On Jan. 11, 2018 /Forty Seven Inc., a clinical-stage company focused on developing the next generation of transformational immuno-oncology treatments to enable patient’s immune systems to defeat their cancer, reported an agreement with Genentech Inc., a member of the Roche Group., for Genentech to sponsor two clinical trials combining Forty Seven’s CD47 antibody, Hu5F9-G4, with Genentech’s PD-L1 antibody, atezolizumab (TECENTRIQ), in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and with urothelial (bladder) cancer (Press release, Hoffmann-La Roche, JAN 11, 2018, View Source [SID1234531337]).
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CD47 is an immune modulator molecule overexpressed on cancer cells that sends inhibitory signals to macrophages. Binding of Hu5F9-G4 to CD47 takes the brakes off macrophages enabling them to phagocytose, or swallow, tumor cells.
Craig Gibbs, Ph.D., M.B.A., Chief Business Officer at Forty Seven Inc. said, "There is a large unmet medical need for new therapies for AML and bladder cancer patients, particularly those who are elderly or have compromised organ function and are not able to withstand the side-effects of chemotherapy. We are excited to evaluate these novel combinations in collaboration with a global leader in oncology."
References
CD47 blockade as another immune checkpoint therapy for cancer. Robert H. Vonderheide, Nature Medicine 21, 1122, 2015.
TECENTRIQ (atezolizumab) is a registered trademark of Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.