PD-1 inhibition (Figure 1) has quickly become a front-line therapy for non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma. Moreover, PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors are being tested in combination with other checkpoint inhibitors, targeted therapies, cancer vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and other modalities. But, how does PD-1 blunt the anti-tumor immune response? Continue reading
Tag Archives: Ras
Vectibix Extends Survival in Colon Cancer
A Phase III study in patients with chemo-refractory colorectal cancer with wild-type K-ras genotype demonstrated that Amgen’s Vectibix (panitumumab) improved overall survival compared to best supportive therapy, alone. A total of 377 patients were randomized to receive best supportive care with or without intravenous infusions of Vectibix every 14 days. Full results of the study will be presented at a future medical meeting and submitted for publication. 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
Ras – targeting the “undruggable”
The Ras onogene has been studied for 30 years, with over 40,000 scientific articles published on it. However, an inhibitor of the mutated form of Ras has not been able to be developed. So, researchers have developed downstream blockers of the Ras cascade – MEK inhibitors and Raf inhibitors, for example. But why can’t a molecule that blocks mutated Ras be identified? Continue reading