Newly Published Data Supports Avelas Biosciences' Investigational Ratiometric Activatable Fluorescent Peptide AVB-620 in Intraoperative Tumor Detection

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Avelas Biosciences, Inc., a clinical stage oncology-focused company dedicated to improving cancer patient care from diagnosis through treatment, today announced publication of data from its Phase 1b clinical study evaluating the company's lead candidate, AVB-620, in Annals of Surgical Oncology, the official journal of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American Society of Breast Surgeons. The data demonstrated that intraoperative imaging of surgical specimens after infusion with AVB-620 allowed for tumor detection. Additionally, infusion of AVB-620 was shown to be safe and may improve intraoperative detection of malignant tissue during breast cancer surgery.

The paper, titled "Intraoperative Tumor Detection Using a Ratiometric Activatable Fluorescent Peptide: A First-in-Human Phase 1 Study" is available in the September 15 issue.

"These findings underline the promise for a fluorescent surgical marker such as AVB-620 to transform cancer surgery by improving surgical precision in real-time inside the operating room," said Anne Wallace, M.D., Director of the Comprehensive Breast Health Center at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego Health. "This technology could lead to a lower number of re-operations if the patient and surgeon are able to leave surgery knowing that a subject's breast cancer was fully removed at the first attempt."

"I'm pleased to share the data from our Phase 1b trial of AVB-620, our novel first-in-human ratiometric activatable cell-penetrating peptide," said Steven L. Chen, M.D., chief medical officer of Avelas Biosciences. "Positive margins, where pathology indicates cancer cells come to the edge of the removed tissue, remain a significant challenge in breast cancer surgery, potentially indicating that not all of the malignant tissue was removed during an operation. AVB-620 has the potential to assist surgeons in achieving complete removal of tumors and enable them to operate once."

In the Phase 1b clinical trial a total of 27 patients received an infusion of AVB-620 prior to undergoing breast cancer surgery. The study showed no adverse events or laboratory values attributable to the infusion of AVB-620. By the time of surgery, there were measurable differences between tumor-positive and tumor-negative tissue allowing for separation between them based on fluorescence imaging analysis.

About Avelas Biosciences

Avelas Biosciences is a San Diego-based biotechnology company focused on developing technologies that advance a new standard-of-care for cancer surgery and therapeutic intervention. The company's lead candidate, AVB-620, has completed a Phase 1b clinical trial assessing safety, pharmacokinetics and fluorescence properties using tissue image analysis. A Phase 2 clinical trial for AVB-620 in breast cancer was initiated in June 2017. In addition, the company is advancing a therapeutic program, which utilizes the same technology platform. Avelas was founded by Avalon Ventures on technology from Roger Y. Tsien, Ph.D., co-winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in chemistry. For additional information, please visit www.avelasbio.com.

SOURCE Avelas Biosciences, Inc.

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