Peregrine Pharma and NCCN Form Clinical Collaboration

Peregrine Pharmaceuticals Inc. has formed a research collaboration with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to expand the company’s ongoing clinical research and development of bavituximab for the treatment of a range of tumors. NCCN is a not-for-profit alliance of 26 of the world’s leading cancer centers. Peregrine will fund multiple investigator-initiated clinical and correlative studies with bavituximab in multiple cancers at NCCN Member Institutions and their affiliate community hospitals through a $2 million research grant to NCCN’s Oncology Research Program (ORP). NCCN will be responsible for oversight and monitoring of the clinical studies through the research grant.

Bavituximab is an investigational immunotherapy designed to assist the body’s immune system by targeting and modulating the activity of phosphatidylserine (PS), a highly immune-suppressive signaling molecule expressed broadly on the surface of cells in the tumor microenvironment. Peregrine’s PS targeted inhibitor is thought to reverse the immunosuppressive environment that many tumors establish in order to proliferate and spread, while also fighting cancer by activating immune cells that target and fight cancer. According to Peregrine, a broad set of preclinical and translational data has been assembled that supports the ability of bavituximab to improve the therapeutic activity of a range of cancer treatments, from traditional approaches, such as chemotherapy and radiation, to novel immuno-oncology agents such as checkpoint inhibitors.

“This collaboration with NCCN will allow us to significantly expand our clinical evaluation of bavituximab and augment Peregrine’s internal investigator sponsored trial program,” said Steven King, president and chief executive officer, Peregrine. “Importantly, NCCN shares our strong research interest in evaluating unique bavituximab combination therapies for the treatment of cancer, and the group’s oversight of the program will allow for the conducting of many more studies than would have been otherwise possible.”