Biotech Strategy Blog

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

About MaverickNY

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Posts by MaverickNY

A new approach to overcoming CAR-T cell limitations

In order to make a lasting difference, is it time to move on from the limitations of traditional CAR-T cell therapies?

At ASH this year there are a number of cool new early developments coming along in this space.

We will be covering these from different companies in the field today (part one) and tomorrow (part two) in the latest BSB mini-series.

And no, I’m not talking about traditional CAR-T cell therapies in 2L DLBCL, such as we saw in an oral session yesterday and the plenary today, which drew sparkly reviews and plaudits from many in the ASH audience.

At some point in the future they will be knocked of their perch by newer products with enhanced performance and improved outcomes.

Some of these potential advances will likely be under many people’s radar, so this is an excellent opportunity to explain the biology behind some of the ongoing issues and explore what a few creative companies are secretly doing behind the scenes to fix them…

BSB subscribers can read up on our ongoing commentary and analysis from the ASH annual meeting – you can either log-in or click to access our latest discussion.

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What can we learn from early stage IO trials?

The search continues to find novel IO approaches to be used either with or instead of checkpoint blockade in a number of advanced solid tumours.

Plain sailing or a rocky road ahead?

In the recent past, much of the combination strategies tended to focus almost exclusively on the adaptive immune system with limited results given the majority of people still do not respond to these therapies.

What if we could utilise the innate immune system in a complementary fashion much more effectively than we have previously?

In order to achieve this nirvana, we need to develop either new technologies to facilitate jumpstarting the stalled immune system or think creatively about doublet and triplet regimens which make sense in tackling the different immune defects present.

Here’s a look at two such early approaches where we explore the latest data and put it context of both what’s known, and also where we’re likely headed…

BSB subscribers can read up on our ongoing commentary and analysis from the cancer conference season – you can either log-in or click to access our latest analysis.

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Can we predict response to breast cancer therapy?

It’s time for some breast cancer highlights where we look at some of the key findings from the first day of the annual SABCS meeting.

Order from chaos

There were a number of key talks to think about with two particularly outstanding presentations of interest to many BSB readers because of the potential implications of the research…

Importantly, how do we go about finding deeper patterns in large datasets rather than merely looking at the top line clinical findings in the ITT population and treating everyone the same?

BSB subscribers can read up on our ongoing commentary and analysis from the cancer conference season – you can either log-in or click to access our latest analysis.

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What to watch out for on the CAR-T cell therapy front

With ASH starting this week, it’s time for our annual CAR-T cell therapy Preview.

With a storm warning in Britain today, this also seems a rather apt way of summarising the CAR-T cell abstracts!

Just half a dozen years ago you could count the number of CAR-T cell abstracts on the fingers of one hand, now there’s over 300 to choose from.

What stands out this year and what can we learn from a couple of important controversies in this niche?

Ahead of the meeting, we highlight a number of key abstracts and discuss some of the underlying issues we have been following to give readers a heads up on what to watch out for…

BSB subscribers can read up on our ongoing commentary and analysis from the cancer conference season – you can either log-in or click to access our latest analysis.

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Going beyond the obvious in RAS driven cancers

With all the attention on drugging BRAF and KRAS over the last decade, we have seen a gradual move from pan to selective inhibitors against V600E and G12C/G12D, respectively, as well as novel approaches against multiple KRAS mutations through SOS1 emerging.

Beyond these approaches, what does the future potentially hold?

To be clear, I’m not talking about overcoming resistance such as SHP2, but rather a different kettle of fish altogether.

New companies and RAS/RAF agents on the horizon

It turns out there are quite a few biotechs (public and private) who are doing some creative work behind the scenes – think discovery and preclinical developments you may not have heard much about.

It’s time to turn our attention to new therapeutics on the horizon.

We have posted interviews involving three of these biotechs in the past, but the majority of the dozen selections we have chosen for this latest review are very much newcomers on BSB…

What’s not to like?

BSB subscribers can read up on our ongoing commentary and analysis from the cancer conference season – you can either log-in or click to access our latest analysis.

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Can bispecifics succeed where ADCs have failed?

This post is a consideration of a novel target and the promise, opportunities, and lessons learned from recent translational research as well as early phase clinical trials.

In exploring different modalities – can we expect to see different results?

Several companies have attempted to therapeutically drug this target with an array of agents, including ADCs, antibodies, vaccines, and even CAR-T cell therapy, raising the critical question of whether bispecifics can succeed where ADCs and others have failed?

Where does this target now stand from both a new product development and BD&L perspective?

Like fantasy football, if you have it in your portfolio, should you play it, bench it, waive it or trade it for something else?

In this case study, we’re offering our analysis, commentary, and conclusions…

BSB subscribers can read up on our ongoing commentary and analysis from the cancer conference season – you can either log-in or click to access our latest analysis.

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New developments in the cell and gene therapy landscape

It’s time for an important update on the Cell and Gene therapy landscape.

Can budding new technologies make an impact on CAR-T performance and safety?

Increasingly we are seeing novel technologies being developed in academia and being licensed to biotech companies for use in conjunction with their products.

This cross fertilisation of ideas is a good use of both parties expertise, which will hopefully benefit more patients in the long run.

As we seek improved performance of cell therapy products in terms of potency and persistence, safety becomes an ever more important aspect to watch out for, especially if gene editing is involved.

In this latest post on the C&GT niche, we explore a number of pertinent issues and offer an update on a company not long out of stealth mode…

To learn more about gene and cell therapy improvements in the oncology niche and get a heads up on our oncology commentary and insights, subscribers can log-in or you can click to gain access to BSB Premium Content.

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Lessons learned from SITC – Part 1

Not all high TMB tumours are inflamed…

Discussing the lessons learned from preclinical research or clinical trials, while not a popular endeavour for obvious reasons, are nevertheless an important part and parcel of oncology R&D.

Sometimes we learn more from failure than we do from success.

Other times we can be inspired by some cool science which turns out to be pivotal in changing how we think about future strategies.

In a two-part series from SITC this week we are going to cover some key findings across various talks and posters, which are not simply run of the mill rehashes or perfunctory phase 1 dose escalation studies.

What lies beneath the bonnet for the curious amongst you?

BSB subscribers can read up on our ongoing commentary and analysis from the cancer conference season – you can either log-in or click to access our latest analysis.

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New trials and tribulations in drugging KRAS mutations

Is the ride going to be a thrilling long or disappointingly short one?

The KRAS niche continues to rattle on at an incredible pace with new findings, new trials, or even a new molecular entity (NME) coming along seemingly every month.

In this latest update on the landscape, we discuss some important new findings, as well as a novel agent to thing about in this space, which is quite different from what we have seen before.

To be clear – this doesn’t mean a novel approach doesn’t have any legs, nor that the latest science behind where we should be going with combinations is doomed.  Indeed, sometimes finding a balance is a bit akin to a highwire act.

The important thing is to focus on the learnings and determine where the field might be headed…

BSB subscribers can read up on our ongoing commentary and analysis from the cancer conference season – you can either log-in or click to access our latest analysis.

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An immunotherapy for the long run – or tail

With SITC fast coming up this week, immunotherapies in all sorts of shapes and guises are very much going to be at the forefront of many people’s attention.

The Fall conference season is in full swing – time to take a look at an emerging new development

Aside from various well established approaches though, is there anything new on the horizon?

It turns out there is something that caught our imagination at BSB.

The good news it’s not yet another X checkpoint inhibitor/immune agonist/cytokine – this concept is both a novel and a compelling one.

It also potentially fills a need not addressed by the other approaches.

Want to learn more about this intriguing approach based on rationally driven science?

BSB subscribers can read up on our ongoing commentary and analysis from the cancer conference season – you can either log-in or click to access our latest analysis.

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