The collaboration will focus on the interactions between WTX-124 indukine and KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab).
Werewolf Therapeutics, a US-based biopharmaceutical company researching conditionally activated therapeutics in cancer treatment, announced on August 18, 2021 that they will collaborate with Merck (known as MSD outside of the U.S. and Canada) to evaluate their WTX-124 indukine program in conjunction with Merck’s anti-programmed death receptor-1 (PD-1 ) therapy KEYTRUDA (pembrolizumab).
WTX-124 is a systemically delivered, conditionally activated interleukin 2 (IL-2) indukine molecule engineered to minimize the severe toxicities observed with recombinant IL-2 therapy. It is intended to maximize clinical benefit both when administered as a monotherapy or in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in multiple tumor types.
Werewolf will conduct the clinical trial, which is designed to evaluate WTX-124 as both a monotherapy and in conjunction with Keytruda in patients with solid tumors. Werewolf is planning to submit an investigational new drug application in the first half of 2022, with the Phase I clinical trial set to begin promptly after approval.
“Werewolf Therapeutics is delighted to be partnering with Merck to study the combination of KEYTRUDA and WTX-124, ” said Randi Isaacs, chief medical officer of Werewolf Therapeutics, in a company press release. “The clinical benefit of targeting IL-2 as a treatment for cancer has long been established; however, its utility has been limited by challenging toxicities. We believe WTX-124 has the potential to enhance therapeutic options for cancer patients as a monotherapy and when combined with checkpoint inhibitors [such as] KEYTRUDA.”
Source: Werewolf Therapeutics
Drug Solutions Podcast: A Closer Look at mRNA in Oncology and Vaccines
April 30th 2024In this episode fo the Drug Solutions Podcast, etherna’s vice-president of Technology and Innovation, Stefaan De Koker, discusses the merits and challenges of using mRNA as the foundation for therapeutics in oncology as well as for vaccines.
Legal and Regulatory Perspectives on 3D Printing: Drug Compounding Applications
December 10th 2024This paper explores the legal and regulatory framework around 3D drug printing, particularly for personalized medicine, considering regulatory compliance, business concerns, and intellectual property rights.