San Diego, California, USA | July 17, 2026
Zentalis Pharmaceuticals announced that it will present new clinical data for its investigational WEE1 inhibitor azenosertib at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2026, taking place October 23–27 in Madrid, Spain. The company will showcase overall survival findings from the Phase 2 DENALI Part 1b study and provide an update on its ongoing Phase 3 ASPENOVA trial in patients with Cyclin E1-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC).
DENALI Study Highlights Long-Term Survival Outcomes
The rapid oral presentation will feature overall survival results from Part 1b of the Phase 2 DENALI trial, evaluating azenosertib in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. According to Zentalis, the findings demonstrate encouraging long-term survival benefits in patients whose tumors overexpress Cyclin E1, supporting the company’s biomarker-driven strategy for developing targeted therapies in ovarian cancer.
Phase 3 ASPENOVA Trial Progress to Be Presented
The company will also present a trial-in-progress poster highlighting the Phase 3 ASPENOVA study, which is comparing azenosertib monotherapy with investigator-selected standard-of-care chemotherapy in approximately 420 patients with Cyclin E1-positive platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. The registration-intended study is designed to support potential full regulatory approval, with progression-free survival serving as the primary endpoint alongside overall survival and objective response rate as key secondary endpoints.
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Advancing Precision Oncology for Ovarian Cancer
Azenosertib is an investigational, first-in-class oral WEE1 inhibitor designed to disrupt cancer cell DNA damage repair mechanisms, leading to selective cancer cell death. Zentalis is advancing the therapy as a targeted, chemotherapy-free treatment option for biomarker-selected ovarian cancer patients, a population with significant unmet medical need and currently no approved therapies specifically targeting Cyclin E1-positive platinum-resistant disease. The ESMO 2026 presentations are expected to further strengthen the clinical evidence supporting azenosertib’s late-stage development and precision oncology strategy.
Source: Zentalis Pharmaceutical press release
