BeyondSpring’s (NASDAQ:BYSI) abstract on its lead asset, Plinabulin, has been accepted for poster presentation at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research 2019 conference May 18-22 in New Orleans.
The data, derived from BeyondSpring’s Phase 2 Study 105, shows that Plinabulin has a similar efficacy profile in reducing docetaxel-induced neutropenia as Neulasta, the current standard of care, with the added safety benefit of avoiding patient-reported bone pain that’s typically observed with Neulasta.
Bone pain is a known side effect of Neulasta, and is different and distinct from the pain produced by metastatic cancer.
“Bone pain is a significant quality of life issue for patients who are undergoing chemotherapy treatment, and it is no longer acceptable to consider this the status quo,” Dr. Douglas Blayney said in a statement. He is the global principal investigator for BeyondSpring’s CIN development program and Prof. of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine,
CIN (chemotherapy-induced neutropenia) is a common, often severe side effect that cancer patients who are undergoing treatment experience involving the destruction of neutrophils, which are a type of white blood cell and a patient’s first line of defense against infections.
“Plinabulin’s ability to not only achieve similar efficacy as Neulasta in preventing neutropenia, but also to significantly reduce bone pain for patients is a game-changer for both the industry and medical community at large, and these latest results reinforce the powerful potential of Plinabulin,” Dr. Blayney said.
In addition, he said studies have shown that Plinabulin is an anti-cancer agent, when added to Neulasta, it leads to a reversal of the immune-suppressive profile, which may have an important impact on patient outcomes, as maintaining an optimal immune response against cancer is very important for patient survival.
