Category Archives: Checkpoint Inhibitors

Combination Therapy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors to Combat Lung Cancer – James P. McCauley, Contributor

Researchers at AstraZeneca have completed a small-scale study which demonstrated the synergistic benefit of utilizing two immunotherapy drugs to combat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) over just a single immunotherapy drug. The study found that utilizing an immune checkpoint inhibitor for PD-1, called durvalumab, in combination with another immune checkpoint inhibitor for CTLA-4, called tremelimumab, had a tumor response rate of 23% for metastatic NSCLC. Researchers at AstraZeneca are, indeed, confident that combination immune checkpoint therapy is the key to developing more efficient immunotherapies to target and effectively treat cancer. Continue reading →

Three Recent Late Stage Disappointments for Lung Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Sarcoma, and Glioblastoma

In the last several months, three novel drugs that we have been following on this blog failed in late stage clinical trials. The drugs have diverse mechanisms of action:

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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 →

ImaginAB’s Minibodies for CD8+ T Cell Targeting – Select Optimal Immunotherapy Approaches

ImaginAB and Eli Lilly announced a pre-clinical collaboration to use ImaginAb’s immune imaging agent IAB22M2C to study new T-cell therapies cancer. Continue reading →

DNAtrix and Merck Phase II Collaboration of Oncolytic Virus + Keytruda for Glioblastoma

DNAtrix and Merck announced a collaboration to combine oncolytic virus therapy and PD-1 inhibition – the two companies will collaborate in phase II clinical trials on a therapy to treat glioblastoma, an especially deadly cancer for which there is no cure. 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 →

Two New Drugs Effective in Kidney Cancer – Opdivo and Cometriq

Opdivo (nivolumab – BMS) and Cometriq (cabozantinib -Exelixis) demonstrated positive results in studies of patients with kidney cancer. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, accounting for more than 100,000 deaths annually. Globally, the five-year survival rate for those diagnosed with metastatic, or advanced kidney cancer, is 12.1 percent. Continue reading →

Lycera’s ROR-gamma agonists for cancer immunotherapy

Celgene and Lycera entered into a $105MM collaboration on its RORϒ agonists for the treatment of cancer, as well as LYC-30937, an oral gut-directed ATPase modulator now in early-stage clinical studies. LYC-30937 is designed to treat IBD without global immune suppression. Continue reading →

Entinostat Doesn’t Just Restore Sensitivity to Aromatase Inhibitors

Entinostat is currently in a Phase III trial in combination with Aromasin (exemestane – aromatase inhibitor that blocks the synthesis of estrogen) in patients with metastatic breast cancer who have recurred following treatment with an aromatase inhibitor. Continue reading →