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February 2012
SHARING OPTIONS:
According to many researchers, ADCs are poised to deliver
much-needed targeted therapies for cancer. ADCs consist of an antibody linked
to a payload drug. The antibody causes the ADC to bind to the target cancer
cells. Often the ADC is then internalized by the cell, and the drug is released
to do its damage. Because of such targeting, it is hoped that side effects will
be lower, and researchers will be given a wider therapeutic window.
ImmunoGen has developed specialized cancer cell-killing
agents to serve as payloads to be attached to tumor-targeting antibodies for
targeted delivery to tumor cells.
ImmunoGen is using its TAP technology to develop compounds,
both through its own pipeline and those of its partners. ImmunoGen’s lead
compound, trastuzumab emtansine, is in advanced clinical testing by Genentech
and Roche. The company also has two other compounds in development,
lorvotuzumab mertansine (IMGN901) for CD56+ solid tumors and multiple myeloma
and SAR3419 for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. According to the company, clinical data
have been published on more anticancer compounds made with its technology, and
in more cancers than with any other technology in the ADC field.
Lilly declined to comment beyond the statements it provided
in its Dec. 20 press release, emphasizing the statement of Dr. Greg Plowman,
vice president of Lilly Oncology research, which stated, “Today’s technological
advances offer hope for future cancer patients. Lilly has a diverse pipeline of
targeted cancer therapies, and is focused on the development of agents with
clear clinical benefit in specific patient populations.”
Plowman, who is also the senior vice president of research
for ImClone, added, “The use of ImmunoGen’s technology to develop antibody-drug
conjugates holds promise in helping Lilly achieve these improved outcomes for
patients.”
Amgen did not respond to interview requests for this story.
In a press release, Daniel Junius, president and CEO of the Waltham,
Mass.-based company, stated, “Lilly is a leader in the development of
innovative, anticancer medicines. Their commitment to developing significant
new antibody-based therapeutics makes them an attractive partner for
ImmunoGen.”
U of Cambridge joins Lilly’s Open Innovation Drug
Discovery Platform
CAMBRIDGE, U.K.—The University of Cambridge has joined Eli
Lilly & Co.’s Open Innovation Drug Discovery Platform program, an
initiative that aims to foster top talent in medical discovery and address the
challenges by researchers in Europe.
Designed to minimize obstacles and benefit continued
research that supplements the innovation of Lilly’s scientists, the new
platform—accessed via a secure website at
https://openinnovation.lilly.com—offers researchers working in universities,
hospitals and other academic institutions an opportunity to use Lilly’s
research and development capacity to evaluate compounds in development as
potential new medicines.
“I think of Open Innovation Drug Discovery as a platform
consisting of multiple superhighways all pointed towards the final destination
of discovering novel medicines that we believe have the potential to improve
patients’ lives,” said Dr. Alan D. Palkowitz, vice president of discovery
chemistry research and technologies at Lilly, in a statement. “These
superhighways connect scientists from all over the world with Lilly, for the
common goal of finding new treatments for diseases where patients are in need
and looking for answers, such as cancer, diabetes and multi-drug resistant
tuberculosis.”
Other participating universities, biotechs and research
institutes are located in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United
Kingdom.
Code: E021224
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