Astellas isn't resting on its first-to-market Claudin 18.2 antibody. It's proactively developing next-generation therapies—a CD3 bispecific to reach more patients and an in-licensed ADC for a potential chemo-free regimen. This multi-asset strategy aims to create an enduring leadership position in this specific cancer target.
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The future of advanced prostate cancer treatment may involve combining ADCs with bispecific T-cell engagers. This strategy could use ADCs for a short duration to deliver a potent hit, followed by immunotherapy to achieve durable remission, potentially reducing toxicity and enabling earlier use.
To offset the impending 2027 patent loss for its blockbuster drug Xtandi, Astellas is not relying on a single successor. The company is betting on five distinct strategic brands across bladder cancer, AML, geographic atrophy, and women's health to collectively replace the revenue and mitigate the impact.
Data from J&J's Majestic 3 trial suggests its off-the-shelf bispecific combination could rival the efficacy of its own blockbuster CAR-T, Carvykti. This sets up an internal competition where a more accessible therapy could challenge a complex, personalized one in earlier lines of treatment.
An innovative strategy for solid tumors involves using bispecific T-cell engagers to target the tumor stroma—the protective fibrotic tissue surrounding the tumor. This novel approach aims to first eliminate this physical barrier, making the cancer cells themselves more vulnerable to subsequent immune attack.
The panel reviews advanced, second-line ADC trials in China using novel targets and payloads. An expert remarks that these are the drugs and questions the US and Europe may only begin to study in two to three years, signaling a significant shift in the global oncology R&D landscape.
Astellas' R&D isn't defined by therapeutic area or technology. Instead, their "focus area approach" creates a "triangle" of core biology, the best modality, and the right patient population. This model is designed to generate multiple follow-on programs, like their KRAS degraders, by pivoting any corner of this triangle.
The future of medicine isn't about finding a single 'best' modality like CAR-T or gene therapy. Instead, it's about strategic convergence, choosing the right tool—be it a bispecific, ADC, or another biologic—based on the patient's specific disease stage and urgency of treatment.
Accession's second product is a bispecific antibody that binds to all cancer cells. While this would be dangerously toxic if delivered systemically, their targeted virus delivery system ensures it is only produced inside the tumor. This strategy makes previously "undruggable" therapeutic concepts viable.
Unlike older antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), newer agents are designed so their chemotherapy payload can diffuse out of the target cell and kill nearby tumor cells that may not even express the target antigen. This "bystander effect" significantly enhances their anti-tumor activity.
When asked about complex antibodies like ADCs and bispecifics, GSK's CSO emphasizes that extending a drug's duration is a primary innovation. He highlights a severe asthma treatment dosed just twice a year as a prime example of creating significant patient value before adding further engineering complexity.
