A new method of CAR T-cell immunotherapy developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine could serve as a treatment for most blood cancers. Until now, CAR T-based immunotherapy for hematological malignancies has targeted the antigens CD19 for B cells, CD7 for T cells, BCMA for myeloma, and CD33 for AML.
Leucid Bio Ltd. has received approval from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to commence a phase I/II trial of LEU-011 for the treatment of adults with relapsed or refractory solid tumors.
Recludix Pharma Inc. has divulged signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and 6 (STAT6) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer and inflammation.
Tegid Therapeutics Inc. has identified proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTACs) compounds comprising cereblon (CRBN) ligands covalently bonded to a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT1)-targeting moiety.
Researchers from University Hospital Basel and Universitätsklinikum Ulm presented the discovery of novel radiotheragnostic candidates targeting C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), which is highly expressed in various cancers and has been linked to poor prognosis.
Researchers from Huazhong University of Science and Technology presented the discovery and preclinical evaluation of a novel peptide PET tracer targeting LAG-3, [68Ga]NOTA-XH05, being developed as a candidate for evaluating the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.
Orionis Biosciences BV has established a multiyear collaboration with Genentech Inc., a member of the Roche Group, to discover novel small-molecule molecular glues for targets in major disease areas, including oncology and neurodegeneration.
Cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) regulates both cell cycle and global transcription and is a validated therapeutic target in cancer. Researchers from Shanghai Hengrui Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. reported on the discovery and preclinical evaluation of SHR-5428, a noncovalent CDK7 inhibitor.
U3-1402/patritumab-GGFG-DXd is the first HER3-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) showing clinical efficacy in non-small-cell lung cancer. However, an elevated proportion of patients with this cancer express low levels of HER3 and are nonresponsive to this ADC. In addition, novel ADCs are needed to treat other cancer types, including colorectal cancer.
Although preclinical studies of genetically engineered interleukin-18 (IL-18) historically indicated its potential in cancer treatment, interest in the cytokine languished after GSK plc shelved its IL-18 therapeutic on lack of responses in a phase II melanoma trial. But in 2020, Yale University-based professor of immunobiology Aaron Ring set about reviving IL-18 as a cancer therapeutic. He went on to engineer a decoy-resistant form of IL-18 and then founded Simcha Therapeutics Inc. to develop the drug – named ST-067.