Immunocytokines | Potentially Aid in Treatment of Glioblastoma

 

Immunocytokines are fusion proteins comprising a cytokine fused with a monoclonal antibody and are being viewed as a new class of biopharmaceuticals with great potential for cancer treatment. Immunocytokines aid in targeting specific tumors and generate immune responses to kill the tumor cells. Various antibody formats such as intact IgG and antibody fragments, along with tumor targets such as extracellular matrix components and cell membrane antigens, have been considered for development of immunocytokines. These pharmacologically active molecules have demonstrated lower toxicity and higher efficacy compared to several conventional cytokine-based therapies. Currently, immunocytokines are being studied for the treatment of various diseases besides cancer, such as chronic inflammatory diseases and autoimmune disorders.  

According to a study published in Science Translational Medicine in October 2020, a new immunocytokine-based therapy could potentially aid in treatment of glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive types of cancer affecting the brain or spinal cord. A group of scientists – led by Dario Neri and Patrick Roth from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and University Hospital Zurich, respectively – developed three L19-based immunocytokines, which first demonstrated anti-cancer activity in mouse models, and subsequently, in a human trail. Furthermore, in March 2021, Bright Peak Therapeutics Inc., a leading American biotechnology company developing next-generation cancer immunotherapies, announced its research collaboration with leading Japanese biopharmaceutical company, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. As part of the deal, Bright Peak signed an exclusive license agreement to use Ajinomoto’s proprietary bioconjugation technology, called AJICAP®, to develop Bright Peak Immunocytokines.

Revenue growth of the global immunocytokines market is majorly driven by factors such as rising prevalence of different types of cancer across the globe, growing awareness of early disease diagnosis and treatment among the population, and increasing demand for advanced diagnostics and therapeutics for treatment of cancer, autoimmune disorder, and other life-threatening diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer led to approximately 9.6 million deaths globally in 2018. Market revenue growth is further driven by factors such as increasing R&D activities for monoclonal antibodies, technological advancements in genetic sequencing techniques, and rising focus of various research and academic institutes on development of immunocytokines, particularly IL4, IL10, and TNF immunocytokines.

Drivers of the Trans-Catheter Mitral Valve Implantation Market include Advancements in Techniques of Trans-Catheter Mitral Valve Implantation, Substantial Prevalence of Mitral Regurgitation, and Favorable Reimbursement Scenarios

Market Insights:

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common heart valve disease, affecting around four million people in the U.S. Typically, open-heart surgeries are a standard mode of treatment for MR, although in certain cases, there are grave risks associated with the surgery.  Till now, patients have had to resort to medical treatment to deal with MR, but for patients with specific types of mitral valve dysfunction that leads to MR, clipping the mitral valve will be a good option, especially when the risks of undergoing surgery are dire. Transcatheter mitral valve implantation can help lower the incidences of heart failure and the resulting hospitalizations. It is a less invasive option for patients for whom open-heart surgery is not an option.

Untreated, MR can ultimately result in chronic heart failure, which is the leading reason for hospitalization in Europe and the U.S. It occurs when the mitral valve between two chambers of the heart cannot close completely, and the blood flow leaks backward. It involves symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen feet, and inability to exercise or perform daily activities. This leads to increased stress on the heart, enlargement of the heart, heart dysfunction, and even heart failure. The demand for a treatment method is significantly high, which has urged companies and academia to explore the effectiveness of transcatheter mitral valve implantation and is also a major driver for the growth of the market.

The leading companies in the industry include Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic, LivaNova, Edward Lifesciences, MValve Technologies, HLT Medical, Colibri Heart Valve, Neovasc, NeoChord, Biotronik Private Limited, Transcatheter Technologies GmbH and Venus Medtech. The competitive landscape has witnessed numerous deals and developments recently.

Medtronic has partnered with the medical device company incubator, The Foundry, to build and invest in a company dedicated to working on an innovative transcatheter mitral repair (TMVr) technology. The partnership brings together The Foundry’s work in the transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement field and Medtronic’s position in intellectual property and Structural Heart. The deal creates structured financial tranches from both the companies and gives Medtronic exclusive rights to the resulting corporation dubbed Half Moon Medical, subject to achieving some clinical and technical milestones. Half Moon was also awarded U.S. FDA approval for an early feasibility study in patients having severe and symptomatic MR.

While Half Moon awaits its first implants, another company, TidalHealth,  has achieved a medical milestone after successfully implanting MitraClip for treating MR in the heart. Delmarva’s first two implantations of MitraClip were conducted at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional in late September. The number of patients it can benefit will be a primary driver for the growth of the transcatheter mitral valve implantation market in the coming years, especially in regions like Europe and North America that have a high active patient count.