Targeting the adenosine A2A receptor, a critical mediator of immunosuppression on the tumor microenvironment, has emerged as a strategy to improve cancer immunotherapy, and several A2A receptor antagonists are under clinical evaluation both as monotherapy and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors.

The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to Nuvectis Pharma Inc.'s NXP-800 for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.

Novarock Biotherapeutics Ltd., a subsidiary of CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd., has received FDA approval of its IND application for NBL-028, a CLDN6-CD137 bispecific antibody.

Emerging from stealth mode, new immuno-oncology company Dotbio Pte. Ltd. closed an oversubscribed $5.6 million pre-series A round to accelerate development of its multifunctional and intracellular antibody therapies.

Oncusp Therapeutics Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA to begin clinical trials with CUSP-06, a cadherin-6 (CDH6)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate designed for the treatment of multiple solid tumors. CDH6 is overexpressed in cancers including ovarian, renal, uterine, thyroid, lung, and cholangiocarcinoma. A phase I trial will pave the way for expansion in patients with platinum-refractory/resistant ovarian cancer and other advanced solid tumors.

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) plays an important role in regulating inflammation. While several antibody-based options targeting IL-4 have been reported, strategies based on small molecule inhibitors have proven difficult to find.

Approximately 100 years ago, Otto Warburg discovered that glucose consumption is elevated over ten-fold in cancer cells compared to normal...