Abstract
Cancer continues to pose a major health burden worldwide. Prevailing therapies are extremely limited in terms of safety, tolerability, and efficacy. Meanwhile, the morbidity and mortality associated with cancer is fueling interest in novel therapeutic approaches. Foremost among these are therapies that enhance the ability of the body' s own immune system to fight and destroy abnormal cancer cells. Anticancer vaccines and immune modulators, working in concert and as monotherapy, stole the show at ASCO last June, suggesting that after years of failure in the clinic their time has come. Cancer Immunotherapies and Vaccines: Pipeline Analysis and Competitive Dynamics , a new CHA Advances report, surveys and assesses recent developments in this highly promising avenue of cancer therapy.
Numerous biopharmaceutical companies are working to develop approaches that harness the body' s own immune system to fight cancer. Several monoclonal antibodies have already reached the market. This approach is sometimes referred to as passive immunotherapy. Our study focuses on active immunotherapies and vaccines that enhance the ability of the patient' s own immune system to fight cancer.
Cancer Immunotherapies and Vaccines begins by reviewing the pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and current treatment options of eight major cancers targeted by companies developing immune modulating drugs and vaccines:
- breast cancer
- melanoma
- colorectal cancer
- pancreatic cancer
- lung cancer
- prostate cancer
- lymphoma
- renal cancer
While no active cancer immunotherapies (specifically targeted to a type of cancer) have reached the market, the most advanced example is Dendreon' s Provenge. Dendreon is submitting a rolling BLA (Biologics License Application) to the FDA for Provenge, for treatment of advanced hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Clinical trial data supporting this BLA, and available data on other immunotherapies and vaccines, are assessed in the report.
Cancer Immunotherapies and Vaccines also provides:
- An explanation of R&D challenges in the development of cancer immunotherapies and vaccines
- The various technical approaches being used to develop active cancer immunotherapies and vaccines
- The many emerging immune-based therapies that are currently being evaluated in clinical trials for these eight cancers
- Interviews with six senior executives from leading companies in the field of cancer immunotherapies and vaccines who discuss the progress, the challenges and hurdles, faced by researchers
- Pipeline projects of over 35 companies, including discontinued projects
- Thirteen SWOT charts (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) comparing the most promising immunotherapies and vaccines with standard therapy in 6 major cancers
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
- 1.1 Cancer
- 1.2 The Immune System
- 1.3 Cancer Therapy and the Immune System: Focus of the Report
CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF MAJOR CANCERS TARGETED BY IMMUNOTHERAPIES AND VACCINES
- 2.1 Breast Cancer
- Pathology
- Epidemiology
- Diagnosis
- 2.2 Colorectal Cancer
- Pathology
- Epidemiology
- Diagnosis
- 2.3 Lung Cancer
- Pathology
- Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
- Small-Cell Lung Cancer
- Epidemiology
- Diagnosis
- 2.4 Lymphoma
- Pathology of Non-Hodgkin' s Lymphoma
- Epidemiology of Lymphoma
- Diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin' s Lymphoma
- 2.5 Melanoma
- Pathology
- Epidemiology
- Diagnosis
- 2.6 Pancreatic Cancer
- Pathology
- Epidemiology
- Diagnosis
- 2.7 Prostate Cancer
- Pathology
- Epidemiology
- Diagnosis
- 2.8 Renal Cancer
- Pathology
- Epidemiology
- Diagnosis
- 2.9 R&D Challenges in the Development of Cancer Immunotherapies and Vaccines
CHAPTER 3
CURRENT PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OPTIONS
- 3.1 Breast Cancer
- Chemotherapy
- Hormone Therapy
- Targeted Therapy: Herceptin
- 3.2 Colorectal Cancer
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted Therapy: Monoclonal Antibodies
- 3.3 Lung Cancer
- Chemotherapy (Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer)
- Targeted Therapy: Kinase Inhibitors (Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer)
- Photodynamic Therapy (Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer)
- Chemotherapy (Small-Cell Lung Cancer)
- 3.4 Lymphoma
- Chemotherapy
- Monoclonal Antibodies
- Other Immuno-Based Therapies
- 3.5 Melanoma
- Interferon
- Interleukin 2
- Chemotherapy
- 3.6 Pancreatic Cancer
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted Therapy: Inhibition of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
- 3.7 Prostate Cancer
- Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Agonists
- Anti-androgens
- Chemotherapy
- 3.8 Renal Cancer
- Interferon
- Interleukin-2
- Targeted Therapy: Kinase Inhibitors
CHAPTER 4
CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPIES AND VACCINES IN DEVELOPMENT
- 4.1 New Approaches
- Non-Specific Active Immunotherapy (Immune Modulating Agents)
- Antigen Immunotherapies/Vaccines (Allogeneic)
- Autologous Antigen Immunotherapies/Vaccines
- Allogeneic Whole Tumor Cell Immunotherapies/Vaccines
- Autologous Whole Tumor Cell Immunotherapies/Vaccines
- Dendritic Cell Immunotherapies/Vaccines
- DNA and Viral Vector Vaccines
- 4.2 Setbacks
- 4.3 Breast Cancer
- Celldex Therapeutics
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Introgen Therapeutics
- Oxford BioMedica
- 4.4 Colorectal Cancer
- Celldex Therapeutics
- GenVec
- IDM Pharma
- Intracel
- Oxford BioMedica
- 4.5 Lung Cancer
- Active Biotech
- AVAX Technologies
- GlaxoSmithKline
- IDM Pharma
- Introgen Therapeutics
- Merck KGaA and Biomira
- NovaRx
- Pfizer and Coley Pharmaceutical
- Pharmexa
- Transgene
- 4.6 Lymphoma
- Biovest International
- Favrille
- Genitope
- Transgene
- 4.7 Melanoma
- Antigenics
- AVAX Technologies
- BioVex
- GenVec
- GlaxoSmithKline
- IDM Pharma
- Medarex and Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Merck KGaA
- Oxxon Therapeutics
- Pfizer
- Progenics Pharmaceuticals
- Vical
- 4.8 Pancreatic Cancer
- Celldex Therapeutics
- Cell Genesys
- GenVec
- GlobeImmune
- Lorus Therapeutics
- Pharmexa
- Receptor BioLogix
- 4.9 Prostate Cancer
- Cell Genesys
- Dendreon
- Northwest Biotherapeutics
- Oxford BioMedica
- 4.10 Renal Cancer
- Active Biotech
- Antigenics
- Argos Therapeutics
- Idera Pharmaceuticals
- Oxford BioMedica
CHAPTER 5.0
EXPERT INTERVIEWS - A VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE
- Roman M. Chicz, PhD, Senior Vice President, Research and Development
- Antigenics Inc.
- C. Richter King, PhD, Senior Vice President of Research
- GenVec, Inc.
- Arthur M. Krieg, MD, Senior Vice President, Research and Development, and
Chief Scientific Officer
- Coley Pharmaceutical Group
- Christopher Nicodemus, MD, Senior Vice President, Research and Development
- Unither Pharmaceuticals
- Charles A. Nicolette, PhD, Vice President, Research and Development
- Argos Therapeutics
- Peter K. Working, PhD, Senior Vice President, Research and Development
- Cell Genesys
