Tharimmune Inc. has applied its Epiclick multispecific antibody engineering platform to expand its pipeline. With Epiclick, the company can combine distinct antibody binding domains, including those derived from previously inaccessible and undruggable epitopes, in either small-format or full-length configurations to target hard-to-reach epitopes.
Combining the direct cytotoxic effects of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) with the immune-enhancing properties of immunostimulators represents a new therapeutic strategy that could not only eradicate tumor cells, but also reprogram the tumor microenvironment, leading to durable and systemic anticancer immunity. Using this new approach, researchers from Bioray Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. developed and characterized of a new dual drug ADC (BiADC), named BR-113, designed to target human (h)Trop2.
In8bio Inc. has unveiled INB-600, its next-generation γδ T-cell-based T-cell engager (TCE) platform designed to address one of the shortcomings of current existing γδ TCEs, specifically insufficient numbers of γδ T cell effector cells to deliver clinical impact. The platform could have applications across oncology as well as autoimmune diseases.
Although radiotherapy is widely used in cancer treatment, its effects on the tumor microenvironment (TME) can be immunosuppressive as well as immunostimulatory. Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is expressed by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in several tumors, with higher levels linked to a weakened immune response to immune checkpoint blockade in patients.
Guangdong Fapon Biopharma Inc. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for FP-008, its first-in-class immunocytokine for patients with solid tumors refractory to anti-PD-1 therapy.
Immunostimulant therapy using agonistic cytokines or activating antibodies has been associated with off-target side effects, failure to preferentially activate cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTLs) over regulatory T cells (Treg), and the development of T-cell exhaustion. With the aim of overcoming these issues, researchers from Recourse Biologics Inc. designed a potentially first-in-class immunostimulatory fusion protein.
Multiple endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) in human DNA may be programmed to activate as cancer therapy. A recent study, led by scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, expanded on a previously reported case of kidney cancer cure after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation attributed to the expression of an ERV driven by the hypoxia-inducible factor 2 (HIF2). The question was whether this finding might play out with different ERVs and different types of cancer through HIF.
Taichengsi (Shanghai) Biomedical Co. Ltd. has described antibody-drug conjugates comprising an antibody covalently bound to a cytotoxic drug through a bivalent olefin linker optionally consisting of an isotope-labeled compound reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Guangdong Fapon Biopharma Inc. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for FP-008, its first-in-class immunocytokine for patients with solid tumors refractory to anti-PD-1 therapy.