Avid Bioservices Inc (CDMO)

[jazzbeerman]

jess, it's MRK,

Here's some info-

Note that Besides increased CD4 & CD8 T cells, the drug is also increasing T reg cells.....

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Characterization of cellular immune-responses in cancer patients treated with the immunocytokine selectikine, an IL2/anti-DNA fusion protein

J. Laurent, P. Romero, R. Stupp, and D.E. Speiser

Selectikine (EMD 521873) is a fusion protein consisting of a human antibody fused to two molecules of a genetically modified human interleukin-2 (hIL2). Preclinical data suggest that immunocytokines exert antitumor-activity via CD8 T cell mediated mechanisms. Experiments in mice with the wild-type-IL2 containing immunocytokine ch.14.18-IL2 demonstrated CD8 T cell responses against tumors. Other experiments with ch14.18.IL2 showed that immunocytokine-treatment induced clonal expansion of T cells. Since 2007, 20 patients have been treated with escalating doses of selectikine from 0.075 mg/kg to 0.6 mg/kg. Analysis of T cell populations revealed an increase of proliferation and activation state of CD8 and CD4 T cells, but no significant effect on natural killer cells as expected. No dose depending effect has been observed between the different groups, showing that T cells react well already at low doses. Analysis of sub-populations of CD4 T cells revealed that T-reg cells are also sensitive to selectikine, likely due to their expression of the high avidity IL2 receptor CD25. As a consequence, T-reg cells proliferate considerably upon treatment with selectikine. Functional analysis of T cells, including T-reg cells are ongoing (Study Sponsored by Merck KGaA, Darmstad and EMD Pharmaceuticals Durham, USA).

http://www.cancer-chuv.ch/ccl_home/ccl_recherche/annual_scientific_report.htm

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