Northwell Scientist Reveals Breakthrough Results in Eye Cancer Drug

Published in Nature, new clinical trial data for uveal melanoma therapy sparks hope for future patient solutions

MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Patients with metastatic uveal melanoma (UM), an aggressive eye cancer, often face a survival rate of less than two years once the disease spreads. While established treatment options are limited, to help patients living with this disease, Northwell Health’s Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research has announced findings from a Phase 1 clinical trial for DYP688, a first-in-class drug designed to treat metastatic UM.

Published in Nature Medicine, the findings reveal that the drug demonstrated measurable anti-tumor activity and was well-tolerated by patients.

“This first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate is a smart, targeted therapy designed to kill only diseased cells – a novel approach that differs from conventional cytotoxic drugs,” said Richard D. Carvajal, MD, deputy physician-in-chief and director of medical oncology at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute and the Roy J. and Tara Zuckerberg Professor in Medical Oncology. “In this study, we observed promising results alongside an exceptionally high degree of patient tolerability. While Novartis has made a business decision to halt its development, the academic and patient communities recognize its potential.”

Uveal melanoma is a severe cancer that starts in the eye and often spreads, most commonly to the liver, making it exceptionally challenging to treat. It represents a major unmet medical need, with limited effective systemic therapies available. UM is almost universally driven by a specific genetic pathway called Gq/11, making it a well-defined target for specialized treatment.

The drug, DYP688, introduces a new approach in cancer therapy. It’s an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) – a sophisticated and highly targeted treatment that acts with precision. Unlike many ADCs that carry broadly toxic chemotherapy, killing all cells in its path, DYP688 identifies the diseased cells with a Gq/11 inhibitor designed to specifically block the cancer’s growth pathway.

Results shows disease control in more than 80 percent of patients and cancer shrinkage in nearly 20 percent, offering tangible hope in a disease with historically poor outcomes while the therapy also successfully mitigated severe systemic toxicities.

“Precision medicine is the key to better treatment,” said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. “Dr. Carvajal’s leadership in completing this trial demonstrates the importance of rigorous research and will hopefully inspire future investigation into this treatment.”

About the Feinstein Institutes
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50+ research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.