Debiopharm International SA Announces Clinical Collaboration with the Merck-Pfizer Alliance in Cancer Immunotherapy - Seite 2

"Investigating the potential of combination therapy is an important strategic focus for the Merck-Pfizer Alliance," said Chris Boshoff, M.D., Ph.D., Head of Immuno-Oncology, Early Development, and Translational Oncology at Pfizer. "This collaboration with Debiopharm provides a significant opportunity to explore the potential synergistic effects of these two agents in combination."

About Debio 1143 

Debio 1143 is an oral, small molecule inhibitor of IAPs (Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins) that promotes apoptosis of cancer cells by mimicking the activity of the natural Second Mitochondrial-derived Activator of Caspases (SMAC). Evasion of apoptosis is a hallmark of cancer and a common mechanism of resistance to current treatments and Debio 1143 is being investigated as chemo- and radio-sensitizer in Ovarian Cancer and Head & Neck Cancer. In addition, like other members of the class, Debio 1143 displays strong immunomodulatory properties that make it a natural candidate for combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors.

About Avelumab 

Avelumab (also known as MSB0010718C) is an investigational, fully human antibody specific for a protein found on tumor cells called PD-L1, or programmed death ligand-1. Avelumab is thought to have a dual mechanism of action which may enable the immune system to find and attack cancer cells. By binding to PD-L1, avelumab is thought to prevent tumor cells from using PD-L1 for protection against white blood cells such as T-cells, exposing them to anti-tumor responses. Avelumab is also thought to help white blood cells such as natural killer (NK) cells find and attack tumors in a process known as ADCC, or antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. In November 2014, Merck, the science and technology company, and Pfizer announced a strategic alliance to
co-develop and co-commercialize avelumab.

About Debiopharm International SA 

Debiopharm Group™ is a Swiss-based global biopharmaceutical group of five companies active in the development and manufacture of drugs and diagnostics tools. Debiopharm focuses on developing prescription drugs that target unmet medical needs. The group in-licenses and develops promising drug candidates. The products are commercialized by pharmaceutical out-licensing partners to give access to the largest number of patients worldwide.

For more information, please see http://www.debiopharm.com

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References 

1. American Cancer Society (2016) Key Statistics for Lung Cancer. Available from: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lungcancer-non-smallcell/detailedguide/non-small-cell-lung-cancer-key-statistics . Accessed August 2016.
2. American Cancer Society (2016) What is Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer? Available from: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/lungcancer-non-smallcell/detailedguide/non-small-cell-lung-cancer-what-is-non-small-cell-lung-cancer . Accessed August 2016.
3. Mayo Clinic (2016) Cancer survival rate: what it means for your prognosis. Available from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer/art-20044517 . Accessed August 2016. 

 
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