US giants Janssen Biotech Inc and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) are to combine two of their most promising immuno-therapy treatments to target lung cancer.
Janssen’s JNJ-64041757 is currently in Phase 1 clinical development for lung cancer, while Bristol Myers’ Opdivo is indicated for the treatment of patients with NSCLC with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy.
An immuno-oncology (I-O) agent, Opdivo (nivolumab) is a human antibody designed to alleviate immune suppression while Janssen’s drug is designed to induce the local recruitment and activation of innate and adaptive effector cells and expansion of mesothelin-specific T cells.
The Phase II clinical trial will evaluate the tolerability and clinical activity of the combination of these agents in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.
“We are excited to collaborate with Janssen as we explore how the emerging science of antigen-presentation therapeutics, in combination with Opdivo, can potentially provide a new treatment approach for patients with lung cancer,” said Jean Viallet, a lead oncology researcher at Bristol-Myers.
Opdivo was the first PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor to receive regulatory approval anywhere in the world and currently has regulatory approval in 54 countries including the United States and Japan.
Immune checkpoint inhibitors enable the body to recognise cancerous cells and stop them going undetected by the body's natural defences.