Pipeline

CD19 and DLBCL

CD19 is a B cell marker and is expressed on the surface of B cell malignancies such as Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). DLBCL is a subtype of Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHLs). DLBCL is expected to impact approximately 26,000 patients in the US in 2018. Even though significant improvements in therapies have occurred in the past years, about 45% of patients with DLBCL die of either their disease or of non-cancerous causes ⁽¹⁾.

BCMA and Multiple Myeloma

Survival of plasma cells is regulated by B cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Multiple myeloma is a plasma cell disorder that remains an incurable disease, despite recent therapeutic advances. Multiple myeloma is expected to impact approximately 31,000 patients in the US in 2018 ⁽²⁾.

HER2

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) has been implicated in several aggressive cancers such as in about 62% of glioblastoma multiforme patients ^(3,4), a typically incurable brain tumor, and in about 20% of breast cancer patients ^(5,6). It is also expressed in several other cancers. Glioblastoma multiforme is expected to impact approximately 16,000 patients ⁽⁷⁾, and HER2 positive breast cancer is expected to impact approximately 54,000 patients ⁽⁸⁾, in the US in 2018.

ROR1

Receptor tyrosine kinase like orphan receptor 1 (ROR1) expression has been shown in a number of cancerous tissues, including in about 53% of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) ^(9-11), 33% of breast ⁽¹²⁾, 94% of colorectal ⁽¹³⁾, 15% of pancreatic ⁽¹¹⁾, and 61% of ovarian ^{(11,12,14,16)} cancers. High expression of ROR1 has been demonstrated to decrease overall survival ^(9,12-14). Targeting ROR1 presents a large market opportunity.

References:

(1) Cancer. 2017 Sep 1;123(17):3326-3334
(2) https://www.cancer.org/cancer/multiple-myeloma/about/key-statistics.html
(3) J Natl Cancer Inst. 2015 Dec 6;108(5)
(4) J Neurooncol. 2007 Dec;85(3):281-7
(5) http://www.lbbc.org/sites/default/files/HER2%20Final%202016.pdf
(6) Oncologist. 2009 Apr;14(4):320-68
(7) Neuro Oncol. 2015 Oct;17 Suppl 4:iv1-iv62
(8) https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/cancer-facts-and-statistics/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures/breast-cancer-facts-and-figures-2017-2018.pdf
(9) Sci Rep. 2016 Nov 10;6:36447
(10) PLoS One. 2015 May 15;10(5):e0127092
(11) Clin Cancer Res. 2017 Jun 15;23(12):3061-3071
(12) Virchows Arch. 2016 May;468(5):589-95
(13) Oncotarget. 2017 May 16;8(20):32864-32872
(14) Sci Rep. 2014 Jul 24;4:5811
(15) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Dec 2;111(48):17266-71
(16) Transl Oncol. 2017 Jun;10(3):346-356