Janux Therapeutics Inc. has announced that it has submitted an IND application to the FDA for JANX-008, an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tumor-activated T cell engager (TRACTr) in development for the treatment of EGFR-expressing solid tumors, including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colorectal cancer (CRC), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).
Deka Biosciences Inc. has submitted an IND application to the FDA for its lead oncology asset, DK2-10 (EGFR). DK2-10 (EGFR) is the first of many experimental therapeutics developed as part of Deka’s platform of molecules, with each Diakine in Deka's platform consisting of two complementary cytokines coupled together via attachment to a single chain variable fragment, enabling the cytokines to accumulate more specifically in targeted tissues.
Several STING agonists have demonstrated antitumor efficacy in preclinical studies and are currently under clinical development. However, systemic administration of STING agonists may have adverse effects, while intratumoral injection is limited by tumor accessibility. Therefore, systemic delivery of STING agonists specifically targeted to tumors emerges as a potential strategy to overcome these limitations.
Seagen Inc. and Lava Therapeutics NV have entered into an exclusive license agreement under which Seagen will work to develop, manufacture and commercialize LAVA-1223, a bispecific T-cell engager designed to target and activate Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-expressing solid tumors.
Shares of Lava Therapeutics NV rocketed by more than 90% Sept. 26 as the company disclosed a licensing deal with Seagen Inc. to develop and commercialize preclinical-stage EGFR-targeting bispecific candidate LAVA-1223, which comes with $50 million in up-front funding and up to a potential $650 million in milestones. It also adds further validation for harnessing gamma-delta T cells to treat cancer, an approach that is growing increasingly popular.
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a target in many cancers, but EGFR inhibitors have displayed little utility in treating glioblastoma (GBM) due to limited blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration.
“The association between air pollution and lung cancer is not new,” Charles Swanton told the audience at the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2022 Congress. But as with so many associations, causation has been hard to establish, partly due to the puzzling absence of mutations.
With data due later this summer from the phase II Pioneer trial testing Blueprint Medicines Corp.’s approved Ayvakit (avapritinib), many investor eyes are on the potential label expansion into indolent systemic mastocytosis – but the company has another potential ace in the hole with BLU-451, which targets EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Zhejiang Acea Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. failed to obtain marketing approval from China’s NMPA for its third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, abivertinib. The NDA was based on a phase II trial of abivertinib in patients with EGFR Thr790Met point mutation-positive non-small-cell lung cancer with disease progression from prior EGFR inhibitors.
