Biotech Strategy Blog

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

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AACR23 – New is not necessarily better

Orlando – At AACR23 the old adage of “be the first, or be the best” is well and truly on display when it comes to oncology drug development.

This should give heart to companies who break new ground.

Me-too drugs and follow-on innovation, however, has to deliver in terms of enhanced clinical benefit or a much improved toxicity profile.

At AACR23 we’ve already seen a few companies fall a bit short.

New does not always mean better – instead it may well be a case of ‘who dares wins’, to use the motto of the British SAS.

In this latest post we’re continuing our commentary and analysis of data presented at AACR23.

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AACR23 – is the Florida sun shining on KRAS?

Orlando – AACR23 is in full swing and one of the areas gaining a lot of attention at the meeting is a surfeit of new data on targeting KRAS.

In this post we review some of the key data presented so far, along with commentary from some of the education sessions we’ve covered, which not everyone may have attended.

Can we beat KRAS and, if not, what are the challenges to be overcome? How should we go about this endeavour?  Is it all sun and palm trees in Florida?

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AACR23 Preview 8 – Keys to success in TPD

The key to success in TPDIn our final AACR Preview ahead of the meeting, we take a look at various protein and molecular glue degraders where we highlight some of the potential areas of interest, as well as some of the challenges the field faces.

We also point to a key variable or measure to watch out for in presentations at this meeting…

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AACR23 Preview 7 – Surfeit of riches

With the rapidly evolving KRAS niche from seemingly intractable therapeutically to a vast array of different MOAs now appearing in company pipelines, you could well be forgiven for thinking of Perry Como singing ‘it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.’ 

The sheer number of new agents, novel targets, different MOAs, and even creative combination strategies emerging is making this niche incredibly hard – albeit rewarding – to keep up with.

Every time we post even a mini update there seems to be something new to discuss and the latest review is no different in this respect… prepare to be pleasantly surprised!

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AACR23 Preview 6 – Taking a closer look at KRAS Part 1

In our latest AACR Preview series we now turn our attention to the evolving KRAS niche of inhibitors and degraders.

It’s not that long ago we only had G12C mutations to talk about in terms of what was considered ‘druggable’ and now we have another mutant (G12D) with at least two agents in the clinic already and more soon to come.

Of course, there are also the pan inhibitors in the mix and these will be covered separately.

For now though, it’s the turn of the selective agents with much more going on than many observers may realise, including some interesting novel developments coming through…

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AACR23 Preview 5 – an emerging landscape

Bridge over troubled waters or time to lay down?

In our latest preview, we’re taking a look at a pathway previously thought to be ‘undruggable’ – an awful term we increasingly should think carefully about using given it may only reflect the limitations of current science.

As we’ve seen with KRAS – and this piece is not about that pathway – innovative science can quickly turn the ‘undruggable’ into something much more ‘tractable’ with the right agents.

In our latest post we’re looking at the emerging landscape for a class of new agents in early development we expect to hear more about at the AACR23 annual meeting in Orlando.

Which companies will be the winners and losers is too early to tell, but much like crossing the bridge in Iwakuni, are you better off staying with the group, or taking an entirely different route to success?

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AACR23 Preview 4 – Stepping It Up

Continuing our evaluation and exploration of another batch of early stage anti-cancer compounds either in late preclinical or phase 1 clinical development, there are some surprises in store this year.

While following the nth molecule in a given space may have utility for patients in the form of the improved design and superior outcomes, here at BSB we’re much more intrigued by uncovering and following novel targets.  Some of these we first wrote about in 2016 or earlier when they were little known and very much under the radar.

As we start to see more clinical data emerge how are things holding up and just as importantly, how is the field evolving in the context of different approaches to the same tumour target?

One of the biggest mistakes I see rookie industry folks commit is to only follow competitors with the same target as the one they have in house.  They’re so blinkered they don’t realise the standard of care can be changed by a completely different regimen from the one they are pursuing.  This means by the time they come to market they have to usurp something they don’t have data against.  It happens all the time, sadly, and can lead to a suboptimal post launch performance.  Oops.

New product development is never easy, although the good news is we have another group of targets/modalities/companies/tumour types to review and discuss – what’s not to like?!

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AACR23 Preview 3 – Emerging agents with a different mechanism of action

As we continue our new products journey evaluating early stage agents in development with data at AACR23, it’s time to assess another batch of compounds in the context of the broader landscape.

What stands out and why does this or that agent matter?

Yes we all want to be able to tell the wood from the trees, but what are some of the critical questions needing to be asked and answered in order to be able to do this?

There’s a lot of intriguing and innovative drugs on the horizon at AACR23, so plenty to watch out for!

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AACR23 Preview 2 – Seeing the wood from the trees

Seeing the wood from the trees

The annual AACR meetings are where we look for hidden gems, new trends, novel targets, as well as a raft of early stage agents coming out of company pipelines.

The problem is which ones stand out from the crowd and how do we attempt to see the solid wood from the mass of trees surrounding us?  Unfortunately, it isn’t always obvious and the first past the initial stage of development isn’t necessarily the best example or most optimised in the long run.

Let’s not also forget how a whole niche can also wither overnight based on the first company’s negative results, which can be in the form of lack of efficacy – Incyte’s IDO inhibitor was a good example causing a major sneeze – or severe toxicities viz BET/Bromodomains, which fizzled out almost overnight after a promising start and a long list of competitors vying for time, space, and attention gradually faded from view.

In our latest Preview, we take a look at four early stage new developments and highlight some potential opportunities and challenges to be addressed…

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AACR23 Preview 1 – What to watch for

With the AACR abstract drop coming tomorrow, it’s a good opportunity to explore what are some of the important broader themes to watch out for at the annual meeting this year?

In the first of our conference preview series, we highlight six key areas to watch out for and why they’re important in the context of novel or early stage development molecules coming through in oncology pipelines.

Some of the selections may well cause a few surprises…

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