Erytech is stepping up its focus on the drug delivery applications of its preclinical extracellular vesicles, pivoting (PDF) toward the platform after halting development of its lead asset in the wake of a phase 3 flop.
Thirteen months ago, the lead candidate, L-asparaginase encapsulated in donor red blood cells, failed to improve outcomes in pancreatic cancer patients in a late-phase clinical trial. Erytech halted development of the prospect, branded Graspa, after receiving feedback from the FDA about a planned submission for approval in hypersensitive acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The cessation of development of Graspa is part of a broader transformation that has seen Erytech slash its costs and focus its remaining 47.3 million euros ($46.3 million) on the development of preclinical assets.
“We have sharply reduced our costs and focused our resources on our most promising preclinical programs, in particular our red-blood cell derived extracellular vesicles platform, a platform for which we see increasingly interesting opportunities. The pursuit of strategic options for Erytech is continuing and valuable options are under evaluation,” Erytech CEO Gil Beyen said in a statement.
The preclinical drug delivery technology is based on extracellular vesicles derived from red blood cells. The vesicles are formed naturally during senescence and storage of mature red blood cells and, in the view of Erytech, “are a potentially attractive drug delivery system.”
In a statement touting the platform, Erytech said cells “have already been loaded with active therapeutic compounds,” adding that the results to date “illustrate the versatility” of the encapsulation science and potential to use the platform “in further partnered developments.”