CHICAGO, Ill. -- Belvarafenib, developed by Hanmi Pharmaceutical, has demonstrated anticancer efficacy and acceptable safety in a variety of solid mutagenic tumors that has no approved targeted anticancer agents.

Belvarafenib is a clinical-stage anticancer drug licensed to Genentech, a subsidiary of the Roche Group, in 2016.

Professor Kim Tae-won of the department of oncology at Asan Medical Center and the first author of the trial presented the data regarding the phase 1 study of the drug, released the results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2019 here, on Monday.

The trial conducted two separate studies -- RAFI-101, RAFI-102 – participated in by 35 patients with solid tumors with BRAF (v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1), KRAS (Kirsten rat sarcoma), and NRAS (neuroblastoma RAS viral (v-ras) oncogene homolog) mutations in seven hospitals in Korea. Researchers managed to confirm the safety and anticancer effects of these drugs in the study.

The RAFI-101 study showed that 11 percent of all patients and 44 percent of NRAS-mutation patients showed partial response -- reduced tumor size or decreased progression of cancer -- after treatment. In the RAFI-102 study, researchers observed partial remission in 12 percent of the patients. The most common adverse drug reactions in both studies were acne dermatitis, rash and pruritus.

"We have confirmed the excellent safety and tolerability of Belvarafenib through this study," Professor Kim said. "We were able to confirm the antitumor effect in patients with solid metastatic tumors with BRAF, KRAS, and NRAS gene mutations."

The team is also conducting additional studies on a combination therapy with MEK inhibitors and Belvarafenib, Kim added.