The tumor microenvironment is critical for the ability of cancers to survive and grow, and some aspects of the microenvironment are studied, and targeted, accordingly. Tumor immunology is one of the most active areas of cancer research and has become a pillar of treatment. Others, not so much. “The nervous system is the last component of the microenvironment that people have left completely unrecognized,” Humsa Venkatesh told BioWorld. Even in brain tumors and metastases, where the presence of neurons is glaringly obvious, there has been little attention to how the two interact until recently.
CDR-Life Inc. has closed a $76 million series A round to advance development of a new generation of cancer immunotherapies designed to treat solid tumors by targeting intracellular antigens that occur only in tumors, with the aim of increasing effectiveness while reducing off-target effects.
Beigene Ltd.’s BTK inhibitor Brukinsa (zanubrutinib) has met the primary endpoints in a phase III trial to treat patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma.
“We’re still a far cry from reproducible, durable benefits” with CAR T cells targeting solid tumors, Crystal Mackall told the audience at the 2022 annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). But “we’re beginning to see some signals.” Mackall is the founding director of the Stanford Center for Cancer Cell Therapy.
New and updated preclinical and clinical data presented by biopharma firms at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, including: Abbvie, Aptevo, Harpoon, Jubilant, Kura, Kamera, MEI, Perus, Mina, Moleculin, Myeloid, Natera, Nimbus, Nktarta, Nouscom, Nurix, Nuvalent, Nuvectis, Omega, Obsidian, Oncolytic.
Shares in Sierra Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:SRRA) surged 38.5% to $54.75 on April 13 as Glaxosmithkline plc made a $55-per-share offer for the company, which values it at $1.9 billion. The offer represents a premium of about 39% on Sierra’s April 12 closing share price of $39.52 and a premium of about 63% over its volume-weighted average share price over the last 30 trading days.
Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. has in-licensed Eli Lilly and Co.’s olaratumab antibody, agreeing to pay $5 million up front for exclusive worldwide rights to develop and commercialize radiolabeled forms of the antibody for the diagnosis and treatment of human cancers.
Cellpoint B.V. has picked up U.S and European rights to a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapy from Shenzhen Pregene Biopharma Co. Ltd. Cellpoint will develop and commercialize the candidate, PRG-1801, for the treatment of hematological indications.
Oncology specialist Affimed NV is pushing forward with clinical development of technology that encourages natural killer cells to attack solid tumors. The move, supported by data the company presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), is backing its creation of “innate cell engager” molecules.
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