Oncology
It is now more than ten years since the first monoclonal antibody drug to treat cancer was launched onto the market (Rituxan, 1997). Since then sales of antibody-based cancer drugs have grown rapidly, with the top four achieving combined revenues in excess of US $19 billion in 2010.
A proven approach to treating cancers is by preventing the development of new blood vessels which solid tumours need in order to grow and metastasize. TB-403, an antibody that targets Placental Growth Factor (PlGF), is being developed as a novel inhibitor of blood vessel development (angiogenesis). As PIGF is involved in abnormal but not physiological (normal) angiogenesis, the drug should have a reduced number of side effects compared to current anti-angiogenic treatments. This programme was partnered with Roche in 2008. Currently Roche is running two studies with TB-403, one in patients with glioblastoma multiforme, another in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. TB-403 has the potential to be an important alternative treatment for multiple solid tumours as well as other indications. Annual worldwide sales of the leading angiogenesis inhibitor, Avastin, exceeded US $6 billion in 2010.
We have used our proprietary selection technology FIRSTTM, based on BioInvent's antibody library n-CoDeR®, to identify several antibodies that can selectively recognise cancer cells and trigger their death through a process called apoptosis. This search also identified a number of novel targets for causing cancer cell apoptosis (for more information see Science section). One of these antibodies has now entered clinical development. BI-505 is being developed initially as a treatment for multiple myeloma.
The market for the treatment of multiple myeloma is significant with sales of the two most recently launched drugs totalling US $4.3 billion in 2010. Annual sales of the leading lymphoma treatment, Rituxan, amount to more than US $6 billion.