ImmunoGen

Last updated
ImmunoGen Inc.
Company type Subsidiary
Nasdaq: IMGN
Industry Biopharmaceuticals
Founded1981
Defunct2024
FateAcquired by AbbVie
Headquarters,
RevenueIncrease2.svg $65.2 million (2019) [1]
Number of employees
75
Website www.immunogen.com

ImmunoGen, Inc. was a biotechnology company focused on the development of antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. ImmunoGen was founded in 1981 and was headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. [2]

Contents

An ImmunoGen ADC contains a manufactured antibody that binds to a target found on cancer cells, with one of the company's potent cell-killing agents attached as a "payload". The antibody serves to deliver the cell-killing agent specifically to cancer cells bearing its target and the payload serves to kill these cells. In some cases, the antibody also has anticancer activity.

In November 2023, AbbVie, an American pharmaceutical company, announced it was buying ImmunoGen for 10.1 billion. [3] [4]

Linkage technology

Currently approved ADCs with ImmunoGen technology employ one of the company's maytansinoid cell-killing agents, either DM1 or DM4, or one of the company's DNA-acting IGN payloads.

ImmunoGen also developed isatuximab, a monoclonal antibody without linkage to a toxin.

Pipeline

ImmunoGen uses its ADC technology to develop its own product candidates. The mirvetuximab, which has been submitted for FDA approval, is being developed as a monotherapy or a standalone treatment for ovarian cancer. [7] [8] Other products currently in clinical-stage development include: [9]

Collaborations & licensing

The company also selectively outlicenses limited use of its technology to other companies. Companies licensing ImmunoGen's technology include Amgen, Bayer HealthCare, Biotest, Genentech/Roche, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Sanofi, and Takeda. [9] Roche's Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine) utilizes ImmunoGen's ADC technology. It has been approved and launched in a number of countries, including the US, where it is marketed by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. [13] [14] In October 2015, the company disclosed that Kadcyla had failed to meet its primary endpoint in the Phase II/III GATSBY trial investigating the second line treatment of HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer. [15]

Related Research Articles

Genentech, Inc. is an American biotechnology corporation headquartered in South San Francisco, California. It became an independent subsidiary of Roche in 2009. Genentech Research and Early Development operates as an independent center within Roche. Historically, the company is regarded as the world's first biotechnology company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roche</span> Swiss multinational healthcare company

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, commonly known as Roche, is a Swiss multinational healthcare company that operates worldwide under two divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. Its holding company, Roche Holding AG, has shares listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The company headquarters are located in Basel. Roche is the fifth-largest pharmaceutical company in the world by revenue and the leading provider of cancer treatments globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trastuzumab</span> Medication

Trastuzumab, sold under the brand name Herceptin among others, is a monoclonal antibody used to treat breast cancer and stomach cancer. It is specifically used for cancer that is HER2 receptor positive. It may be used by itself or together with other chemotherapy medication. Trastuzumab is given by slow injection into a vein and injection just under the skin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Targeted therapy</span> Type of therapy

Targeted therapy or molecularly targeted therapy is one of the major modalities of medical treatment (pharmacotherapy) for cancer, others being hormonal therapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy. As a form of molecular medicine, targeted therapy blocks the growth of cancer cells by interfering with specific targeted molecules needed for carcinogenesis and tumor growth, rather than by simply interfering with all rapidly dividing cells. Because most agents for targeted therapy are biopharmaceuticals, the term biologic therapy is sometimes synonymous with targeted therapy when used in the context of cancer therapy. However, the modalities can be combined; antibody-drug conjugates combine biologic and cytotoxic mechanisms into one targeted therapy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pertuzumab</span> Pharmaceutical drug

Pertuzumab, sold under the brand name Perjeta, is a monoclonal antibody used in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel for the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer; it also used in the same combination as a neoadjuvant in early HER2-positive breast cancer.

Genmab A/S is a Danish biotechnology company, founded in February 1999 by Florian Schönharting, at the time managing director of BankInvest Biomedical venture fund. The company is based in Copenhagen, Denmark – internationally, it operates through the subsidiaries Genmab B.V. in Utrecht, The Netherlands, Genmab U.S., Inc. in Princeton, USA, and Genmab K.K. in Tokyo, Japan. Genmab is a dual-listed company with shares traded on both the Copenhagen Stock Exchange in Denmark and the NASDAQ Global Select Market in the US.

Obinutuzumab, sold under the brand name Gazyva among others, is a humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody used as a treatment for cancer. It was originated by GlycArt Biotechnology AG and developed by Roche.

Milatuzumab is an anti-CD74 humanized monoclonal antibody for the treatment of multiple myeloma non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mertansine</span> Chemical compound

Mertansine, also called DM1, is a thiol-containing maytansinoid that for therapeutic purposes is attached to a monoclonal antibody through reaction of the thiol group with a linker structure to create an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maitansine</span> Chemical compound

Maitansine (INN), or maytansine (USAN), is a cytotoxic agent. It inhibits the assembly of microtubules by binding to tubulin at the rhizoxin binding site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antibody–drug conjugate</span> Class of biopharmaceutical drugs

Antibody–drug conjugates or ADCs are a class of biopharmaceutical drugs designed as a targeted therapy for treating cancer. Unlike chemotherapy, ADCs are intended to target and kill tumor cells while sparing healthy cells. As of 2019, some 56 pharmaceutical companies were developing ADCs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trastuzumab emtansine</span> Pharmaceutical drug

Trastuzumab emtansine, sold under the brand name Kadcyla, is an antibody-drug conjugate consisting of the humanized monoclonal antibody trastuzumab (Herceptin) covalently linked to the cytotoxic agent DM1. Trastuzumab alone stops growth of cancer cells by binding to the HER2 receptor, whereas trastuzumab emtansine undergoes receptor-mediated internalization into cells, is catabolized in lysosomes where DM1-containing catabolites are released and subsequently bind tubulin to cause mitotic arrest and cell death. Trastuzumab binding to HER2 prevents homodimerization or heterodimerization (HER2/HER3) of the receptor, ultimately inhibiting the activation of MAPK and PI3K/AKT cellular signalling pathways. Because the monoclonal antibody targets HER2, and HER2 is only over-expressed in cancer cells, the conjugate delivers the cytotoxic agent DM1 specifically to tumor cells. The conjugate is abbreviated T-DM1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorvotuzumab mertansine</span> Chemical compound

Lorvotuzumab mertansine (IMGN901) is an antibody-drug conjugate. It comprises the CD56-binding antibody, lorvotuzumab (huN901), with a maytansinoid cell-killing agent, DM1, attached using a disulfide linker, SPP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indatuximab ravtansine</span> Chemical compound

Indatuximab ravtansine (BT062) is an immunomodulator and antineoplastic antibody-drug conjugate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cantuzumab ravtansine</span> Chemical compound

Cantuzumab ravtansine (huC242-SPDB-DM4) is an antibody-drug conjugate designed for the treatment of cancers. The humanized monoclonal antibody cantuzumab (huC242) is linked to a cytotoxic agent, ravtansine (DM4). It uses a more hindered disulfide linkage than cantuzumab mertansine.

AbbVie Inc. is an American pharmaceutical company headquartered in North Chicago, Illinois. It is ranked sixth on the list of largest biomedical companies by revenue. The company's primary product is Humira (adalimumab), administered via injection. It is approved to treat autoimmune diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, plaque psoriasis, and ulcerative colitis.

Seagen Inc. is an American biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing innovative, empowered monoclonal antibody-based therapies for the treatment of cancer. The company, headquartered in Bothell, Washington, is the industry leader in antibody-drug conjugates or ADCs, a technology designed to harness the targeting ability of monoclonal antibodies to deliver cell-killing agents directly to cancer cells. Antibody-drug conjugates are intended to spare non-targeted cells and thus reduce many of the toxic effects of traditional chemotherapy, while potentially enhancing antitumor activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutro Biopharma</span> Biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, California

Sutro Biopharma, Inc. is a public biotechnology company headquartered in South San Francisco, California focused on clinical-stage drug discovery, development and manufacturing. Using a proprietary cell-free protein synthesis platform, Sutro is working on oncology therapeutics using protein engineering and rational design. Founded in 2003 under the name Fundamental Applied Biology, the company name changed to Sutro Biopharma in 2009. William Newell, CEO as of 2024, joined Sutro in January 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Venetoclax</span> Medication

Venetoclax, sold under the brand names Venclexta and Venclyxto, is a medication used to treat adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL), or acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Camidanlumab tesirine is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) composed of a human antibody that binds to the protein CD25, conjugated to a pyrrolobenzodiazepine dimer toxin. The experimental drug, developed by ADC Therapeutics is being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of B-cell Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), and for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

References

  1. "ImmunoGen Reports Recent Progress and 2019 Financial Results | ImmunoGen, Inc".
  2. "ImmunoGen Inc., Inc. stock price Yahoo Finance". Finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2014-03-09.
  3. Leo, Leroy; Mishra, Manas (2023-11-30). "AbbVie seeks lift from 'guided missile' cancer drug with $10 bln ImmunoGen deal". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  4. Kellaher, Jared S. Hopkins and Colin. "AbbVie to Buy Cancer Biotech ImmunoGen for More Than $10 Billion". WSJ. Retrieved 2023-12-01.
  5. AG, MorphoSys (26 January 2016). "MorphoSys Announces Clinical Milestone for Start of Bayer's Phase 2 Trial Designed to Support Registration of Anetumab Ravtansine". GlobeNewswire News Room.
  6. Dombret, Hervé; Hatteville, Laurence; Oprea, Corina; Bories, Pierre; O'Brien, Susan; Jabbour, Elias; Cortes, Jorge; Thomas, Xavier G.; Escoffre-Barbe, Martine; Marolleau, Jean-Pierre; Kelly, Kevin; Leguay, Thibaut; Atallah, Ehab; Kim, Stella K.; Lioure, Bruno; Kantarjian, Hagop M. (1 March 2016). "A Phase II Study of Coltuximab Ravtansine (SAR3419) Monotherapy in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia". Clinical Lymphoma, Myeloma & Leukemia. 16 (3): 139–145. doi:10.1016/j.clml.2015.12.004. PMC   5557033 . PMID   26775883 via www.clinical-lymphoma-myeloma-leukemia.com.
  7. "ImmunoGen: An Inflection Point In Growth (NASDAQ:IMGN) | Seeking Alpha". seekingalpha.com. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
  8. "For Mirvetuximab Soravtansine In Ovarian Cancer". Nasdaq. May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Target a Better Now - ImmunoGen for ADC Technology-focused Cancer Treatment". ImmunoGen.
  10. "Meeting Library - Meeting Library". meetinglibrary.asco.org.
  11. 1 2 "ImmunoGen, Inc. Announces Data Presentations at Upcoming 57th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition". www.businesswire.com. 1 December 2015.
  12. "A Phase 1 Study of IMGN289 in Adult Patients With EGFR-positive Solid Tumors - Full Text View - ClinicalTrials.gov". clinicaltrials.gov. 30 September 2015.
  13. "Genentech". www.gene.com.
  14. "KADCYLA® for certain types of HER2+ Breast Cancer". www.kadcyla.com.
  15. "Roche's Kadcyla Fails Phase II/III Trial for Gastric Cancer | GEN News Highlights | GEN". Archived from the original on 2015-10-24. Retrieved 2015-10-24.