Sellas Life Sciences announces publication of preclinical data on SLS009

SELLAS Life Sciences Group announced a publication in Oncotarget revealing the underlying mechanisms of action behind the anti-proliferative effects of SLS009, its potent, highly selective CDK9 small molecule inhibitor, in various hematologic malignancies. The publication is entitled, “The pharmacodynamic and mechanistic foundation for the antineoplastic effects of GFH009, a potent and highly selective CDK9 inhibitor for the treatment of hematologic malignancies”. The research provides a robust pharmacodynamic and mechanistic foundation for the antiproliferative effects of SLS009 in hematologic cancers. SLS009 has exhibited significant anti-tumor activity in various human hematological malignancies in early-stage clinical trials and has demonstrated its potential in tumor growth inhibition with a dose-dependent induction of apoptosis. The research shows that through rapid CKD9 inhibition, SLS009 depletes the protective anti-apoptotic proteins produced downstream of CKD9. The Company believes that this induced cancerous cell apoptosis is a key mechanism behind SLS009’s robust anti-cancer activity. “The study establishes CKD9 as a targetable vulnerability in various human hematological malignancies highlighting the potential for SLS009 superior kinome selectivity compared to other inhibitors,” said Dragan Cicic, MD, Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer, of SELLAS. “These findings provide a strong rationale for ongoing clinical trials and underscore SLS009’s potential as a highly selective and effective treatment for hematological malignancies. We are encouraged by the ongoing clinical progress of SLS009 and excited to see how the preclinical data seamlessly translates into clinical settings. We look forward to reporting topline data from our Phase 2a clinical trial of SLS009 in relapsed and/or refractory acute myeloid leukemia patients this quarter and next, and topline data from the Phase 1b/2 study of SLS009 in peripheral t-cell lymphomas by the end of the second quarter.”