On May 31, 2018 Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported two multi-year collaboration agreements aimed at accelerating development of a variety of Amgen’s early-stage oncology therapies for patients with leukemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, multiple myeloma, small-cell lung cancer, and other non-lung cancers with small-cell histologies (Press release, Amgen, MAY 31, 2018, View Source;p=RssLanding&cat=news&id=2352602 [SID1234526985]). The agreements combine Amgen therapies nearing clinical development or those that have already begun the process with MD Anderson’s translational medicine capabilities.

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The collaborations will focus on Amgen’s bispecific T cell engager (BiTE), chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell and small molecule programs. Amgen is advancing both types of T cell therapies against different targets and, in some cases, the same target. BiTE antibody constructs and CAR T cell therapies differ in their approach, though they share the same goal – activating a patient’s immune system to eradicate cancer. BiTE antibody constructs work by bridging T cells to tumor cells, enabling them to attack tumor cells, while CAR T cell therapies reengineer a patient’s own T cells to recognize tumor-specific antigens, inciting an immune system attack against cancer cells.

"These agreements build on a long history of collaboration between Amgen and MD Anderson, including a number of different efforts which helped to enable the advancement and regulatory approval of Amgen’s first bispecific T cell engager," said David M. Reese, M.D., senior vice president of Translational Sciences and Oncology at Amgen. "We are pleased to work with MD Anderson to accelerate the translation of several of our early-stage oncology programs from the laboratory to the clinic."

The five-year collaboration will begin with Phase 1 clinical studies for BiTE antibody constructs and CAR T cell therapies for multiple myeloma and small cell lung cancer. The second agreement spans four years and will study BiTE antibody constructs, CAR T and small molecule treatments in leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. The collaboration includes multi-institutional pre-clinical and clinical trials, some of which will be led by MD Anderson, which may offer the potential for identifying new biomarkers.

"The field of immuno-oncology is rapidly evolving and combining resources from both organizations could be important in answering key scientific questions," said Patrick Hwu, M.D., division head of Cancer Medicine at MD Anderson. "The collaboration allows MD Anderson to study up to 16 different oncology treatments which we hope will lead to rapid development and advancement of important therapies into clinical practice."

About BiTE Technology
Bispecific T cell engager (BiTE) antibody constructs are a type of immunotherapy being investigated for fighting cancer by helping the body’s immune system to detect and target malignant cells. The modified antibodies are designed to bridge T cells to tumor cells, using the patient’s own immune system to eradicate cancer. BiTE antibody constructs help place the T cells within reach of the targeted cell, with the intent of allowing T cells to inject toxins and trigger the cancer cell to die (apoptosis). BiTE antibody constructs are currently being investigated for their potential to treat a wide variety of cancers.

About CAR T Cell Therapy
CAR T cell therapy is an evolving area of personalized medicine in which a patient’s own T cells (a type of white blood cell) are engineered to recognize tumor-specific antigens and incite an immune system attack against the cancer cells. Amgen is exploring the application of CAR T cell therapy across hematologic and solid tumor malignancies. Amgen and Kite Pharma, a subsidiary of Gilead Sciences Inc., are collaborating on engineering and commercializing CAR T cell therapies.