On October 15, 2015 ARMO BioSciences, Inc. (ARMO), a leading developer of immuno-oncology therapeutics and Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. (OMT ) reported a licensing agreement providing ARMO with exclusive rights to OMT’s Programmed Cell Death Protein 1 (PD-1) assets as well as unlimited access to OMT’s proprietary OmniRat, OmniMouse and OmniFlic human antibody generation platforms (Press release, ARMO BioSciences, 15 15, 2015, View Source [SID:1234513063]).
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"This is an important transaction for ARMO as we transition to our next stage of corporate growth. In particular, securing a PD-1 targeting agent provides us with a complete, efficient and cost- effective combination therapy solution for our next generation cytokine therapies," commented Peter Van Vlasselaer, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of ARMO BioSciences.
The addition of an anti-PD-1 program to ARMO’s pipeline of cytokine immunotherapies reinforces the company’s commitment to the development of safe and effective treatments for cancer. ARMO’s clinical stage PEGylated form of recombinant human IL-10, known as AM0010, and anti- PD-1 antibodies work through complementary but distinct mechanisms on CD8+ T cells so the combination maximizes the activation, proliferation and survival of intratumoral, tumor-reactive, cytotoxic CD8+ T cells, which are considered to be central to clinical response. In ongoing clinical studies, AM0010 has already shown activity as a monotherapy and in combination with anti-PD-1 agents in immune-sensitive tumors such as melanoma, RCC, NSCLC and others not previously thought to be sensitive to immunotherapy such as colorectal and pancreatic cancers. Early results from these trials are suggestive of AM0010’s role in augmenting activated tumor infiltrating T cells and PD-1 expression, thereby bestowing anti-PD-1 sensitivity on tumors, including those that had been refractory to anti-PD-1 treatment.
Dr. Roland Buelow, OMT founder and CEO, said, "ARMO’s focus on discovery and development of novel therapies based on proprietary insights of dysregulated immune responses in cancer and atherosclerotic, fibrotic and inflammatory diseases are particularly amenable to human therapeutic antibodies. We are pleased to enable ARMO to access both OMT’s anti-PD1 antibodies and mono- and bi-specific antibody platforms to further the company’s therapeutic objectives."