REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Biomea Fusion, Inc. (Nasdaq: BMEA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing oral covalent small molecules to treat and improve the lives of patients with metabolic diseases and genetically defined cancers, today announced initial response data from the first two type 1 diabetes patients treated with BMF-219 in the ongoing Phase II study (COVALENT-112).
“We are very excited to announce the initial response data from the first two type 1 diabetes patients enrolled in the COVALENT-112 study. Both patients showed improvement in measures of beta-cell function after only 4 weeks of dosing with BMF-219. We are rapidly gathering significant proof points we believe validate that covalent inhibition of menin leads to the regeneration of beta cells which has been shown to provide disease-modifying patient benefits,” stated Juan Pablo Frias, MD, Biomea Fusion’s Chief Medical Officer. “With BMF-219, we are learning about the potential of restoring the health and function of the beta cell pool in persons with diabetes and how this may lead to the restoration of the ability to produce and secrete insulin, and control blood glucose. These data are preliminary and we look forward to building upon them as we continue enrollment in the open-label portion of COVALENT-112.”
Dr. Tom Elliott, Medical Director of BC Diabetes (Vancouver, Canada), Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the UBC Division of Endocrinology, and a key investigator in the type 1 COVALENT-112 study added, “In my 32 years of practice as an endocrinologist I have never before seen a type 1 diabetes agent achieve such immediate increases in C-peptide secretion. We need longer-term follow up in a greater number of patients to validate these early signals, but I am very excited for the potential BMF-219 may provide for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This is an unparalleled opportunity to address the root cause of diabetes.”
COVALENT-112 is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind Phase II study (n=150) designed to examine the safety, efficacy, and durability of BMF-219 in adults diagnosed with type 1 diabetes within 3 years at two oral dose levels, 100 mg and 200 mg, for 12 weeks of treatment followed by a 40 week off-treatment period. The trial includes an open label portion for adults with type 1 diabetes up to 15 years since diagnosis. The open label portion (n=40) will also examine the safety, efficacy, and durability of BMF-219 at two oral dose levels, 100 mg and 200 mg, for 12 weeks of treatment followed by a 40 week off-treatment period.
We are highlighting initial response data from a data cut-off of March 7, 2024 from our first two patients with Stage 3 type 1 diabetes who have received BMF-219 in the open-label portion of COVALENT-112
Case Study Patient 1 Highlights
- A 58-year-old, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 3 years ago
- BMF-219 200 mg once-daily
- Week 4: Fasting C-peptide increased by 57% compared to Baseline (study Day 1). During a mixed-meal tolerance test (MMTT) the C-Peptide Index (AUC) increased by 12%. The C-peptide index is the ratio of serum C-peptide to plasma glucose levels and is used to evaluate β-cell function
- Week 8: Fasting C-peptide increased by 80% compared to Baseline. During a MMTT, C-peptide increased up to 200%. The C-Peptide Index (AUC) increased by 40% compared to Baseline
- Data on any changes in daily insulin usage are pending
Case Study Patient 2 Highlights
- A 24-year-old, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 7 years ago
- BMF-219 100 mg once-daily
- Week 4: Fasting C-peptide increased by 16% compared to Baseline. During a MMTT the C-peptide Index (AUC) increased by 30%
- Patient had a near-normal glucose response during the MMTT without receiving any meal-time insulin
- Patient had a reduction in daily insulin usage during the first four weeks of the study
Dr. Alexander Abitbol, Endocrinologist & Assistant Medical Director at the LMC Healthcare (Ontario, Canada), a key investigator in the type 2 diabetes COVALENT-111 study, and also participating in the type 1 diabetes COVALENT-112 study, provided further color on his experience with the follow-up of his patients after completion of the 26-week COVALENT-111 study, “The majority of my patients responded to 4 weeks of BMF-219 and continued to see an improvement in A1c over time. Some patients have now completed the 26-week study, and I am pleased to report that I recently discontinued a former study patient’s background antidiabetic medication. This patient is doing particularly well and had an additional 1% HbA1c reduction after he completed the study. It has been exciting to participate in this study and explore this new pathway for the benefit of our patients. I look forward to continuing the enrollment.”
About Diabetes
Diabetes is considered a chronic health condition that affects how the body turns food into energy and results in too much sugar in the bloodstream. Over time, this can cause serious health problems and damage vital organs. Most people with diabetes have a shorter life expectancy than people without this disease. The CDC estimates about 2 in 5 of the adult population in the USA are now expected to develop diabetes during their lifetime. More than 37 million people of all ages (about 11% of the US population) have diabetes today, where about 35 million people have type 2 diabetes and about 2 million people have type 1 diabetes. 96 million adults (more than 1 in 3) have prediabetes, blood sugars that are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Diabetes is also one of the largest economic burdens on the United States health care system with $1 out of every $4 in US health care costs being spent on caring for people with diabetes. Despite the current availability of many diabetes medications, there remains a significant need in the treatment and care of patients with diabetes.
About COVALENT-111
COVALENT-111 is a multi-site, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase I/II study. In the completed Phase I portion of the trial, healthy volunteers were enrolled in single ascending dose cohorts to evaluate safety at the prospective dosing levels for patients with type 2 diabetes. Phase II consists of multiple ascending dose cohorts and includes adult patients with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled by standard of care medicines. Following the Escalation Phase of COVALENT-111, the study has advanced into an Expansion Phase (n>200) consisting of multiple cohorts dosing type 2 diabetes patients for longer dose durations. Additional information about the Phase I/II clinical trial of BMF-219 in type 2 diabetes can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov using the identifier NCT05731544.
About COVALENT-112
COVALENT-112 is a multi-site, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase II study in adults with stage 3 type 1 diabetes. This stage describes the period following clinical diagnosis of type 1 diabetes when symptoms are present due to significant beta cell loss. COVALENT-112 will be a multi-arm trial comparing two different doses of BMF-219 to placebo (1:1:1) to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of BMF-219 in adults with type 1 diabetes. Approximately 150 patients will be enrolled in the trial and will receive either BMF-219 or placebo for 12 weeks, followed by a 40-week off-treatment period.
This trial also includes an open-label portion for adults with type 1 diabetes up to 15 years since diagnosis. The open-label portion (n=40) will examine the safety, efficacy and durability of BMF-219 at two oral dose levels, 100 mg and 200 mg, for 12 weeks of treatment followed by a 40-week off-treatment period.
About Menin’s Role in Diabetes
Loss of functional beta cell mass is a core component of the natural history in both types of diabetes — type 1 diabetes (mediated by autoimmune dysfunction) and type 2 diabetes (mediated by metabolic dysfunction). Beta cells are found in the pancreas and are responsible for the synthesis and secretion of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body use glucose for energy and helps maintain normal blood glucose levels. In patients with diabetes, beta cell mass and function have been observed to be diminished, leading to insufficient insulin secretion and hyperglycemia. Menin is thought to act as a brake on beta-cell turnover and growth, supporting the notion that inhibition of menin could lead to the regeneration of normal, healthy beta cells. Based on these and other scientific findings, Biomea is exploring the potential for BMF-219-mediated menin inhibition as a viable therapeutic approach to potentially halt or reverse progression of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
About Biomea Fusion
Biomea Fusion is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of oral covalent small molecules to treat patients with metabolic diseases and genetically defined cancers. A covalent small molecule is a synthetic compound that forms a permanent bond to its target protein and offers a number of potential advantages over conventional non-covalent drugs, including greater target selectivity, lower drug exposure, and the ability to drive a deeper, more durable response.
We are utilizing our proprietary FUSION™ System to discover, design and develop a pipeline of next-generation covalent-binding small molecule medicines designed to maximize clinical benefit for patients. We aim to have an outsized impact on the treatment of disease for the patients we serve.
Investor Relations Contact
Chunyi Zhao, PhD
Associate Director, Investor Relations & Corporate Development
Media Relations Contact
Neera Chaudhary, PhD