About the PATHFNDR Program
The PATHFNDR Program consists of two Phase 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled studies. PATHFNDR-1 (NCT04837040) enrolled a total of 58 adults with acromegaly who entered with an IGF-1 level ≤ 1.0 xULN on octreotide or lanreotide depot monotherapy. They were randomized to receive once-daily, oral paltusotine for 36 weeks or placebo. PATHFNDR-2 (NCT05192382) enrolled 112 adults with acromegaly who had elevated IGF-1 levels but were medication naïve or were not being treated with pharmacotherapy (untreated patients).
The primary endpoint for both studies is the proportion of patients achieving IGF-1 ≤1.0 xULN compared to placebo. If successful, Crinetics believes these studies could support registration of paltusotine in the United States and Europe for all acromegaly patients who require pharmacotherapy, including untreated patients and those switching from standard of care.
About Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a serious rare disease generally caused by a pituitary adenoma, a benign tumor in the pituitary that secretes growth hormone (GH). Excess GH secretion causes excess secretion of IGF-1 from the liver. Prolonged exposure to increased levels of IGF-1 and GH leads to progressive and serious systemic complications, often resulting in bone, joint, cardiovascular, metabolic, cerebrovascular, or respiratory disease. Acromegaly symptoms include headache, joint aches, fatigue, sleep apnea, severe sweating, hyperhidrosis/oily skin, bone and cartilage overgrowth, abnormal growth of hands and feet, enlargement of heart, liver, and other organs and alteration of facial features. Uncontrolled acromegaly results in increased mortality and has a debilitating impact on daily functioning and quality of life.
Surgical removal of pituitary adenomas, if possible, is the preferred initial treatment for most acromegaly patients. Pharmacotherapy is used for patients who are not candidates for surgery, or when surgery is unsuccessful in achieving treatment goals. Approximately 50% of patients with acromegaly prove to be candidates for pharmacotherapy. Injectable depot somatostatin analogues are the most common initial pharmacologic treatment; however, these drugs require monthly depot injections with large gauge needles that are commonly associated with pain, injection site reactions, and an increased burden on the lives of patients.
About Paltusotine
Paltusotine is the first oral, once-daily selectively targeted somatostatin receptor type 2 (SST2) agonist and is currently in Phase 3 investigational studies. It was designed by the Crinetics discovery team to provide an efficacious and convenient once-daily option for people living with acromegaly and neuroendocrine tumors. In Phase 2 studies and the recently completed PATHFNDR-1 Phase 3 study, paltusotine maintained IGF-1 levels in acromegaly patients who switched from monthly injectable medications to paltusotine. IGF-1 is the primary biomarker endocrinologists use to manage their acromegaly patients.
About Crinetics Pharmaceuticals
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel therapeutics for endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors. Paltusotine, an investigational, first-in-class, oral somatostatin receptor type 2 (SST2) agonist, is in Phase 3 clinical development for acromegaly and Phase 2 clinical development for carcinoid syndrome associated with neuroendocrine tumors. Crinetics has demonstrated pharmacologic proof-of-concept in a Phase 1 clinical study for CRN04894 a first-in-class, investigational, oral ACTH antagonist, that is currently in Phase 2 clinical studies for the treatment of Cushing’s disease and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. All of the Company’s drug candidates are orally delivered, small molecule new chemical entities resulting from in-house drug discovery efforts, including additional discovery programs addressing a variety of endocrine conditions such as hyperparathyroidism, polycystic kidney disease, Graves’ disease, thyroid eye disease, hyperinsulinism, diabetes and obesity.