Xconomy: Igenica Follows Genentech Into Antibody-Linked Cancer Drugs
Summary
Igenica has just started its first clinical trial on an anti-cancer antibody—-following in the footsteps of Genentech, which developed groundbreaking antibody drugs such as Rituxan, a blockbuster treatment for the blood cancer non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma approved in 1997.Igenica’s first clinical stage drug, IGN523, is an experimental remedy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), another cancer that affects white blood cells.Asked how she sells new investors on the company, she casts Igenica like an observant younger child who watched the older kids crash through the barriers first.“We’re not just addressing a small sub-population here.” Big pharmaceutical companies including Boehringer Ingelheim and Novartis are also testing drug candidates for acute myeloid leukemia that could some day compete with IGN523.Although the 33-participant trial is geared toward assessing the safety of varied doses of IGN523, it will also give Igenica a peek at its possible efficacy, and may encourage the company to tackle another cancer type, Haak-Frendscho says.
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