Acer Therapeutics (ACER) Plans Clinical Trial for EDSIVO Following Type B FDA Meeting

Acer Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ACER), a pharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of therapies for serious rare and life-threatening diseases with significant unmet medical needs, today announced that following a recent Type B meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding Acer’s proposed EDSIVO™ (celiprolol) development plan, the company is now planning a pivotal clinical trial in patients with COL3A1+ vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS).

In the Type B meeting, Acer discussed conducting a U.S.-based prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, decentralized clinical trial in patients with COL3A1+ vEDS, and sought the Agency’s opinion on various proposed design features of the study. The official meeting minutes Acer recently received from the FDA confirm details of that discussion, including: the acceptability of a decentralized (virtual) clinical trial design and use of an independent centralized adjudication committee; acceptability of a primary endpoint based on clinical events associated with disease outcome; agreement with modest safety data collection (based on the known safety profile of the drug1,2,3,4) and no pharmacokinetic (PK) data needing to be collected; and a statistical plan that considers the rare disease classification of vEDS.

In the second half of 2021, Acer intends to submit a protocol for the prospective study, along with an investigational new drug application (IND), request breakthrough therapy designation, and coordinate with FDA to reach agreement on a Special Protocol Assessment (SPA). Based on initial power calculations, Acer anticipates that the trial should enroll approximately 200 COL3A1+ vEDS patients in the U.S., and the duration of the clinical trial is estimated to be approximately 3.5 years to complete once fully enrolled.

“We appreciate the guidance and flexibility provided by FDA on the design of this proposed clinical trial,” said Chris Schelling, CEO and Founder of Acer. “This trial, along with the results from the prior BBEST trial1, should answer whether EDSIVO™ demonstrates substantial evidence of effectiveness by reducing vEDS-related events. Over the next six months, we intend to work closely with FDA to finalize the protocol for the pivotal trial, collaborate with vEDS advocacy groups to identify COL3A1+ patients who may be interested in participating in the trial in order to expedite enrollment, and achieve first patient dosed as quickly as possible. Our progress to date on the EDSIVO™ program is the direct result of our unwavering and ongoing commitment to patients with rare diseases. We look forward to continuing its development for treatment of vEDS patients who desperately need a therapy.”

For more information on the trial as it becomes available, please visit: www.discoverceliprolol.com.

The conduct and completion of the EDSIVO™ pivotal clinical trial is subject to Acer’s ability to obtain up to approximately $10 million of funding. Such funding may come from one or more of a number of current and future sources, including but not limited to current cash, a strategic partnership, other non-dilutive sources and potential ACER-001 revenue. Acer believes its cash and cash equivalents available as of March 31, 2021, plus up to $20.0 million of Development Payments per the ACER-001 Collaboration Agreement with Relief Therapeutics, are sufficient to fund its currently anticipated operating and capital requirements into mid-2022, excluding support for planned EDSIVO™ and osanetant clinical trials.

EDSIVO™ is an investigational drug and is not currently FDA approved for any indication. There can be no assurance that the funding to conduct and complete the clinical trial will be obtained, that the clinical trial will be successful, or that the resubmission of the original New Drug Application will be approved.

You May Also Be Interested In

• AstraZeneca (AZN) Announces Voydeya Approval in EU as add-on to ravulizumab or eculizumab
• Artelo Biosciences (ARTL) Reports Publication of Peer-Reviewed Article Highlighting FABP7
• KKR & Co. (KKR) agreed to acquire Immedica Pharma