#5 INDUSTRY ROUNDUP: An Immuno-Oncological Interlude

I'm pretty sure the field I'm dealing with is pretty straightforward this time.
Why? Because we know 'Immuno' means something related to the immune system and 'Oncology' is the study of cancer, so 'Immuno-Oncology' would be the study and development of treatments that take advantage of the body's immune system to fight cancer. 

Another interesting fact: CAR-T cells¹ are an important part of this field ;) (Now you know why I did that post first!)

CAR-T cells under the microscope².

So without further ado,
Today's spotlight will be occupied by: *drumroll please*:

-Immunitas Therapeutics: 

Immunitas is committed to discovering therapeutics for cancer patients. Their discovery engine combines expertise in single-cell genomics with customised machine learning approaches to elucidate immune cell populations. Immunitas complements this with in-house therapeutic discovery rooted in antibody display and immunisation. They prioritise the development of relevant biomarkers to guide the selection of patients who may benefit from new drugs in future studies.

Biomarkers are biological molecules found in body fluids or tissues that is a sign of a normal or abnormal process, or of a condition or disease, such as cancer. Biomarkers typically differentiate an affected patient from a person without the disease.

Immunitas is building a robust pipeline of highly differentiated antibody-based therapeutics. Their development candidate, IMT-009 (a-CD161 mAb), is moving toward the clinic with anticipated Investigational New Drug authorisation in 2022. IMT-009 shows potential efficacy for mono-therapy and combination treatment for solid tumours and haematological malignancies. Cool!

-Navrogen: 
Their mission is to develop therapeutic agents that can overcome the immunosuppressive effects of factors that suppress humoral⁴ immune responses produced by tumours as well as develop diagnostic tools that can identify these factors in patients’ tumours.  Suppression of HIO (Humoral Immuno-Oncology) is mediated by tumour-produced proteins called HIO factors. Their proprietary Block-Removed Immunoglobulin Technology (BRITE) and screening platforms enable them to engineer antibodies to be refractory or antagonist to the immunosuppression mediated by HIO factors. 

NAV-001 is an ADC ³. NAV-001 targets tumour cells that express mesothelin (MSLN) via release of its toxic payload. They have discovered that HIO-1 (CA125) produced in the tumour microenvironment can diminish payload delivery inside tumour cells. They used BRITE to select an ADC that is refractory to HIO-1 and is more effective at killing MSLN-positive tumour cells. NAV-001 is being developed for advanced stage lung adenocarcinoma and first-line mesothelioma. 

NAV-006 is a next-generation rituximab⁵. They have discovered that rituximab is bound and immunosuppressed by HIO-1 produced in the tumour microenvironment. The BRITE enhancement removes the HIO-1 binding site so that NAV-006 is more effective at killing lymphoma cells. It is being developed for treating HIO-1-positive Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Cool!

Visit their sites to know more!

Immunitas

Navrogen

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Disclaimer: Information regarding these companies has been sourced from their websites, no copyright infringement intended. Visit their websites to know more.

¹ Check out my previous blog post to understand CAR-T cells better: https://www.starkonium.com/2021/06/2-industry-roundup-blue-blood-halo-on.html

² A cool video showing CAR-T cells destroying Glioblastoma cells: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D6_xWYlLy4

³ For information on ADC's: https://www.starkonium.com/2021/06/3-industry-roundup-overture-to-oncology.html

⁴ Humoral immunity utilises antibodies and immune-effector cells involving the complement system to mediate the killing of cancer cells. 

⁵ Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody medication used to treat certain autoimmune diseases and certain types of cancer.