Oblato, Inc. (the Company) a subsidiary company of HLB Therapeutics in Korea, announced today that the enrollment of recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients for a Phase 2 clinical trial with its proprietary compound OKN-007 in the US has been completed. Thirteen institutions are participating in this clinical trial, and patients are being administered a combination of OKN-007 and temozolomide, an approved drug for GBM.
Various animal studies have shown that OKN-007 reduces tumor growth and increases survival. It improves the tumor microenvironment by multiple mechanisms of action, including removal of reactive oxygen species, reducing the levels of both TGF-beta and HIF-1alpha, and by normalizing the blood vessels in the tumor. In addition, as demonstrated in nuclear imaging studies, OKN-007 is thought to increase the ability of therapeutic agents to penetrate tumors by temporarily opening the blood-brain-barrier (BBB).
With the completion of the patient enrollment for the Phase 2 clinical trial, the patients’ safety information including adverse events, cancer progression, and survival will continuously be collected and analyzed. The Company expects that the study results will be available in 2023.
In addition to the above-mentioned clinical trial for recurrent GBM, two other trials for GBM are in progress. One is an investigator-initiated clinical trial using OKN-007 on naïve GBM patients at Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and 21 patients have been enrolled so far. Furthermore, Oblato has just started another Phase 1 clinical study for recurrent GBM patients with the dosage form of OKN-007 changed from the existing injectable to an oral formulation to improve both the administration to the patients and the efficacy of OKN-007.
Ki Hong Ahn, CEO of the Company, stated, “We will do our best to complete the Phase 2 clinical trial with OKN-007 for recurrent GBM patients as planned. Through the successful implementation of various clinical trials of OKN-007 in the United States, we will investigate and promote various synergistic strategies with the latest approved oncology products to treat brain cancers.”About Oblato, Inc.
Oblato, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Korean biotech company, HLB Therapeutics, is incorporated in Delaware, and has its principal place of business in New Jersey. Since 2016, the Company has been developing a new drug, OKN-007, to treat brain cancers, especially glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) as a rare disease and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) as a rare pediatric disease. Currently, clinical trials are ongoing to investigate the safety and efficacy of a combination therapy with both OKN-007 and temozolomide for patients with both newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM. Oblato has received both rare pediatric disease and fast track designations for DIPG. For additional information about Oblato, please visit www.oblatoinc.com.
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