Verastem Oncology in Collaboration Agreement With Amgen

By Chris Wack

Verastem Oncology said it has entered into a clinical collaboration agreement with Amgen Inc. to evaluate the combination of VS-6766, Verastem Oncology's investigational dual RAF/MEK inhibitor, with Amgen's KRAS G12C inhibitor Lumakras sotorasib in KRAS G12C-mutant non-small cell lung cancer.

The biopharmaceutical company said the Phase 1/2 trial would evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy of VS-6766 in combination with Lumakras in patients with KRAS G12C-mutant NSCLC who have not been previously treated with a KRAS G12C inhibitor as well as in patients who have progressed on a KRAS G12C inhibitor.

The study would investigate the potential benefits of a more complete vertical blockade of the RAS pathway with the combination of VS-6766 with Lumakras in KRAS G12C-mutant locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC.

Verastem Oncology said it expects to initiate the clinical trial with VS-6766 and Lumakra by the end of 2021.

On Sunday, Verastem Oncology said it saw positive data from its ongoing investigator-sponsored Phase 1/2 study investigating VS-6766 in combination with defactinib, its FAK inhibitor, in patients with low grade serous ovarian cancer.

Verastem shares were up 24%, to $3.42, in premarket trading.

Write to Chris Wack at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 20, 2021 07:48 ET (11:48 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.