Innovative Cancer Treatments

Scientific Platforms

Our Scientific Platforms

Our Research & Development Focus

Our research and development efforts are focused on advancing treatments for thoracic, gastrointestinal and hematologic cancers by utilizing approaches best suited to make a difference for patients. Our investigational therapies are classified within four modalities: antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), complex biologics, small molecules and gamma delta T cell therapies.

We are well positioned to advance therapies leveraging these modalities, drawing on decades of experience as pioneers in developing small molecules, such as proteasome inhibitors for hematologic cancers, as well as expertise in ADCs and early-stage programs across our core modalities.

Antibody-Drug Conjugates combine the targeting specificity of antibodies with the power of anti-cancer drugs. The antibody part of the ADC specifically binds to cancer cells, delivering the attached drug directly to the tumor, which is designed to help kill cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissues.^1-3

Complex Biologics are advanced treatments made from large, intricate molecules, such as protein-based therapies, that are designed to precisely target specific parts of a disease pathway. Using a sophisticated manufacturing process incorporating linkers and fusions, these therapies may interact with multiple biological targets. Complex biologics, such as fusion proteins and bispecifics, can be used to treat various conditions, including cancer, and may offer new options for diseases where an unmet patient need exists. ^4-6

Small Molecules can enter cells easily and interfere with specific proteins or pathways that cancer cells rely on to grow and survive due to their size and low molecular weight. These molecules can activate cell death pathways, block signals that tell cancer cells to divide, recruit immune cells to attack the tumor and/or disrupt other processes that cancer cells need, in an effort to slow down or stop the progression of the disease.^7-9

Gamma Delta T Cell Therapies are a form of immunotherapy that harnesses a unique subset of T cells to target and destroy cancer cells. Unlike other T cells, gamma delta T cells have been shown to recognize and attack a wide range of cancer cells while potentially sparing healthy cells, without the need for prior sensitization.^10-12

We are progressing internal programs that leverage these modalities, which have the potential to address cancer from multiple angles, while evaluating opportunities for external collaboration and partnerships to continue growing our pipeline. While we are currently focused on these four modalities, we continue to monitor scientific advances and prioritize opportunities with the highest potential to address patients’ needs.

References

¹ Huang YC, Chen G. Characterization of antibody-drug conjugates by mass spectrometry: advances and future trends. Drug Discovery Today. 2016;21:850-855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2016.04.004. ² Alley SC, Okeley NM, Senter PD. Antibody–drug conjugates: targeted drug delivery for cancer. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology. 2010;14:529-537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2010.06.170. ³ Flygare JA, Pillow TH, Aristoff PA. Antibody-Drug Conjugates for the Treatment of Cancer. Chem Biol Drug Des. 2013;81:113-121. https://doi.org/10.1111/cbdd.12085. ⁴Vulto AG, Jaquez OA. The process defines the product: what really matters in biosimilar design and production? Rheumatology (Oxford). 2017 Aug 1;56(suppl_4):iv14-iv29. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kex278. PMID: 28903544; PMCID: PMC5850795.
⁵ U.S. Food and Drug Administration. What Are "Biologics" Questions and Answers. 2018. Available at: https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/center-biologics-evaluation-and-research-cber/what-are-biologics-questions-and-answers. ⁶ Brenner MK. Clinical success of complex biological therapies: be careful what you wish for... Mol Ther. 2010;18(10):1737-1738. doi:10.1038/mt.2010.204. ⁷ Liu GH, Chen T, Zhang X, Ma XL, Shi HS. Small molecule inhibitors targeting the cancers. MedComm (2020). 2022;3(4):e181. https://doi:10.1002/mco2.181. ⁸ Li R, Ma X-L, Gou C and Tse WKF. Editorial: Novel small molecules in targeted cancer therapy. Front. Pharmacol. 2023;14:1272523. https://doi:10.3389/fphar.2023.1272523. ⁹ Sun G, Rong D, Li Z, et al. Role of Small Molecule Targeted Compounds in Cancer: Progress, Opportunities, and Challenges. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021;9:694363. https://doi:10.3389/fcell.2021.694363. ¹⁰ Saura-Esteller J, de Jong M, King LA, Ensing E, Winograd B, de Gruijl TD, Parren PWHI and van der Vliet HJ. Gamma Delta T-Cell Based Cancer Immunotherapy: Past-Present-Future. Front. Immunol. 2022;13:915837 https://doi:10.3389/fimmu.2022.915837. ¹¹ Mensurado S, Blanco-Domínguez R, Silva-Santos B. The emerging roles of γδ T cells in cancer immunotherapy. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2023;20(3):178-191. https://doi:10.1038/s41571-022-00722-1. ¹² Kabelitz D, Serrano R, Kouakanou L, Peters C, Kalyan S. Cancer immunotherapy with γδ T cells: many paths ahead of us. Cell Mol Immunol. 2020;17(9):925-939. https://doi:10.1038/s41423-020-0504-x.