Despite therapeutic advances, multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable, with most patients relapsing and developing resistance, especially those refractory to proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulatory drugs and anti-CD38 antibodies. Limited options and poor prognosis highlight the need for new agents with distinct mechanisms and better safety.
Crossbow Therapeutics Inc. has provided details on the preclinical characterization for the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT)-targeting T-cell engager CBX-663.
BioWorld’s 2022 end-of-year highlights included a toast to the future – of universal vaccines. Even before SARS-CoV-2 vaccines were developed in record time and saved countless lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines were a rare bright spot in the fight against infectious diseases. Bacteria are becoming multidrug resistant far faster than new classes of antibiotics are being developed, viral spillover events and vector ranges are increasing, and climate change is helping bacteria and fungi alike breach human thermal protections against infections.
Jiangsu Simcere Biologics Co. Ltd. has described bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) comprising a bispecific human antibody targeting hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR; MET) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR; HER1; erbB1), covalently linked to a camptothecin derivative through a linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Ipsen SA has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Simcere Zaiming Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. for global rights outside of Greater China for SIM-0613, an LRRC15-targeting antibody-drug conjugate developed by Simcere Zaiming for solid tumors. The program is expected to enter phase I development in the second half of next year.
Ehrlich Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has described antibody-drug conjugates comprising an antibody targeting EGFR (HER1; erbB1) covalently linked to a camptothecin derivative through a linker reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Cartography Biosciences Inc. has received IND approval from the FDA for CBI-1214, a T-cell engager being developed for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
Werewolf Therapeutics Inc. has announced that its priorities for the coming year include a focus on the company’s Inducer T-cell engager platform, where preclinical studies have demonstrated robust silencing and reduction of off-tumor toxicity.
Zelluna ASA has submitted a clinical trial application (CTA) to the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for ZI-MA4-1 (ZIMA-101), the company’s lead candidate. ZI-MA4-1 is a novel MAGE-A4-targeting T-cell receptor-natural killer (TCR-NK) therapy.