Nordic Life Science 1
ANOTHER COMPANY IN the field of immunotherapy is
Cantargia, specializing in antibody-based cancer therapy. Their patented treatment CAN04 fights cancer both through activation of the immune defense and through blockade of signals that drive tumor growth. “To manipulate the immune system to treat cancer patients is probably the hottest research area today and this is where Cantargia also is contributing. We are therefore very happy that the Nobel Prize has been awarded to two scientists who have demonstrated the value of using the body’s own immune system to fight cancer. We continue to strive to make the future cancer therapies even better,” says Göran Forsberg, CEO of Cantargia. Swedish Alligator Biosciences has also based its company on these Nobel discoveries. In particular its bispecific drug candidate, ATOR-1015, which is a next-generation CTLA-4 immuno-oncology agent, is born out of Allison’s pioneering discovery. “We are thankful for the commitment of these two scientists and to the transformation they have brought to cancer research and to patients living with cancer. Their discovery has paved the way for improved therapies for this devastating disease,” says Per Norlén, CEO of Alligator. Other examples of Nordic companies in the field of immuno-oncology are Hansa Medical, Targovax, Immunicum, Immunovia, Nuevolution and Zelluna Immunotherapy. Upper left: Activation of T cells requires that the T-cell receptor binds to structures on other immune cells recognized as ”non-self”. A protein functioning as a T-cell accelerator is also required for T cell activation. CTLA- 4 functions as a brake on T cells that inhibits the function of the accelerator. Lower left: Antibodies (green) against CTLA-4 block the function of the brake leading to activation of T cells and attack on cancer cells. Upper right: PD-1 is another T-cell brake that inhibits T-cell activation. Lower right: Antibodies against PD-1 inhibit the function of the brake leading to activation of T cells and highly efficient attack on cancer cells In the Nordic region there are also promising research findings and interesting new pharmaceuticals in the field of immune checkpoint therapy. AstraZeneca has for example been making headlines with its recent FDA approval of its checkpoint inhibitor Imfinzi (durvalumab) for the treatment of lung cancer. The approval was the first authorization of a treatment for lung cancer that has not progressed after chemoradiation and in which the tumors cannot be removed by surgery. The decision was based on Phase III trial data in which patients treated with Imfinzi showed an almost 50 percent reduction in the risk of disease progression compared to patients treated with a placebo. 64 Zelluna, a biopharmaceutical company founded in 2016, focuses on the development of T-Cell Receptor (TCR) based immunotherapies. The company has several TCRs in different stages of development. “We are developing cell therapies for solid tumors by genetically engineering the surface receptors of patient lymphocytes. We are also targeting cancer via the immune system, utilizing lymphocytes. However, Zelluna differentiates from the Nobel discoveries in approach by aiming at delivering a large number of activated targeted lymphocytes against the tumor rather than interfering with the “lymphocyte brake” of the immune system. This autologous adoptive cell therapy approach consists of the collection of blood from cancer patients, modified ex-vivo with the introduction of a TCR specific for cancer proteins, and returning activated lymphocytes back to the patient in large numbers to destroy the tumor. The TCRs used by Zelluna have been developed by scientists at the Oslo Radium Hospital from patients who had a long-term survival benefit after immunization with cancer-relevant peptides,” explains Miguel Forte, CEO of the company. He and his colleagues aim at starting clinical trials using the TCRs in autologous adoptive cell therapy in 2020. “Currently we are completing the preparation of the data necessary to request the authorizations to conduct those trials, as well as organizing the manufacturing capability with partners to produce the genetically modified cells from the patients to target their own tumor,” says Forte. NLS NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG