Antisoma makes progress on joint anticancer development programme
Antisoma, the UK-based biopharmaceutical company specialising in the development of novel anticancer drugs, and US biotechnology company EMD Lexigen Research Centre, have codeveloped a novel cancer therapy.
Antisoma, the UK-based biopharmaceutical company specialising in the development of novel anticancer drugs, and US biotechnology company EMD Lexigen Research Centre, have codeveloped a novel cancer therapy.
The ATTACK (Anti-tumour Therapy with Targeting Antibodies and CytoKines) approach is based on the application of Lexigen's immunocytokine technology and using Antisoma's antibody huBC1 and the antitumour cytokine IL12.
The two companies have created an immunocytokine fusion protein incorporating huBC1 and IL12, which has been shown to have antitumour effects in animal models of several different cancers. IL12 is known to have potent effects on tumours, but intravenous administration has been associated with severe and often treatment-limiting side-effects. Combining it with the huBC1 antibody, which targets oncofoetal fibronectin, a molecule associated with new tumour blood vessels, is a potential way to harness its antitumour properties while minimising side effects.
'Immunocytokine technology lends itself to many approaches through different combinations of antibodies and cytokines,' said Stephen Gillies, president of EMD Lexigen and global head of oncology research for its parent company Merck KgaA. 'We are excited to work with the novel targeting concept of Antisoma to create an innovative approach to cancer therapy.'