Nanjing Legend Biotech, a subsidiary of Chinese firm GenScript, presented stellar results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) annual meeting, showing 100% objective response rate to its BCMA-specific chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T (LCAR-B38M CAR-T cells) in a small trial of refractory/relapsed myeloma patients (Article, BioSeeker Group, JUN 5, 2017, http://www.1stoncology.com/blog/promising-car-t-data-at-asco-puts-bcma-in-the-spotlight-for-the-treatment-of-multiple-myeloma/ [SID1234519389]). Out of 19 patients, 18 (95%) reached complete remission or near complete remission status without a single event of relapse in a median follow-up of 6 months. The majority (14) of the patients experienced mild or manageable cytokine release syndrome, and the rest (5) were even free of diagnosable cytokine release syndrome. Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Simultaneously, Bluebird Bio and partner Celgene reported similar positive data from its phase 1 trial of bb2121 in multiple myeloma at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper). This is all very welcome news and also brings attention and expectation to the other 20 plus BCMA targeting drugs currently in active development for the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Testament to how fast the field of cancer drug development is moving, ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) already presented the next generation to these therapies with Affimed’s and TeneoBio’s pursuit of bispecific BCMA antibodies. Affimed is developing AFM26 which is a BCMA/CD16A tetravalent, bispecific antibody designed to specifically enhance NK-cell anti-Multiple Myeloma activity by redirecting NK-cell lysis to BCMA. TeneoBio on their side are developing a bispecific antibody specific for human CD3 and BCMA using its Human Heavy Chain Antibodies (UniAbs) for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Both of these drug candidates are in preclinical stage of development.
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