Prelude Therapeutics, headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, has announced a collaboration with Merck to conduct a clinical trial evaluating its SMARCA2 degrader, PRT3789, in combination with Merck's checkpoint inhibitor Keytruda (pembrolizumab). The trial targets patients with SMARCA4-mutated cancers and will proceed to Phase II.
Earlier this year, Prelude presented promising preclinical data demonstrating that the combination of PRT3789 and Keytruda enhanced anti-tumor immunity and resulted in tumor regressions specifically in SMARCA4-mutated cancers. This collaboration aims to leverage potentially complementary mechanisms to improve clinical outcomes for patients with SMARCA4 mutations, a group historically facing limited treatment options.
Dr. Jane Huang, Chief Medical Officer at Prelude, highlighted the significance of this collaboration, emphasizing the potential to positively impact patients' lives through innovative treatment approaches. Currently, Prelude is advancing PRT3789 in multiple studies: a Phase I trial investigating its efficacy as a monotherapy and in combination with docetaxel in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors exhibiting loss of SMARCA4 due to truncating mutation and/or deletion. The Phase I trial's monotherapy dose-escalation phase is anticipated to conclude by mid-2024, after which the recommended Phase II dose will be identified.
Additionally, Prelude is actively developing another therapeutic candidate, PRT2527, a CDK9 inhibitor being evaluated in solid tumors characterized by MYC dysregulation, as well as certain types of leukemias and lymphomas.