Genmab A/S is paying $8 billion to acquire Merus NV, gaining rights to the latter’s phase III-stage petosemtamab, a bispecific antibody initially in development for head and neck cancer, and continuing the firm’s strategy to transition from a royalty-based operation to a fully integrated biopharma.

In cancer, Cdc37 is phosphorylated by casein kinase 2 (CK2) and then the phosphoprotein binds to various kinase ‘clients’ and to the chaperone Hsp90. Hsp90 facilitates the folding of the clients into fully active forms to drive the cell cycle. The plant-derived quinine methid triterpenoid celastrol can inhibit the interaction between Hsp90 and Cdc37 and thereby slow cancer growth by arresting the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis. However, researchers at China Pharmaceutical University China wanted to inhibit the ‘Hsp90-Cdc37-kinase’ cycle at multiple points simultaneously for greater therapeutic effect.

Checkpoint inhibitors have transformed cancer therapy by enhancing immune responses against tumors. However, their effectiveness is limited, as many patients do not respond due to the absence of a pre-existing immunity against the cancer cells. Addressing this gap requires new immunotherapies that can promote cancer-cell antigen recognition and engage multiple immune pathways to effectively reprogram the tumor microenvironment and stimulate a robust antitumor response.

Simcere Zaiming Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has obtained IND clearance by the FDA for SIM-0609, a CDH17-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) for the treatment of advanced solid tumors. An IND was also approved in China earlier this month.

Antibodies that bind to sugars on the surface of cancer cells, rather than to proteins, have not yielded satisfactory results so far due to their low binding affinity. However, scientists at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have developed therapeutic proteins that recognize so-called tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) using lectins with a robust structure resembling velcro. This design is highly specific and eliminates only tumor cells, regardless of cancer type, while sparing healthy tissues.

Phase Scientific International Ltd. launched China’s largest clinical study for urine-based cervical cancer screening. If successful, the blood-based test could be the first non-invasive test for HPV.

Eli Lilly and Co.’s oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) imlunestrant has been approved by the U.S. FDA for treating late-stage breast cancer patients. Branded Inluriyo, the second-line treatment is for treating adults with estrogen receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative estrogen receptor 1-mutant advanced or metastatic breast cancer.

Rakuten Medical Inc. is advancing a pipeline of solid tumor therapeutics built on its Alluminox platform worldwide, having gained conditional early approval of ASP-1929, an Alluminox-derived photoimmunotherapy, in Japan in 2020.