The structurally similar cytokines IL-2 and IL-15, and their shared beta subunit CD122, are keeping developers busy across a range of indications. Though some scientific confusion has plagued the space historically, drug candidates have drawn deals and Wall Street interest aplenty. Amgen Inc., Novartis AG, and Incyte Corp. are among those who’ve made their interest known.
Offering $2.2 billion for Rapt Therapeutics Inc. and gaining its long-acting lead drug, ozureprubart, for food allergy and other indications, GSK plc is positioning itself to compete with market leader Xolair (omalizumab), developed by Roche AG’s Genentech unit and Novartis AG.
Shanghai Henlius Biotech Inc. has entered into an exclusive global license agreement with U-mab Biopharma (Lianyungang) Co. Ltd., securing rights to a monoclonal antibody (mAb) targeting interleukin-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAP) for inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
CD276, also known as B7-H3, is an antigen highly expressed in several cancer types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, 79%-94% expression) and closely tied to aggressiveness and poor survival, but shows very low expression in normal tissues. Increasing evidence exists indicating B7-H3 has immune inhibitory functions, thus reducing interferon levels released by T cells and suppressing cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells, thereby aiding in tumor immune evasion.
Incregen Therapeutics LLC has advanced INC-118, a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) ligand antagonist designed to address long-term obesity management, into IND-enabling studies.
Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) represents a major global health burden and is a leading cause of severe respiratory disease, particularly among preterm infants. Despite extensive efforts to prevent hRSV infection, currently approved monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies have been exclusively designed to target its surface fusion or pre-fusion protein (F-hRSV).
The U.S. FDA signaled during a Type B meeting that existing data could support a BLA filing for Moonlake Immunotherapeutics AG’s sonelokimab to treat the skin disease hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), despite one of two pivotal phase III trials missing the mark.
Ottimo Pharma Ltd. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA and advanced OTP-01 (jankistomig), an anti-PD-1/VEGFR2 antibody, into phase I for solid tumors. The first patient has been dosed and the study is open at sites in the U.S. and Australia.
Nucleome Therapeutics Ltd. has nominated NTP-464 as its first preclinical development candidate and is advancing the program toward IND-enabling studies. The first-in-class monoclonal antibody agonist for inflammation resolution has broad applicability across major chronic inflammatory diseases.
Receiving a third complete response letter (CRL) from the U.S. FDA for its bevacizumab formulation, ONS-5010, to treat wet age-related macular degeneration, Outlook Therapeutics Inc. watched its stock (NASDAQ:OTLK) plummet nearly 62% to a 52-week low of 60 cents on Jan. 2.
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.webp?height=488&t=1769119579&width=650 "Molecular model of interleukin-15 (IL-15)")
