Pd1/pdl1 combo therapies

[D.ap]

"Biopharma owes much of the past few years’ bull run to advances in cancer – speci cally to immuno-oncology approaches that harness the natural power of the immune system to combat disease. The charge has been led by antibodies against CTLA4 and PD-1, which have seen the launches of Yervoy, Opdivo and Keytruda, initially for melanoma but with additional indications now getting under way.
What does the industry do for an encore? There are several late-stage antibodies that work in identical or similar
ways – tremelimumab, atezolizumab and durvalumab – and slightly further away stands an amazing array of novel
immuno-oncology approaches, which target novel antigens or novel immune system checkpoints.
But most experts are now looking to combinations to build on the success of the first few immuno-oncology drugs
to hit the market. This is a vital theme because, in investment terms, biopharma looks like it might at last have
overheated, and as such it is desperate for another lift.
The coming 18 months could provide several. The key lies in the first clinical evidence from early trials of anti-PD-1
and anti-PD-L1 antibodies combined with novel immune system agents, as well as in combination with a barrage of
old and new small-molecule and antibody drugs, chemotherapies, cancer vaccines and gene therapies.
Combining numerous new and old approaches with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents is logical given that the latter already
look like they are becoming standard treatment in certain populations within certain tumour types. Many of the
combinations will provide some of the most important inflection points for the biopharma sector.
But who is doing what, and why? This EP Vantage report identifies which approaches are being combined with which
anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 inhibitors, explains the logic behind them, looks at the most popular oncology indications, and
identifies important trends. The data comprise only clinical-stage products, and are complete as of September 18, 2015."

http://info.evaluategroup.com/rs/607-YG ... pdct15.pdf