C4 Therapeutics has made a strategic decision to discontinue the development of CFT8634, an oral BRD9 degrader, following a phase 1/2 trial that demonstrated its ineffectiveness in treating synovial sarcoma and SMARCB-1 null tumors. While the drug exhibited good tolerability, it did not yield the desired efficacy in heavily pre-treated patients when administered as a standalone therapy. C4T has ceased trial enrollment, and the study is expected to be fully closed by the end of the first quarter in 2024. The Massachusetts-based biotech has opted to prioritize its two ongoing phase 1/2 trials.
C4T’s lead candidate, CFT7455, is an IKZF1/3 degrader under investigation as both a combination therapy with the corticosteroid dexamethasone for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (R/R MM) and as a monotherapy for those with advanced non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In 2022, early efficacy signals were reported for CFT7455 in five multiple myeloma patients. Furthermore, the company completed phase 1 dose escalation for CFT7455 as a monotherapy in R/R MM in October, involving 22 patients across five dosing groups. New data from the monotherapy arm will be shared at a C4T virtual event on December 12. The phase 1 dose escalation for evaluating CFT7455 as a combination treatment in R/R MM and as a monotherapy in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma remains ongoing.
Also Read: Soft Tissue Sarcoma: Symptoms, Types, Causes, Treatment And Future Directions
C4T’s second focus is CFT1946, a BRAF V600 degrader designed for the treatment of solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colorectal cancer, and melanoma. This asset is currently undergoing a dose escalation phase 1/2 trial for the treatment of solid tumors with BRAF V600 mutations.
C4 Therapeutics’ pipeline also features CFT8919, an experimental oral degrader aimed at treating NSCLC patients with EGFR L858R mutations. This candidate is at the core of an exclusive licensing agreement with Betta Pharmaceuticals, a Chinese biotech company that paid $10 million in cash for the rights to develop and market CFT8919 in the Greater China region. Chinese regulatory authorities have accepted Betta’s request to launch clinical trials for review.
According to the terms of the agreement, C4T is slated to receive $35 million, comprising an initial $10 million payment and a one-time $25 million equity investment. While both companies have fulfilled all the closing conditions of the deal, Betta has not disbursed the $25 million equity purchase, citing “business circumstances,” as stated in the release dated November 1. Nevertheless, the two firms are continuing their collaboration in advancing the development of CFT8919.
As of September 30, C4 Therapeutics held a total of $246.4 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, which is expected to sustain the company through the latter half of 2025.
