HLB’s investigational anticancer drug, rivoceranib, proved the safety as a second-line treatment in gastric cancer in a phase 1 trial, according to an abstract partially released before the annual meeting of the European Society for Medical Oncology this Friday.

The abstract includes results from a Korean phase 1 trial of rivoceranib in gastric cancer and outcomes of multiple trials in China.

According to HLB, the Korean phase 1 study evaluated rivoceranib in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy paclitaxel in 12 gastric cancer patients at Asan Medical Center and Ulsan University Hospital.

The phase 1 study aimed to determine the appropriate dosage, efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of rivoceranib.

The results showed that half of the patients reached a 60 percent objective response rate (ORR) and all patients reached a 100 percent disease control rate (DCR), and the appropriate dose was rivoceranib 400mg, HLB said.

Rivoceranib reported high blood pressure, anemia, and leukopenia as grade 3 or higher adverse reactions.

However, Professor Ryu Min-hee of oncology at Asan Medical Center said the research team confirmed a manageable level of safety profile, along with a high therapeutic effect, in the trial, HLB said.

Also, HLB will disclose another abstract about rivoceranib in combination with camrelizumab as the first-line treatment in phase 3 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) study on Thursday this week.

The overall study results will be presented at the Proffered Paper session on gastrointestinal and digestive organs on Saturday.

Jang In-keun, vice president of HLB’s Bio Strategic Planning Team, said the outcomes of rivoceranib for various indications including liver cancer and gastric cancer will be disclosed at the upcoming ESMO annual meeting, following phase 2 results of rivoceranib in adenoid cystic carcinoma during the meeting of American Society of Clinical Oncology in the U.S. in June.

“Rivoceranib is continuing to prove its versatility at world’s famous cancer meets,” he said.

Jang added that HLB would concentrate on preparing for a liver cancer pre-NDA meeting with the FDA and an NDA process for adenoid cystic carcinoma indication this year.