ArQule and Daiichi Sankyo Reach Agreement with FDA on Special Protocol Assessment for Phase 3 Trial of Tivantinib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

ArQule and Daiichi Sankyo Reach Agreement with FDA on Special Protocol Assessment for Phase 3 Trial of Tivantinib in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

<0> ArQule, Inc.William B. Boni, 781-994-0614VP, Investor Relations/Corp. Communications </0>

ArQule, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARQL) today announced a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the design of a pivotal Phase 3 trial of tivantinib in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

The Phase 3 trial will be a randomized, double-blinded study of tivantinib as single agent therapy in previously treated patients with MET diagnostic-high inoperable HCC. The primary endpoint is overall survival in the intent-to-treat population, and the secondary endpoint is progression free survival in the same population. Approximately 300 patients are planned to be enrolled at approximately 120 centers worldwide.

The SPA process is a procedure by which the FDA provides official evaluation and written guidance on the design and size of proposed protocols that are intended to form the basis for a New Drug Application. Final marketing approval depends on the results of the trial.

“We are mindful of the high unmet need among patients suffering from this disease, and we are proceeding with our partner, Daiichi Sankyo, toward the timely initiation of this trial,” said Paolo Pucci, chief executive officer of ArQule.

Globally, liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer (749,000 new cases), accounting for 7 percent of all cancers, and is the third cause of cancer related death (692,000 cases). HCC represents more than 90 percent of primary liver cancers. Chronic hepatitis B and C are recognized as the major factors worldwide increasing the risk of HCC, with risk being even greater in the presence of co-infection with these viruses. Cirrhosis is also a risk factor for development of HCC.

Tivantinib is an orally administered, selective inhibitor of MET, a receptor tyrosine kinase. In healthy adult cells, MET is present in normal levels to support natural cellular function, but in cancer cells MET is inappropriately and continuously activated for unknown reasons. When abnormally activated, MET plays multiple roles in aspects of human cancer, including cancer cell growth, survival, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. Tivantinib has not yet been approved for any indication in any country.

In December 2008, ArQule and Daiichi Sankyo signed a license, co-development and co-commercialization agreement for tivantinib (ARQ 197) in the U.S., Europe, South America and the rest of the world, excluding Japan, China (including Hong Kong), South Korea and Taiwan.

ArQule is a biotechnology company engaged in the research and development of next-generation, small-molecule cancer therapeutics. The Company’s targeted, broad-spectrum products and research programs are focused on key biological processes that are central to human cancers. ArQule’s lead product candidate, in Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical development together with development and commercialization partner, Daiichi Sankyo, Co. Ltd., is tivantinib, an oral, selective inhibitor of the c-MET receptor tyrosine kinase. The Company’s pipeline consists of ARQ 621, designed to inhibit the Eg5 kinesin motor protein, and ARQ 736, designed to inhibit the RAF kinases. ArQule’s current discovery efforts, which are based on the ArQule Kinase Inhibitor Platform (AKIP™), are focused on the identification of novel kinase inhibitors that are potent, selective and do not compete with ATP (adenosine triphosphate) for binding to the kinase.

EASL–EORTC Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Journal of Hepatology. 2012;56: 908-943

EASL–EORTC Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of hepatocellular carcinoma. Journal of Hepatology. 2012;56: 908-943

Chiaramonte M, Stroffolini T, Vian A, et al.: Rate of incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with compensated viral cirrhosis. Cancer 85 (10): 2132-37, 1999.