CellCentric
Targeting Epigenetic Regulation in Prostate and Heme Cancers
London-based CellCentric has developed a first-in-class small-molecule inhibitor of histone acetyltransferases (p300/CBP) that are key co-regulators of transcriptional activity.
Certain cancers over-express these two regulators, and inhibition with this drug class has shown strong results in prostate cancer, heme indications like multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and in AR- or c-Myc dependent cancers. CellCentric has initiated clinical studies in both prostate and heme cancers.
Intima Bio
Intima Bioscience is a gene and cell therapy company that is developing several anti-cancer therapeutic products. Their lead product consists of autologous genetically-engineered tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes that have been edited with CRISPR to knock out a novel intracellular immune checkpoint called CISH. Intima has currently begun several clinical trials for its CISH-knockout cell therapy in gastrointestinal cancer.
MedAnnex
Arresting Cancer Cell Proliferation in PD-1 Refractory Diseases
Medannex is an Edinburgh-based company that is developing an antibody therapy against Annexin-A1, a receptor that is overexpressed in multiple cancer types. Inhibition with this antibody halts cell division and prevents proliferation and migration of these cancerous cells.
Interestingly many of the cancers that express Annexin-A1 do not express PD-1, opening up opportunities to treat patients with cancers that have not responded to immunotherapy in the past.
Tallac Therapeutics
Delivering Systemic CpG Therapy to Target both Solid and Liquid Tumors
Tallac has developed a series of conjugated CpG molecules that localize to B cells, where they stimulate both an innate and adaptive immune response against cancer cells. Traditionally, CpG drugs have been administered through intratumoral injection, limiting the potential application of this immunotherapy.
Tallac has shown both potent single-agent activity in checkpoint-inhibitor (i.e. anti-PD-1) refractory and resistant models as well as robust results in combination with checkpoint inhibition therapy therapy in preclinical models.
Vigeo
Reprogramming the Tumor Microenvironment in Solid Tumors
Vigeo has developed a first-in-class drug discovery pipeline that reprograms the tumor microenvironment (TME). The lead compound stimulates the expression of thrombospondin, which has a downstream inhibitory effect on CD36 and CD47, commonly known as the “don’t-eat-me” signal. Expression of this protein in the TME turns “cold” tumors “hot” by increasing immune trafficking into the TME and reducing suppressive cell populations. Vigeo has begun Phase 1 clinical trials and expects interim results from expansion cohorts in mid-2020.