor growth inhibition and durable complete responses in therapy-resistant models [1][5] Group 1: Pre|CISION Platform - The pre|CISION platform targets fibroblast activation protein-alpha (FAPα), which is overexpressed in a wide range of solid tumors, allowing for localized drug activation [2][6] - Avacta's proprietary pre|CISION chemistry enhances drug efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity by activating potent drugs selectively at the tumor site [2][11] Group 2: AVA6103 (FAP-EXd) Highlights - AVA6103 delivers the topoisomerase I inhibitor exatecan directly to the tumor-stroma interface, optimizing pharmacokinetics and minimizing systemic toxicity [4][11] - Despite exatecan's short half-life of 9 hours, FAP-EXd can achieve high tumor concentrations with projected exposures exceeding 60 hours from a single dose [4][5] Group 3: Efficacy and Future Plans - FAP-EXd has shown significant tumor growth inhibition and durable complete responses in multiple patient-derived xenograft models, including those resistant to topoisomerase I inhibition [5] - The company anticipates submitting an investigational new drug (IND) application in December 2025 and starting the first-in-human study in Q1 2026 [5] Group 4: Collaboration and Research Insights - Avacta's collaboration with Tempus has confirmed consistent FAP expression across therapy lines and identified optimal patient populations for pre|CISION medicines [7] - The broad expression of FAP in human solid tumors supports the potential of the pre|CISION platform to deliver effective therapies across multiple indications [6][7]