Aduro Biotech just signed a $750MM ($200MM of which was up-front) deal with Novartis for the development of modulators of the STING pathway to enhance the immunogenicity of cancer cells. Continue reading
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Rab13 – A Newly Discovered Mechanism of Cancer Spread
Cellular migration, a normal process in development that is lost in adulthood, is essential for cancer cells to become metastatic, thereby deadly. Continue reading
Tipifarnib Ras Inhibitor Pursued by Kura
A drug that was rejected by the FDA in 2005 for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, and has also failed studies in pancreatic cancer will be further developed by a company called Kura, which in-licensed the drug from J&J. Continue reading
Kyprolis versus Velcade in Phase 3 Study in Previously-Treated Patients
In a Phase 3 study of 929 patients with previously treated multiple myeloma, two proteasome inhibitors, Velcade (bortexomib – Johnson & Johnson and Takeda) ) and Kyprolis (carfilzomib – Amgen), in combination with dexamethasone, were compared. Patients treated with Kyprolis had a median progression-free survival of 18.7 months, versus 9.4 months for those treated with Velcade.
Innate Pharma – Two NK Cell Checkpoint Inhibitors in Development
Natural Killer cells and macrophages are essential in the innate immune response to bacterial pathogens. They also provide the essential link to the adaptive immune response by presenting antigens to dendritic cells and by directly stimulating CD8+ cytotoxic T-cells.
Iontophoresis: Electric Fields as a New Innovative Way to Deliver Chemotherapy. Guest Contributor – Mariah J. Scott
Researchers at the University of North Carolina have been developing a chemotherapy drug treatment utilizing iontophoresis specifically for prostate and breast cancer. Continue reading
Bavituximab – Novel Checkpoint Inhibitor in Phase 3
Bavituximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds to phosphatidyl serine (PS), a molecule this is expressed in the inner side of the cell membrane. The drug is being developed by Peregrine Pharmaceuticals for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer and is in a late stage trial called SUNRISE – A Phase III, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Multicenter Trial of Bavituximab Plus Docetaxel Versus Docetaxel Alone in Patients With Previously Treated Stage IIIb/IV Non-Squamous Non Small-Cell Lung Cancer. Continue reading
Experimental Front-Line Treatment for Head & Neck Cancer in Phase III
Multikine is a new product being developed by CEL-SCi for front-line use in patients with head and neck cancer. I observed a presentation at the 2015 Biotech Showcase on January 12, 2015. A late stage clinical trial is currently enrolling – Phase III Study of LI [Multikine®] Plus SOC (Surgery + Radiotherapy or Surgery + Concurrent Radiochemotherapy) in Subjects With Advanced Primary Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity/Soft Palate vs. SOC Only. Continue reading
Activin (TGF-β) Receptor ActRIIA Antagonists for Myelodysplastic Syndrome & β-Thalassemia
Two experimental drugs, luspatercept and sotatercept, have shown to be active in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a type of cancer in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells and there are abnormal (blast) cells in the blood and/or bone marrow. Continue reading
New Epidermal Growth Factor Strategies in the Clinic for Glioblastoma & Lung Cancer
Two companies, Celldex and Clovis, reported positive developments with their strategies to target the mutated Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor for patients with glioblastoma and lung cancer. Continue reading