High expression of CD123, the IL-3 receptor α chain (IL-3α), is observed on both leukemic blasts and leukemic stem cells, thus suggesting it can be considered an attractive therapeutic target in AML.
The deal that could bring IGM Biosciences Inc. more than $6 billion is 2022’s largest and cracks the BioWorld top 10 list as the ninth biggest ever. Sanofi SA and IGM agreed to develop, manufacture and commercialize immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody agonists in treating cancer and immunology/inflammation targets. IGM is getting $150 million up front once the deal closes, which the company expects to happen in the second quarter of 2022.
An earlier-than-intended release of abstracts for the American Society of Hematology annual meeting spilled multiple market-moving updates Nov. 4, though with no apparent shocks so far. Shares of Allogene Therapeutics Inc. sunk 8% on Nov. 4 over some metered disappointment around initial data for ALLO-715, a potential medicine for relapsed/refractory (r/r) multiple myeloma. By contrast, shares of Global Blood Therapeutics Inc. climbed nearly 15%, buoyed by new data supporting the long-term use of its sickle cell disease therapy, Oxbryta (voxelotor).
Blincyto (blinatumomab, Amgen Inc.), the first FDA-approved bispecific antibody, gained regulatory approval in 2014, but the intervening years have been fairly bleak for bispecific antibodies as companies worked through technical challenges.