Iksuda Therapeutics Ltd. disclosed the design of a novel, effective and safe antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), IKS-012, for the potential treatment of folate receptor α (FRα)-positive cancers.
Tevogen Bio Inc. has begun preclinical efforts for TVGN-920, its first oncology product. The company is leveraging Microsoft’s artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies to accelerate its target identification and preclinical processes in human papillomavirus (HPV).
Gene editing strategies, from epigenetic engineering to cell reprogramming and genetic vaccines, are accelerating the development of new therapies that awaken the immune system to treat cancer, as presented last month in Rome at the 31st Annual Congress of the European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT). Some of these advances are taking advantage of the conditions of the tumor microenvironment, where cancer cells coexist with immune cells, microorganisms and blood vessels.
Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) is expressed in hematopoietic cells, including T cells, B cells and dendritic cells (DCs). Suppression of HPK1 activity has shown an antitumor effect in preclinical models.
Kivu Bioscience has closed a $92 million series A financing to advance its topoisomerase I inhibitor-based antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) pipeline into the clinic.
Genome & Co. Ltd. has reported preclinical findings of its anti-CNTN4 antibody, GENA-104A16, and anti-APP antibody, 5A7 — stressing the contactin-4 (CNTN4) and amyloid precursor protein (APP) axis as a potential target for immuno-oncology. In the latest murine experiments, investigators led by Genome executives and researchers of Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) found that blocking the interaction between CNTN4 and APP promoted cancer-destroying responses in mice, suggesting the pathway as a target for immunotherapy.
Cellbion Co. Ltd. debuted on the tech-heavy Kosdaq board of the Korea Exchange Oct. 16, with share prices closing upward at ₩20,650 (US$14.94) – outdoing its initial price of ₩15,000 per share for 1.9 million shares.
Researchers from Immunome Inc. and Zentalis Pharmaceuticals Inc. presented preclinical data for IM-1021, a novel tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1)-targeted antibody-drug conjugate with a new topoisomerase 1 (TOP1) linker payload, being developed for the treatment of solid tumors and B-cell malignancies.
Ottimo Pharma Ltd. has emerged from stealth with a focus on developing innovative cancer therapies for solid tumors. The company’s lead program is jankistomig, a PD-1/VEGFR-2 bifunctional antibody.
Cancer Research UK and Kisoji Biotechnology Inc. have signed an agreement to bring Kisoji's naked anti-TROP2 antibody, KJ-103, into a first-in-human trial. KJ-103 is a single domain antibody that binds to a unique epitope on TROP2.