News and Trends 28 Oct 2016 TCR and Checkpoint inhibitors: A Match made in Heaven for Blood Cancer Adaptimmune and MSD are collaborating to test a therapy for multiple myeloma that combines some of the most promising technologies in immuno-oncology: TCR and checkpoint inhibitors. Adaptimmune is an immuno-oncology billion-euro Biotech from the British Golden Triangle. Despite some trouble with the FDA recently, the company continues to forge ahead with its promising TCR technology. Now, […] October 28, 2016 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 28 Oct 2016 UPDATE: Immuno-Oncology Combo works on Lung Cancer Regardless of PD-L1 Type AstraZeneca’s MedImmune (UK) has published phase Ib study results in The Lancet Oncology. These showed anti-tumour activity of a combination of investigational antibodies in patients with lung cancer. The trial considered patients undergoing treatment with durvalumab and tremelimumab, to see whether the drug combo could act therapeuticaly against locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), irrespective of […] October 28, 2016 - 2 minutesmins - By Dani Bancroft Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 27 Oct 2016 UPDATE: Future of CAR-T shaken by Novartis R&D Shuffle After a promising kick off, Novartis is raising doubts about the future of its CAR-T program with its decision to dissolve and reintegrate the cell and gene therapy division into its immuno-oncology effort. Yes, you read that correctly: despite exciting progress by Novartis’s CAR-T therapy program, the company is reportedly disbanding the cell and gene therapy […] October 27, 2016 - 3 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 26 Oct 2016 Can this new Antibody-Drug Conjugate Collaboration make it to the Top? Nordic Nanovector is collaborating with Heidelberg Pharma to access the promising antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology. However, can it really take on the strong competition? Nordic Nanovector develops antibody-radionuclide conjugates (ARCs) to treat Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and other blood cancers. Today, the company has announced a collaboration with Wilex’ subsidiary Heidelberg Pharma to incorporate antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) […] October 26, 2016 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 Oct 2016 The ‘First and Only’ Metastatic Lung Cancer Immunotherapy is approved Roche’s Genentech has received FDA approval for an immunotherapy targeting the highly sought-after PD-L1. The treatment may be able to outperform its competitors in lung cancer therapies. In May, Roche received approval for Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in bladder cancer. Now, the drug is expanding its indications to become the first and only cancer immunotherapy in the market to target […] October 19, 2016 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 19 Oct 2016 And the highest funding in Europe this year goes to… Antibody-Drug Conjugates! AstraZeneca has contributed to ADC Therapeutics’ €96M fundraising, the biggest round so far in Europe this year. Will this huge investment pay out for the British-Swedish Big Pharma? ADC Therapeutics (ADCT) is a Swiss Biotech that develops antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for oncology applications. Its founder Auven Therapeutics and its partner AstraZeneca have participated in the biggest […] October 19, 2016 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 18 Oct 2016 Shire’s leading Pancreatic Cancer drug is Back with a Bang Pancreatic cancer is one of the nastiest kinds and most difficult to treat; the EMA has granted marketing authorization to Onivyde in the fight against it. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of death in Europe, and it represents a dramatically underserved need. Metastatic adenocarcinoma is almost always fatal, as it cannot be removed surgically […] October 18, 2016 - 2 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 18 Oct 2016 €4M Grant for a Cancer Vaccine that could Bench its Competitors Hookipa just secured a huge grant from the Austrian government. The plan is to develop the strongest HPV vaccine ever and claim its place in the €2B head and neck cancer market. Hookipa, one of the hottest Biotechs in Vienna, develops vaccines based on a new class of viral vectors. Its platform has impressed the public sector and secured €4.16M from the Austrian […] October 18, 2016 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 17 Oct 2016 It’s not over yet for Opdivo; AbbVie takes a stand in Leukemia The Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has handed down a pair of positive opinions of Opdivo and AbbVie’s leukemia therapy in their quests for EMA approval. Before the European Commission reviews an application for market authorization, it crosses the collective desk of the Committee on Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). If […] October 17, 2016 - 2 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 13 Oct 2016 Adaptimmune Revises TCR Protocol following Phase I/IIa Failure Shares of Adaptimmune slid 12% yesterday morning after the company updated its TCR therapy to include fludarabine, which was linked to deaths in Juno’s CAR-T trials. Despite optimism that T-cells are the key to cancer cures, the field has taken a number of hits this year. Most recently, the FDA put a partial hold on […] October 13, 2016 - 2 minutesmins - By Evelyn Warner Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 12 Oct 2016 Transgene teams up with big Players against HPV Head and Neck Cancer Transgene is partnering with Merck and Pfizer to develop a combined therapy for head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) caused by human papiloma virus (HPV) infections. A successful outcome will let the team access a €2B market niche. Transgene has been struggling for a while: last year it had to fire 40% of its workforce […] October 12, 2016 - 3 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email
News and Trends 12 Oct 2016 Will Aprea live up to the Hype of its €46M fundraising? Aprea raised a huge €46M for a first-in-class drug that targets the deadliest form of ovarian cancer. The company just started Phase II trials after positive results from Phase I. But will it be able to outperform all its competitors? Aprea is a spin-out company from the Karolinska Development, the portfolio company of the Institute, in Sweden. It became […] October 12, 2016 - 2 minutesmins - By Clara Rodríguez Fernández Share WhatsApp Twitter Linkedin Email