Dracen Pharmaceuticals announces DRP-104 presentations at the 2019 Society of Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) Meeting

Two posters detail the activity and mechanism-of-action of DRP-104


Dracen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that two posters detailing the in vivo activity and immunometabolism mechanism-of-action of DRP-104, a novel broad acting glutamine antagonist, will be presented November 8th and 9th during the SITC Annual meeting in National Harbor, Maryland.

“We continue to experience growing excitement around the DRP-104 profile emerging from our immunometabolism
program which promises single agent and combination therapy potential,” said Thomas M. Estok, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dracen Pharmaceuticals. “The data being presented at SITC demonstrate that DRP-104 has significant single agent anti-tumor activity and induces durable anti-tumor responses in vivo by inhibiting tumor glutamine addiction; remodeling the tumor microenvironment; and, stimulating both the innate as well as the adaptive immune systems. Additionally, our preclinical data demonstrate that DRP-104 combines well with immune checkpoint inhibitors leading to significant improvement in survival. We are excited to advance this novel therapy to patients in need of treatments and
plan to initiate clinical trials in early 2020.”

The presentation details are as follows:
Title: DRP-104, A Novel Broad Acting Glutamine Antagonist, Induces Distinctive Immune Modulation Mechanisms and Synergistic Efficacy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Blockade
Date: Friday, Nov 8, 2019, 7:00am – 8:00pm
Abstract ID: P497

Title: DRP-104 Induces Durable Responses In Vivo by Inhibiting Tumor Glutamine Addiction, Remodeling the Tumor Microenvironment and Stimulating Both the Innate & Adaptive Immune Systems
Date: Saturday, Nov 9, 2019, 7:00am – 8:30pm
Abstract ID: P816

About DRP-104
Our lead glutamine antagonist, DRP -104, is advancing through IND enabling studies with the goal of initiating phase I clinical studies in early 2020. The mechanisms of action for DRP-104 include: a) direct inhibition of tumor cell addiction to glutamine leading to substantial single agent activity and tumor regression; b) broad metabolic remodeling of the tumor microenvironment leading to enhanced anti-tumor immune activity; and, c) stimulation of T effector, NK and NKT cells and inhibition of immunosuppressive MDSC and macrophage cells, leading to greater long-term durable responses and survival.

About Dracen Pharmaceuticals
Dracen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a privately held biotech company developing proprietary anti-cancer drugs that target immuno-metabolism. Dracen’s investors include Deerfield Management; Osage University Partners; and The Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the CAS (IOCB Prague). Dracen is headquartered in New York, NY with research operations in San Diego, CA.