LONDON and PHILADELPHIA, June 1, 2026
Avacta Therapeutics announced updated Phase 1a/1b clinical results for faridoxorubicin (AVA6000) at the ASCO 2026 Annual Meeting, highlighting encouraging efficacy signals in patients with salivary gland cancers (SGC). The company’s tumor-activated pre|CISION® platform continued to demonstrate a favorable safety profile while delivering promising anti-tumor activity. Multiple confirmed responses were observed, reinforcing AVA6000’s potential as a differentiated chemotherapy approach designed to target tumors while reducing systemic toxicity.
Multiple Responses and Strong Disease Control Observed
Among 38 evaluable patients in the SGC expansion cohort, four confirmed partial responses and nine minor responses were reported. The treatment achieved a 92% disease control rate, with 35 patients experiencing either stable disease or tumor response. Several patients remain on treatment or continue under follow-up for disease progression monitoring. The efficacy findings were consistent with earlier Phase 1a dose-escalation data, providing further evidence that AVA6000 may offer meaningful clinical benefit in a patient population with limited treatment options.
Favorable Safety Profile Supports Higher Dosing Potential
At the recommended expansion dose of 310 mg/m², AVA6000 maintained a safety profile consistent with earlier studies. Importantly, the dose is nearly three times higher than the conventional maximum tolerated dose of doxorubicin, yet adverse event rates remained comparatively low. No severe cardiac toxicity events or cardiomyopathy cases were reported among the 111 patients treated to date. Only a small number of patients experienced significant reductions in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), supporting the drug’s favorable cardiac safety profile and differentiating it from traditional doxorubicin therapy.
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Cardiac Safety Analysis Removes Lifetime Dose Restriction
Avacta also presented pharmacokinetic and exposure-response data showing that AVA6000 avoids the high systemic drug concentration peaks typically associated with conventional doxorubicin. The company’s analysis found no meaningful relationship between released doxorubicin exposure and cardiac function decline, leading health authorities to agree to the removal of the protocol-defined 550 mg/m² lifetime dosing limit earlier this year. Based on these findings, Avacta plans to continue advancing AVA6000 development and expects to provide additional clinical updates during the upcoming BIO International Convention 2026.
Source: Avacta Therapeutics press release
