NEWTOWN, Pa., May 08, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Onconova Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ONTX), (“Onconova” or “the Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products for patients with cancer, today announced an upcoming presentation at the International Society of Investigative Dermatology (ISID) International Epidermolysis Bullosa Symposium, which is being held in Osaka, Japan through May 9, 2023.

The presentation will take place on May 9, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. Japan Standard Time. During the presentation, Onconova and the principal investigators will provide an overview of its investigator-sponsored clinical program evaluating rigosertib monotherapy in squamous cell carcinoma complicating recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB-associated SCC). The Company previously announced that both of the program’s evaluable participants achieved a complete clinical response of all cancerous skin lesions. Onconova plans to review these findings with regulators to determine the most expeditious path toward approval for rigosertib in RDEB-associated SCC.

Steven M. Fruchtman, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Onconova, commented, “RDEB-associated SCC is an ultra-rare disease with a tragically poor prognosis. The most common cause of death for patients with RDEB is the development of metastatic SCC, driven by the overexpression of PLK-1. Our investigator-sponsored clinical program has produced very promising results based on the complete resolution of the SCCs in patients with RDEB treated to date, suggesting rigosertib can address a pressing unmet need in this indication and may have therapeutic potential in other more common SCCs driven by PLK-1. We look forward to discussing these results with the clinical and scientific community at the upcoming ISID symposium.”

A copy of the slides from the oral presentation will be available on the “Scientific Presentations” section of the Onconova website following the conclusion of the symposium.

About RDEB-associated SCC

RDEB is caused by insufficient expression of type VII collagen protein, which is responsible for anchoring the skin’s inner layer to its outer layer. This leads to extreme skin fragility as well as chronic blistering and wound formation with recurrent infections in RDEB patients, many of whom go on to develop metastatic squamous cell carcinoma driven by overexpression of polo like kinase 1 (PLK-1). RDEB-associated SCC tumors show a highly aggressive and early metastasizing course that makes them the primary cause of death for these patients, with a cumulative risk of death of 70% and 78.7% by ages 45 and 55, respectively^1,2. RDEB-associated SCC can appear in pediatric patients or in young adults. Currently available treatments such as targeted therapies and conventional chemo- and/or radiotherapy have demonstrated limited response rates and poor durability in RDEB-associated SCC^1,3.

About Onconova Therapeutics, Inc.

Onconova Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel products for patients with cancer. The Company has proprietary targeted anti-cancer agents designed to disrupt specific cellular pathways that are important for cancer cell proliferation.

Onconova’s novel, proprietary multi-kinase inhibitor narazaciclib (formerly ON 123300) is being evaluated in two separate and complementary Phase 1 dose escalation and expansion studies. These trials are currently underway in the United States and China. Based on preclinical and clinical studies of CDK 4/6 inhibitors, Onconova is also planning a combination trial of narazaciclib with estrogen blockade in advanced endometrial cancer, as well as evaluating opportunities for potential clinical studies in additional indications.

Onconova’s product candidate rigosertib is being studied in multiple investigator-sponsored studies, including a dose-escalation and expansion Phase 1/2a study of oral rigosertib in combination with nivolumab in patients with KRAS+ non-small cell lung cancer, and a Phase 2 program evaluating rigosertib monotherapy in advanced squamous cell carcinoma complicating recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB-associated SCC).

For more information, please visit www.onconova.com.

References

1. Mellerio et al. Br J Dermatol. 2016 Jan; 174(1):56-67. doi: 10.1111/bjd.14104.
2. Fine et al. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2009 Feb; 60(2):203-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2008.09.035.
3. Stratigos et al. Eur J Cancer. 2020 Mar;128:83-102. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2020.01.008.

Forward Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to Onconova’s expectations regarding its clinical development and trials, its product candidates, its business and financial position. Onconova has attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including "believes," "estimates," "anticipates," "expects," "plans," "intends," "may," "could," "might," "will," "should," “preliminary,” “encouraging,” "approximately" or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Although Onconova believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, expectations may prove to have been materially different from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, including the success and timing of Onconova's clinical trials, investigator-initiated trials and regulatory agency and institutional review board approvals of protocols, Onconova’s collaborations, market conditions and those discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Onconova's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of its date. Onconova undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release to reflect events or circumstances occurring after its date or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Company Contact:
Mark Guerin
Onconova Therapeutics, Inc.
267-759-3680
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https://www.onconova.com/contact/

Investor Contact:
Bruce Mackle
LifeSci Advisors, LLC
646-889-1200
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