Tag Archives: Celgene

TIGIT, a CTLA4-esque Immune Checkpoint for Cancer

Immune checkpoint-directed therapy is producing unprecedented clinical results in many patients. So much so, that the FDA recently reversed its longstanding policy or approving cancer drugs based on site of origin, to the presence of a biomarker (microsatellite instability (MSI-H) or mismatch-deficient repair (dMDR) as the indication for therapy with pembrolizumab (Ketruda), and PD-1 blocker. Cancers expressing MSI-H or dMDR mutate at a rapid rate, presenting novel epitopes to the immune system, which is readily mobilized against them so that tumor infiltrating T-cells are reliably present. Blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway in this context allows for prolongation of the immune response and better clinical results. Continue reading

Celgene Acquires EngMab for BCMA Program

Celgene acquired EngMab for $600MM to enrich its programs targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Celgene is exploiting BCMA in both CAR T (chimeric antigen receptor T-cell) and bispecific antibodies targeting CD-3 (Cluster of differentiation 3), Continue reading

Blocking CD47 Innate Checkpoint Control for Cancer Treatment

Several companies, including Trillium, Celgene, Tioma, and Forty Seven are developing products that block CD47 for the treatment of cancer. Researchers have also shown that attacking CD47 may be a better approach to bone marrow conditioning prior bone marrow transplant. Continue reading

Celgene Collaborates with Jounce Therapeutics on ICOS T-cell Stimulator

Checkpoint inhibitors, alone, are effective in 25% of patients when administered as a single agent. The goal of the collaboration between Celgene and Jounce is to address the other 75% of patients. The lead program is focused on ICOS, the Inducible T cell CO-Stimulator, a protein on the surface of T cells that can spur an immune response against a patient’s cancer. 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

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