ARIAD Pharmaceuticals

Last updated
ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Company type Public
Nasdaq: ARIA
Industry Pharmaceuticals, biotechnology
Founded1991;33 years ago (1991)
Founder Harvey Berger
Defunct2017 (2017)
FateMerged with Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Headquarters Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Key people
  • Harvey Berger (chairman, and CEO Emeritus)
  • Alex Denner (chairman of the board)
  • Timothy P. Clackson (president of Research and Development and CSO)
  • Ed Fitzgerald (former CFO)
  • Marty Duvall (former CCO)
Products Ponatinib (FDA approved, trade name Iclusig)
Ridaforolimus (FDA approved)
Brigatinib (FDA approved)
Rimiducid (Under development)
AP32788 (Under development)
RevenueDecrease2.svg US$118.8 million (2015) [1]
Increase Negative.svg US$217.27 million (2015) [1]
Increase Negative.svg US$231.16 million (2015) [1]
Total assets Decrease2.svg US$546.69 million (2015) [1]
Number of employees
380 (2016) [2]
Website ariad.com

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was an American oncology company, now part of Takeda Oncology, which was founded in 1991 by Harvey J. Berger, M.D. and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ARIAD engaged in the discovery, development, and commercialization of medicines for cancer patients.

Contents

ARIAD’s most prominent drug discoveries include Iclusig, designed for patients with all forms of Philadelphia chromosome-positive [Ph+] chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) or Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are resistant to or unable to tolerate other tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and brigatinib, a lung cancer drug which has completed its registration trial in ALK fusion driven non-small cell lung cancer as of June 2016 and was approved in the U.S. in April 2017.

In January 2017, Takeda announced it would acquire ARIAD for $5.2 billion, expanding the company's oncology and hematology business. On February 16, 2017, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. announced it had completed its acquisition of ARIAD and incorporated ARIAD into Takeda Oncology. [3]

Company history

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1991 in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Harvey J. Berger, M.D. ARIAD raised $46 million as its initial financing in 1992, making it the single highest round of funding in the biotechnology industry at that time. [4] ARIAD filed for an initial public offering through NASDAQ in 1994. [5] ARIAD established its European headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. [6]

The company sells and markets its initial drug, Iclusig, through specialty pharmacies and specialty distributors in the United States. In 2016, ARIAD sold its European business and the distribution of Iclusig to Incyte Corp and now receives royalties and other payments from Incyte based on Iclusig sales in the EU. [6] ARIAD also developed two small-molecule drugs, ridaforolimus and rimiducid, and licensed them to companies with complementary technologies. [7]

In July 2015, the company announced it was due to receive up to $200 million through a royalty financing deal with PDL BioPharma. ARIAD is obligated to repay the $200 mm and a predefined interest, with the note being guaranteed by future sales of ponatinib [8] and in some cases, brigatinib. [9]

On February 21, 2014 ARIAD Pharmaceuticals announced the appointment of Sarissa Capital's Alexander J. Denner, Ph.D. to a two-year term on the company's Board of Directors and became ARIAD's second-largest shareholder. In 2016, ARIAD announced that Denner had become the chairman of the board [10] and the company announced the termination of its shareholder's rights plan. [11]

In 2016, the company was ranked #3 on the Deloitte Fast 500 North America list. [12]

Berger retired as chairman and CEO of ARIAD in December 2015 and became Founder, chairman and CEO Emeritus as of January 2016. [13] [14]

Products

FDA-approved products

Ponatinib (Iclusig)

ARIAD developed Ponatinib (Iclusig), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor for the treatment of adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive [Ph+] chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [15] On December 14, 2012 the FDA approved ARIAD's leukemia drug Ponatinib for patients with all forms of Ph+ CML or Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) who are resistant to or unable to tolerate other tyrosine kinase inhibitors. [16] The drug was temporarily withdrawn from the U.S. market in November 2013 [17] because of the risk of blood clots and severe narrowing of blood vessels. [18] Ponatinib was returned to the market in the U.S. on December 20, 2013 with revised prescribing information, new warnings and a REMS. ARIAD had set up an emergency-access program for Ponatinib, which provided drugs to patients in need during this six-week period. [19] Ponatinib remained on the market in all European countries and was subsequently approved in Japan.

Brigatinib (Alunbrig)

ARIAD’s product pipeline includes brigatinib, an inhibitor of anaplastic lymphoma kinase [ALK] for treating ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer. This drug reported results of its registration trial at ASCO, June 6, 2016, with encouraging results, leading to approval in the U.S. in April 2017. [20] [21] Brigatinib was designated a Breakthrough Medicine by the FDA. [22]

Ridaforolimus (formerly Deforolimus, partnered with Medinol)

Ridaforolimus is an mTOR inhibitor being developed by Medinol Ltd for use in drug-eluting stents for patients with coronary artery disease. [23] Medinol has completed two registrational trials in patients with coronary artery disease, which met its primary and secondary endpoints. [23] [24]

In October 2017, Medinol’s EluNIR drug eluting stent, coated with ridaforolimus, received CE Mark in Europe. [24] In November 2017, it was approved for marketing in the U.S. by the FDA. [25]

Products under development

Various company-sponsored and investigator-sponsored trials are ongoing in several indications, including first line and second line CML, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCR-ABL), acute myeloid leukemia (FLT3 inhibitor), non-small cell lung cancer (RET, FGFR), advanced biliary cancer with FGFR2 fusions and other cancers with activating mutations involving the following genes: FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, FGFR4, RET, and KIT. [26]

Rimiducid

Rimiducid is an investigational chemical dimerizer being developed by partner, Bellicum Pharmaceuticals and is in Phase 3 clinical trials. [27] [28]

AP32788

AP32788 is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of solid tumors with EGFR and HER2 activating mutation and began Phase 1/2 testing in the second quarter of 2016. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia chromosome</span> Genetic abnormality in leukemia cancer cells

The Philadelphia chromosome or Philadelphia translocation (Ph) is a specific genetic abnormality in chromosome 22 of leukemia cancer cells. This chromosome is defective and unusually short because of reciprocal translocation, t(9;22)(q34;q11), of genetic material between chromosome 9 and chromosome 22, and contains a fusion gene called BCR-ABL1. This gene is the ABL1 gene of chromosome 9 juxtaposed onto the breakpoint cluster region BCR gene of chromosome 22, coding for a hybrid protein: a tyrosine kinase signaling protein that is "always on", causing the cell to divide uncontrollably by interrupting the stability of the genome and impairing various signaling pathways governing the cell cycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic myelogenous leukemia</span> Medical condition

Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), also known as chronic myeloid leukemia, is a cancer of the white blood cells. It is a form of leukemia characterized by the increased and unregulated growth of myeloid cells in the bone marrow and the accumulation of these cells in the blood. CML is a clonal bone marrow stem cell disorder in which a proliferation of mature granulocytes and their precursors is found; characteristic increase in basophils is clinically relevant. It is a type of myeloproliferative neoplasm associated with a characteristic chromosomal translocation called the Philadelphia chromosome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imatinib</span> Chemical compound

Imatinib, sold under the brand names Gleevec and Glivec (both marketed worldwide by Novartis) among others, is an oral targeted therapy medication used to treat cancer. Imatinib is a small molecule inhibitor targeting multiple tyrosine kinases such as CSF1R, ABL, c-KIT, FLT3, and PDGFR-β. Specifically, it is used for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) that are Philadelphia chromosome–positive (Ph+), certain types of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES), chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL), systemic mastocytosis, and myelodysplastic syndrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erlotinib</span> Medication for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer

Erlotinib, sold under the brand name Tarceva among others, is a medication used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and pancreatic cancer. Specifically it is used for NSCLC with mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) — either an exon 19 deletion (del19) or exon 21 (L858R) substitution mutation — which has spread to other parts of the body. It is taken by mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Targeted therapy</span> Type of therapy

Targeted therapy or molecularly targeted therapy is one of the major modalities of medical treatment (pharmacotherapy) for cancer, others being hormonal therapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy. As a form of molecular medicine, targeted therapy blocks the growth of cancer cells by interfering with specific targeted molecules needed for carcinogenesis and tumor growth, rather than by simply interfering with all rapidly dividing cells. Because most agents for targeted therapy are biopharmaceuticals, the term biologic therapy is sometimes synonymous with targeted therapy when used in the context of cancer therapy. However, the modalities can be combined; antibody-drug conjugates combine biologic and cytotoxic mechanisms into one targeted therapy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dasatinib</span> Chemical compound

Dasatinib, sold under the brand name Sprycel among others, is a targeted therapy medication used to treat certain cases of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Specifically it is used to treat cases that are Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+). It is taken by mouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ROS1</span> Protein-coding gene in the species Homo sapiens

Proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase ROS is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ROS1 gene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lestaurtinib</span> Chemical compound

Lestaurtinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor structurally related to staurosporine. This semisynthetic derivative of the indolocarbazole K252a was investigated by Cephalon as a treatment for various types of cancer. It is an inhibitor of the kinases fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3), Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), tropomyosin receptor kinase (trk) A (TrkA), TrkB and TrkC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omacetaxine mepesuccinate</span> Chemical compound

Omacetaxine mepesuccinate is a pharmaceutical drug substance that is indicated for treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an American biopharmaceutical company located in Boston, MA. It develops and markets drugs for treatments in hematology and oncology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyrosine kinase inhibitor</span> Drug typically used in cancer treatment

A tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) is a pharmaceutical drug that inhibits tyrosine kinases. Tyrosine kinases are enzymes responsible for the activation of many proteins by signal transduction cascades. The proteins are activated by adding a phosphate group to the protein (phosphorylation), a step that TKIs inhibit. TKIs are typically used as anticancer drugs. For example, they have substantially improved outcomes in chronic myelogenous leukemia. They have also been used to treat other diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crizotinib</span> ALK inhibitor for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer

Crizotinib, sold under the brand name Xalkori among others, is an anti-cancer medication used for the treatment of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Crizotinib inhibits the c-Met/Hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR) tyrosine kinase, which is involved in the oncogenesis of a number of other histological forms of malignant neoplasms. It also acts as an ALK and ROS1 inhibitor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALK inhibitor</span>

ALK inhibitors are anti-cancer drugs that act on tumours with variations of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) such as an EML4-ALK translocation. They fall under the category of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which work by inhibiting proteins involved in the abnormal growth of tumour cells. All the current approved ALK inhibitors function by binding to the ATP pocket of the abnormal ALK protein, blocking its access to energy and deactivating it. A majority of ALK-rearranged NSCLC harbour the EML4-ALK fusion, although as of 2020, over 92 fusion partners have been discovered in ALK+ NSCLC. For each fusion partner, there can be several fusion variants depending on the position the two genes were fused at, and this may have implications on the response of the tumour and prognosis of the patient.

Bcr-Abl tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKI) are the first-line therapy for most patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). More than 90% of CML cases are caused by a chromosomal abnormality that results in the formation of a so-called Philadelphia chromosome. This abnormality was discovered by Peter Nowell in 1960 and is a consequence of fusion between the Abelson (Abl) tyrosine kinase gene at chromosome 9 and the break point cluster (Bcr) gene at chromosome 22, resulting in a chimeric oncogene (Bcr-Abl) and a constitutively active Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase that has been implicated in the pathogenesis of CML. Compounds have been developed to selectively inhibit the tyrosine kinase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ALK positive lung cancer</span> Medical condition

ALK positive lung cancer is a primary malignant lung tumor whose cells contain a characteristic abnormal configuration of DNA wherein, most frequently, the echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4) gene is fused to the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene. Less frequently, there will be novel translocation partners for the ALK gene, in place of EML4. This abnormal gene fusion leads to the production of a protein that appears, in many cases, to promote and maintain the malignant behavior of the cancer cells.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ponatinib</span> Medication

Ponatinib, sold under the brand name Iclusig, is a medication used for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and Philadelphia chromosome–positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It was developed by Ariad Pharmaceuticals. It is a multi-targeted tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. Some forms of chronic myeloid leukemia, those that have the T315I mutation, are resistant to current therapies such as imatinib. Ponatinib has been designed to be effective against these types of tumors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brigatinib</span> ALK inhibitor for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer

Brigatinib, sold under the brand name Alunbrig among others, is a small-molecule targeted cancer therapy being developed by Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Brigatinib acts as both an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ceritinib</span> ALK inhibitor for treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer

Ceritinib is a prescription-only drug used for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It was developed by Novartis and received FDA approval for use in April 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entrectinib</span> TKI inhibitor used for cancer treatment

Entrectinib, sold under the brand name Rozlytrek, is an anti-cancer medication used to treat ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer and NTRK fusion-positive solid tumors. It is a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), of the tropomyosin receptor kinases (TRK) A, B and C, C-ros oncogene 1 (ROS1) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asciminib</span> Chemical compound

Asciminib, sold under the brand name Scemblix, is a medication used to treat Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. Asciminib is a protein kinase inhibitor.

References

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