Tarus Therapeutics receives clearance from the FDA to initiate clinical trial of TT-4 (A2BR antagonist) in cancer patients

NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / May 27, 2021 / Tarus Therapeutics Inc., an innovative biotechnology company developing adenosine receptor antagonists for cancer immunotherapy, today announced that it has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Investigational New Drug (IND) application to proceed with a clinical study of TT-4, an oral small molecule drug targeting the Adenosine A2B receptor (A2BR).

Tarus plans to initiate a Phase 1a/1b study in the third quarter of 2021 to evaluate TT-4 in patients with advanced solid tumors both as a monotherapy and in combination with other anti-cancer agents.

Adenosine signaling is not only immunosuppressive but also directly promotes tumor growth and metastasis. A2BR biology is distinct from A2AR in that its expression is induced by hypoxia via HIF1 (hypoxia-inducible factor), leading to the activation of transcription factors such as ERK, JNK and p38 MAPK in tumor cells. This cascade in turn has been shown to result in the proliferation, survival, adhesiveness, invasiveness and motility of tumor cells in animal models of several hypoxic tumors.

“This IND clearance is another key milestone for Tarus as we continue to advance our portfolio of adenosine receptor antagonists for cancer immunotherapy. We are excited to be entering the clinic with our potentially first-in-class A2BR antagonist,” said Sushant Kumar, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, Tarus Therapeutics. “This is a significant moment for the Tarus team, and we look forward to sharing further updates on the clinical development of TT-4.”

About Tarus Therapeutics, Inc.

Tarus is developing small molecule inhibitors of A2AR, A2BR, and Dual A2AR/A2BR inhibitors for cancer immunotherapy and select non-oncology indications. The Company has the most comprehensive portfolio of adenosine receptor antagonists in development, with both first-in-class and best-in-class programs. More information can be found at www.tarustx.com.

Contact:

Tarus Therapeutics, Inc.
Sushant Kumar, PhD
President & CEO
info@tarustx.com

SOURCE: Tarus Therapeutics Inc.,

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