By analyzing patients’ reactions to treatment, Oncohost Ltd.’s proteomics-based platform enables earlier prediction of paradoxical responses to immunotherapy that promote tumor growth in certain cancers. The artificial intelligence-powered host response profiling platform, called Prophet, could help identify the best combination of therapies and minimize adverse effects from treatments that are unlikely to be beneficial.
Jounce Therapeutics Inc. has quit enrolling Emerge, an open-label phase II study of its inducible T-cell co-stimulator agonist, vopratelimab, the company’s most advanced candidate.
Mirati Therapeutics Inc.’s update on the phase I/II Krystal trial of the KRAS-G12C-targeting adagrasib (MRTX-849) was arguably the most eagerly awaited news, and certainly the most eagerly awaited KRAS-targeting news, to come out of the 2020 EORTC-NCI-AACR (ENA) Molecular Targets meeting. KRAS is one of the most frequently mutated oncogenes across a wide swath of solid tumors, and has been one of the toughest nuts to crack as far as druggability is concerned.
The FDA’s approval of Genentech Inc.’s Gavreto (pralsetinib) for treating adults with metastatic rearranged during transfection (RET) fusion-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) follows the FDA’s May approval of Eli Lilly and Co.’s Retevmo for patients whose tumors have a RET alteration. Gavreto will be commercialized in the U.S. by Genentech, part of the Roche Group, along with Blueprint Medicines Corp., which developed the once-daily oral therapy. Outside the U.S., Roche will handle commercialization.
HONG KONG – Following FDA approval of its IND, Israel-based Kahr Medical Ltd. is set to start a phase I/II trial of lead product DSP-107, a second-generation CD47- and 41BB-targeting compound. The move puts Kahr among a number of companies working on drugs against checkpoint molecule CD47.
The U.S. FDA revealed good news for Guardant Health Inc. Specifically, the agency has given a thumbs up for Guardant360 CDx for tumor mutation profiling, also known as comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP), in patients with any solid malignant neoplasm. The Redwood City, Calif.-based company noted that this marked the first approval to combine next-generation sequencing (NGS) and liquid biopsy in one diagnostic test to guide treatment decisions. The assay previously was granted a breakthrough device designation.
Novocure Ltd. and Merck & Co. Inc. will work together to test the use of electric fields at specific frequencies in combination with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) to treat non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The pair plan to start a phase II pilot study during the second half of Novocure’s Tumor Treating Fields in combination with Keytruda as a first-line treatment for intrathoracic advanced or metastatic, PD-L1 positive NSCLC.
HONG KONG – China and U.S.-based Zai Lab Ltd. has inked a deal to develop and commercialize Turning Point Therapeutics Inc.’s lead drug candidate, repotrectinib, in the greater China markets.
Corvus Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s success in treating a COVID-19 patient previously diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with CPI-006 helped boost shares (NASDAQ:CRVS) to $4.96, up $2.21, or 181%, as the Burlingame, Calif.-based company disclosed the start of a phase I study to investigate the anti-CD73 immunotherapy prospect.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is working with Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. to develop a companion diagnostic (CDx) to identify non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) mutations who could be eligible for the Tokyo-based company's cancer drug, Enhertu.
