Esophageal cancer, particularly esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), is one of the most prevalent digestive malignancies, with a 5-year survival rate of only 20%. Although some cancer immunotherapies based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown promise for ESCC, only a minority of patients actually benefit from ICI therapy.
Peptide-based vaccines deliver tumor-specific antigens to dendritic cells (DCs), triggering tumor-targeted T-cell responses. A peptide-peptide conjugate technology previously developed by researchers from Uppsala University and collaborators enhances this process by using multiple tetanus toxin-derived B-cell epitopes (MTTEs) to facilitate in vivo antigen delivery and DC activation.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has obtained clearance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) to conduct clinical trials with JMT-108 for advanced malignant tumors.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals plc is buying Chimerix Inc. for $8.55 a share in cash, bringing the deal in at about $935 million. Jazz expands its cancer pipeline with the new acquisition’s lead candidate, dordaviprone, a small molecule for treating a rare, aggressive glioma that’s often found in children and young adults.
Sofinnova Partners raised a whopping €1.2 billion (US$1.26 billion) over the past year to invest in life sciences companies ranging from incubation to later-stage growth, and spanning biotech, med tech, industrial biotech and digital medicine.
SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has disclosed S-adenosylmethionine synthase isoform type-2 (Mat2A) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Bioheng Therapeutics US LLC has obtained IND approval from the FDA for CTD-402, a CD7-targeted universal CAR T-cell therapy, for the treatment of pediatric and adult patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma.
Lirum Therapeutics Inc. has presented data regarding their insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) antagonist LX-101, which couples an IGF-1 variant to a cytotoxic methotrexate payload. The antitumoral activity of LX-101 was investigated in Ewing sarcoma and desmoplastic small round cell tumor.