Transcript Slide 1
Synergistic Advantages of Drug Repurposing
and Clinical Trial Off-shoring to India
August 19, 2007
John Maki
President and CEO
Pipeline of Cancer Products
Product
Indication
Preclinical
Proof-of-Concept
Pilot Trial
Phase 2
Phase 3
VT-122
Cachexia
VT-211
Mucositis
VT-310
Fatigue
2008
2
Understanding Weight Loss
Weight Loss
X
Nutrition
Severe Stress
Malnutrition
Chronic
Function
Anorexia
Nutrition
Acute
Diet
Starvation
Slower Metabolism
Systemic
Inflammatory
Response (SIRS)
Neuro-endocrineImmune activation
NSAID
Normal response to
severe injury, trauma
or infection
Beta Blocker
ANS Dysregulation
Inflammation
Cachexia
Faster Metabolism
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Enrollment Criteria
Severe stress, not malnutrition driven cachexia
•Rapid loss: >5% weight loss in 2 vs. 6 months
•Advanced cancer: Stage IV
•Elevated heart rate
•Able to eat food
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Confounding Variables
Therapy Status
Cancer Types
Single
Multiple
On
Some
Very
Many
Off
Few
Many
5
Enrollment Challenges
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
60
30
M
on
th
s
0.6
6
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t
1.2
Co
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o
Ch
em
N
o
ch
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Ca
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SC
LC
6
xi
a
Subjects Per Site
Not On Chemotherapy
90+ sites required to enroll 45 subjects
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Off Shore Development
Optimal enrollment AND low cost
•Population, practice patterns and participation
•12 to 18x more subjects per site
2x+ times more patients per investigator
3x+ more not on chemotherapy
3x+ participation rates
•5 to 7 sites versus 90+ sites
•80% cost savings (fixed not variable costs)
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Repurposing/Off shoring Synergy
Synergy Creates Practical and Ethical Option
•High standard of ethics combined with many
years of clinical experience
•No first in human regulatory limitation
•Leverage 505(b)(2)
•Investigator experience with class of drug
•Access to drug, especially generics
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Off Shoring Locations
Considerations: Population, Capability, Risks, Language, Costs
Eastern
Europe
China
Latin
America
India
Africa
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India: Concentrated Population
Equivalent of entire US
population In 31 major
urban centers
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India: Significant Capability
•300 plus experienced clinical sites
•Fully equipped with sponsor-initiated improvements
•International and Pan-Indian CROs
•Expedited approval for FDA-approved studies
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India: Reduced Risks
•60% of the MNCs are conducting studies in India
•208 studies underway (49 P2 and 131 P3)
•100s of site “audits” by multiple sponsors/CROs
•Data from studies submitted to FDA and EMEA
•Two FDA and EMEA audits noted no serious findings
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Vicus Infrastructure
Vicus U.S.
Newark/Delhi
14 Hours
(2 staff)
Reliance
Mumbai
Vicus India
Bangalore
(2 staff)
Contract
Manufacturers
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Vicus Clinical Sites
Delhi
Patna
(Satellite)
Nashik
Kolkatta
Pune
Bangalore
5 sites + 1 satellite
10 million population base
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Cachexia Time Line
FDA
Vicus
DCGI
IEC
Subjects
Q3 06
Q4 06
Pre-IND
3 months
Submit
IND
Accept in
23 days
Hire
Indian
CRO
Recruit
sites
Q1 07
Q2 07
Q3 07
Recruit
Indian
team
Submit
Accept 6
weeks
Submit
Accept
2-12
weeks
20
9 (July)
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Summary
•Off-shoring enables testing of repurposed drug
hypothesis in human models
-Enables optimal clinical trial design to reduce risks
-Significantly improves recruitment rate and costs
•Repurposing synergy makes off-shoring practical
•India offers advantages – especially for start-ups
•Local presence and service providers key to success
•VT-122 provides proof-of-concept of advantage
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