Amplia Therapeutics Expands Clinical Reach with New Ovarian Cancer Collaboration
Amplia Therapeutics, an ASX-listed company, is making significant strides in expanding its clinical portfolio. The company has recently announced a major collaboration to evaluate its lead drug candidate, narmafotinib, in the treatment of ovarian cancer. This new initiative marks a critical step in the company’s strategy to broaden its impact in the oncology space.
The partnership involves the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG), a leading research body focused on gynaecological cancers. Together, they are launching a clinical study to assess the effectiveness of narmafotinib when used in combination with conventional chemotherapy. This collaboration is expected to provide valuable insights into how this protein-inhibiting drug can improve outcomes for patients suffering from ovarian cancer.
Ovarian cancer is a particularly challenging disease due to the high levels of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) produced by tumours. FAK plays a key role in helping cancer cells grow, survive, and resist treatment. Additionally, these tumours often develop a thick layer of fibrous tissue that acts as a protective barrier, making it difficult for chemotherapy to penetrate effectively.
Dr Chris Burns, managing director and CEO of Amplia Therapeutics, highlighted the importance of this study:
“This study will provide an opportunity to assess whether narmafotinib can improve outcomes for these patients.”
For many patients, the inability to shrink tumours effectively can prevent successful debulking surgery, which is essential for long-term recovery. Narmafotinib, as a best-in-class FAK inhibitor, is designed to break through this fibrotic shield, allowing the immune system and traditional chemotherapy agents such as carboplatin and paclitaxel to work more efficiently. By “priming” the tumour environment, the drug aims to make the cancer more vulnerable to established treatments.
The upcoming trial, named the PRROSE study, will focus on patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. This group represents a significant unmet medical need, particularly for those who do not respond well to first-line chemotherapy. Securing ANZGOG as a partner is a major achievement for Amplia, given the organization’s extensive network of over 1650 members across Australia and New Zealand.
This collaboration provides Amplia with access to elite clinical infrastructure and a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and researchers dedicated to improving outcomes for ovarian cancer patients. The study will be led by Dr Gwo Yaw Ho, a cancer specialist at Monash Health in Melbourne, and coordinated through the ANZGOG network. The trial aims to enrol between 15 and 20 patients, focusing on safety while exploring ways to improve post-surgical outcomes by shrinking tumours and increasing the success rate of tumour resections.
While the PRROSE study is a major milestone, Amplia’s other trials are also showing promising results. The ACCENT trial, which pairs narmafotinib with chemotherapy drugs gemcitabine and abraxane, has reported a 31% response rate and a median progression-free survival of 7.6 months—outperforming chemotherapy alone.
A second trial, the AMPLICITY study, is currently underway in Australian sites, investigating narmafotinib alongside Folfirinox chemotherapy. These efforts demonstrate the versatility of Amplia’s FAK-inhibitor platform across multiple solid tumour types.
Looking ahead, Amplia plans to recruit patients for the PRROSE trial and begin collecting biomarkers from participants. The collection of tissue and blood samples will help researchers better understand how narmafotinib works, potentially strengthening its case as a standard addition to the global oncology toolkit.
Amplia is rapidly advancing its FAK technology as a versatile platform with broad applications. By targeting ovarian cancer in collaboration with a leading organisation like ANZGOG, the company is positioning itself at the forefront of clinical innovation in cancer treatment.
