Overexpression of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) has been found in multiple cancer types, such as myeloma, lymphoma, prostate, breast, lung or kidney cancer.
CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. has announced FDA approval of an IND application for JMT-106, a bispecific fusion protein drug, for glypican-3 (GPC3)-positive solid tumors.
Although treatment outcomes have improved in metastatic melanoma since the use of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), it still remains a medical challenge. Melanoma cells are thought to adapt several phenotypic states, such as mesenchymal-like state (MES), which may modulate their sensitivity to therapy. An international team of researchers has now investigated the mechanisms behind melanoma cells’ resistance to ICB.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), such as anti-CTLA-4 antibodies, are widely used in cancer immunotherapy. CTLA-4 blockers such as Yervoy (ipilimumab, Bristol Myers Squibb Co.) stimulate antitumoral immune responses, but may also induce toxicity, such as colitis, a common immune-related adverse event that can lead to treatment discontinuation.
Ensem Therapeutics Inc. has disclosed quinazoline derivatives acting as GTPase KRAS (G12D mutant) inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of cancer.
Cellular senescence is a state of terminal cell cycle arrest that is being increasingly explored for its role in cancer therapeutics. Researchers from Ocean University of China reported on AS-1041, an anthraquinone compound derived from the marine compound Aspergiolide A, designed to be used against leukemia due to its pro-senescence effect.
The most comprehensive analysis of gene dependencies in cancer cells to date has identified 370 “highly enriched” drug targets in defined molecular backgrounds. This latest iteration of the Cancer Dependency Map, published in Cancer Cell, Jan. 11, 2024, builds on an earlier version published in 2019, which was based on 324 cell lines.
“This is a tough business. It’s never a straight line from start to success.” Those words, from Exelixis Inc. CEO Michael Morrissey, during a presentation at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM), could easily sum up any aspect of the biopharma industry. But with more biopharma firms than ever having reached commercial status, along with the introduction of new therapeutic modalities into the health care market, many are finding the toughest part comes after regulatory approval, whether it’s navigating a competitive landscape, getting payers and physicians on board, or satisfying regulators’ stringent postmarketing requirements. As industry players and observers head home after a busy week in San Francisco, BioWorld offers a brief glimpse at a few firms taking on those post-approval challenges in 2024.
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