Biotech Strategy Blog

Commentary on Science, Innovation & New Products with a focus on Oncology, Hematology & Immunotherapy

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Five inspiring presentations from Day 1 at ASH23

Rise and shine over San Diego

Fridays at ASH is usually the province of the education sessions, although increasingly it is becoming the day to catch some really useful and intriguing translational data.

If we want to know where the next developments are heading to then this is the way to find some emerging gems.

I struck lucky this year – the ones selected kept me listening rather than frantically looking for another parallel session to run to.

What emerged in some cases was a deep appreciation for some well thought out ideas based on novel targets, new CAR constructs, different modalities, or even other diseases altogether.

Here we highlight some excellent talks and how they may offer an impact in the future…

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You can’t put the genie back in the bottle

Are dark clouds rolling in on TIGIT?

Often times we see a press release for a negative trial – defined here as one which missed its primary endpoint – where the overwhelming temptation is to simply announce the top level findings and be done with it.

I will argue there are valuable lessons to be learned in the process, and sometimes, perhaps realise a different trial design or selection criteria might have led to an entirely different result.

Here is one example I’d like to highlight because phase 3 trials are already underway and there may be insights we can learn from and handicap future larger trial readouts…

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A look at T cell therapies at ASH23

Next stop – the ASH convention center!

In our final Preview ahead of the annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), we’re focusing on immunotherapies.

With thousands of abstracts to wade through, it’s all too easy to think either there isn’t much going on or worse, so much it’s too complicated to even think about parsing.

To make things easier we picked ten different approaches to discuss, mostly involving early stage developments across numerous companies (big and small), plus a variety of targets, modalities and even immune cell subsets.

The value of looking at these kind of approaches now is being more prepared later in anticipating evolving trends and competitors because the IO space moves fast – and stealthily…

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Breathing fire into targeted therapies at ASH23

In our latest Preview from the American Society of Hematology, we’re using the dragon’s fire as a metaphor to represent the power and precise nature targeted therapies can have in combating cancer.

Just like the precise and intense flame of a dragon, when done well targeted therapies can focus on specific molecular or genetic targets within cancer cells, aiming to destroy them with accuracy and efficiency.

The image of a dragon’s fire also evokes a sense of strength and force. Similarly, targeted therapies exhibit strength in their ability to attack cancer cells while minimising damage to healthy cells, unlike traditional therapies such as chemotherapy, which can affect both cancer and healthy cells.

Dragons are often perceived as relentless and persistent creatures. In the same way, targeted therapies persistently aim at specific vulnerabilities or markers present in cancer cells, continuously working to inhibit their growth or destroy them over time.

Dragons are often depicted as overcoming obstacles or adversaries. Targeted therapies may represent a novel approach addressing specific challenges within cancer cells, aiming to overcome them and impede the progression of the disease.

We’re not interested in me-toos though – what we really need are either established products going into earlier lines of treatment in order to have a bigger impact on a wider group of people with cancer or new targets to chase and open up new avenues and opportunities for oncology R&D pipelines.

In this preview, we offer a wide selection with a potent mixture of both elements to consider…

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Seeing the wood from the trees at ASH23

Just a couple of years ago a particular hematologic target was all the rage with multiple companies, large and small, rushing a variety of early stage agents with different modalities and designs into the clinic.

Then silence ensued.

Some of them have inevitably gone by the wayside with time, while others are now showcasing their preclinical and clinical chops at the forthcoming annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in San Diego next month.

As with every oncology R&D niche there are winners and losers galore.

Here we identify ten key abstracts to watch out for, plus an additional one which could shed important light on some of the earlier findings…

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Insights on an emerging competitor landscape

It’s Thanksgiving week in the US!

It’s a short week for us here on BSB because it’s Thanksgiving on Thursday followed by Black Friday the next day.

Now to be clear, we’re not having a sale on that day or even on Cyber Monday, but since it’s my birthday tomorrow, we do have a very rare offer (now live) for interested parties.

Check out our pricing page for more details!

Not all of the best drugs are born in the USA, however, as our latest landscape review and ASH23 Preview amply illustrates.

This emerging niche may have a few surprises hidden in it, and not necessarily from the expected quarters.

Here we highlight some abstracts to watch out for in San Diego in the context of recent developments in the space.

We also explain select ones we find intriguing, highlight emerging biotechs to watch out for (and why), plus identify those which could lead to some unexpected future dog drug heaven exits…

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Wielding AI’s power for scientific good

Protein structure Source: Generate Biomedicine

With the incredibly rapid advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) models of late there is growing potential for an exponential impact on R&D, especially in the field of oncology.

While some observers may well be sceptical or wary, there are ways we can use these tools for greater scientific good by generating better, smarter drug designs rather than just mere productivity gains.

As more companies are exploring difficult or intractable targets, the need for enhanced computational power is increasing.

In our latest post, we combine some amazing discovery findings from the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) meeting with a story around the evolution of computational models and how they can help some brave companies and researchers develop new medicines with a difference rather than yet another me-too drug.

Are you ready for a tempestuous revolution rather than a slow paced evolution?

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Wrestling an intractable cancer target into submission

Santa Fe, NM

When it comes to intractable or tricky to drug targets, I’ve always thought this is where companies should put their best people on these projects and give them space and creativity to come up with new solutions to an age old problem.

There is both beauty and opportunity in either being first or best to a previously untamed oncology niche.

Why chase the herd of me-toos when you can conquer what was previously considered impossible?

After all, this is where there is advantage to be gained, especially if you have a head start then it’s up to everyone else to define how they are different and better than the first to the frontier land.

In our latest review, we explore the fresh opportunities to be had for savvy companies who have created novel pipeline agents in an early, yet emerging niche…

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Unveiling the science behind a new IO strategy

Fall forest trail

Today is one of those ‘welcome to the frontier of cancer therapeutics, where innovation meets possibility’ moments.

In the realm of cutting-edge biotech, a new IO player has emerged from the north east, charting a course to change cancer treatment for the better.

This biotech company is navigating uncharted territory, exploring novel approaches to enhance T cell interactions, with a specific focus on overcoming T cell exhaustion – a common hurdle in advanced cancers which often limits our ability to mount a sustained immune response.

Who are they and what precisely are they doing differently?

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Setting the scene

Can TIGIT stand out from the crowd in gastric cancer?

We have seen all sorts of molecules come along in gastric-esophageal carcinomas, from antibodies, ADCs, bispecifics, small molecules, even CAR-T cell therapies.  Some have been more successful than others.

As the competition heats up even in the expanding number of subniches, it’s going to take some stellar data to stand out from the crowd.

We’ve already seen several miss such as Beigene’s much touted Fc-competent anti-TIGIT antibody ociperlimab in the second line setting at ESMO23 last month, while pembrolizumab continued its onward march at the ESMO Plenary back in February.

Now we have three more earlier stage agents to look at across different modalities such as Akeso’s PD1xCTLA4 bispecific cadonilimab, Keymed/AstraZeneca’s Claudin 18.2 ADC CMG901 and Arcus/Gilead’s anti-TIGIT antibody, domvanalimab.

In our latest review, we take a look at how these agents are doing…

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