Epizyme Announces Collaboration with Lymphoma Study Association to Evaluate Combination of Tazemetostat with R-CHOP

Epizyme, Inc. (NASDAQ:EPZM), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company creating novel epigenetic therapies for people with cancer, today announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with the Lymphoma Study Association (LYSA) to investigate the combination of tazemetostat with R-CHOP as a front-line treatment in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). LYSA is a premier cooperative group in France dedicated to clinical and translational research for lymphoma, and is certified by the French National Cancer Institute. Under the agreement, the phase 1b/2 trial will be jointly conducted with the Lymphoma Academic Research Organisation (LYSARC), the operational arm of LYSA. "We are pleased to have established a collaboration with LYSA and to conduct the first investigation of tazemetostat in the front-line treatment setting," said Robert Bazemore, President and Chief Executive Officer, Epizyme. "This study agreement aligns with Epizyme's strategy of partnering with world-class research organizations to accelerate our development programs. The planned combination trial builds on preclinical evidence of synergy between tazemetostat and R-CHOP, and will add to what we know about the utility of tazemetostat in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma." The open-label, clinical study will be sponsored by LYSARC and conducted at multiple sites in France. The study will enroll elderly, high-risk patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL, the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Patients will receive tazemetostat in combination with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone), a standard treatment in newly diagnosed DLBCL. Epizyme and LYSARC jointly designed the study, which is expected to begin enrolling patients mid-year.