Ziopharm in Supply Agreement with Regeneron to Study Glioblastoma Treatment

By Michael Dabaie

Ziopharm Oncology Inc. (ZIOP) said Monday it is in a clinical supply agreement with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN) to evaluate Ziopharm's Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex in combination with Regeneron's Libtayo to treat patients with recurrent glioblastoma.

Ziopharm and Regeneron will initiate a Phase 2 study in the first half of 2019 to measure preliminary safety and efficacy of Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex in combination with Libtayo. Ziopharm will be responsible for the conduct and costs of the clinical trial, and Regeneron will supply Libtayo for the study. The companies potentially could explore additional indications.

Ad-RTS-hIL-12 plus veledimex is an investigational gene therapy to induce and control the production of human interleukin 12 that activates the immune system and recruits cancer-fighting T cells into tumors. Libtayo has been approved in the U.S. to treat patients with metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma or locally advanced CSCC who aren't candidates for curative surgery or radiation.

Ziopharm shares were up 2% to $2.56 premarket.

Write to Michael Dabaie at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

November 12, 2018 08:14 ET (13:14 GMT)

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