Two companies – Biontech, RNA vaccine and Neon Therapeutics, peptide vaccine – reported very positive results of neo-antigen vaccines in patients with refractory metastatic melanoma. Continue reading
Tag Archives: melanoma
PD-L1 Inhibitor, avelumab, approved for Merkel cell carcinoma
Avelumab (Bavencio) is a PD-L1 inhibitor that was approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC). Continue reading
PD-L1 Expression correlates with outcomes in patients with melanoma
Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and Opdivo (nivolumab) are monoclonal antibodies that disrupt the PD-1 (Opdivo) / PD-L1 (Keytruda) pathway; they are approved by the FDA for the treatment of patients with unresectable melanoma, as well as other cancers including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), head and neck cancer, renal cell carcinoma (Opdivo), and Hodg kin lymphoma (Opdivo). Keytruda is limited to patients with NSCLC with a tumor proportion score (TPS) of greater than 50% for PD-L1 staining. Continue reading
CDKN2A Mutation Shortens Survival in Melanoma Patients
Individuals that carry mutations to the CDKN2A tumor suppressor gene have 65-fold increased risk of developing melanoma and a lifetime penetrance of melanoma of 60-90%. In a new study by researchers from the Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden, individuals who had inherited CDKN2A mutations were on average 10 years younger at their melanoma diagnosis than the non-mutated familial melanoma cases. Continue reading
Melanoma Metastases Enabled by Melanosomes
Researchers have identified vesicles containing micro-RNA are important in the aggressive biologic behavior of melanoma, a cancer that kills via metastasizing to distant sites from primary tumors that are quite small. Continue reading
Melanocytes Must Regain Primitive, Early Embryologic State to Develop Melanoma
Researchers working with the zebrafish melanoma model have determined that oncogene activation and crippling of tumor suppressors genes is not sufficient to transform melanocytes into melanoma cells. It is essential that the cells re-acquire primordial characteristics, as well. Continue reading
Neo-antigens for Cancer Immunotherapy
Two new companies have received substantial funding to pursue neo-antigens for cancer immunotherapy: Gritstone Oncology raised $102MM to pursue lung cancer and Neon Therapeutics raised $55MM to develop neoantigen-based therapeutic vaccines and T cell therapies to treat cancer. Continue reading
Cancer Immunotherapy – Combining Anti-CCR4 & Anti-PD-1; and CEACAM1 (TIM-3)
A collaboration between Bristol-Myers Squibb and Kyowa Hakko Kirin to test a combination of Kyowa’s Poteligeo (mogamulizumab), an anti-CCR4 antibody, and BMS’ Opdivo (nivolumab) in a Phase I/II trial in advanced or metastatic solid tumors was announced. Also, Merck announced the acquisition of cCAM Biotherapeutics for $605MM for its CM-24 monoclonal antibody that target CEACAM1. Continue reading
Immunocor’s Anti-Cancer Platform Garners $320MM Private Financing
Immunocor raised $320MM in a private financing round to support its anti-cancer platform. That’s a lot of money for a single financing – in fact, it is the largest private fundraising by a European biotechnology company. What’s the attraction? Continue reading
T-VEC Receives Advisory Committee Recommendation for Melanoma
On April 29, the FDA Oncology Drug Advisory Committee voted 22-1 to recommend approval of Amgen’s talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma. Continue reading