Deal watch: Bristol-Myers Squibb invests in cancer antibody that targets the innate immune system.

摘要

Bristol-Myers Squibb has acquired exclusive global rights to Innate Pharma's cancer candidate IPH 2102, which is in Phase I clinical trials for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Innate Pharma will receive USdollar3 5 million upf ront and is eligible to receive up to dollar430 million in milestones. IPH 2102 is a fully human monoclonal antibody that blocks the interaction between killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) on natural killer (NK) cells and their ligands. NK cells are white blood lymphocytes of the innate immune system and are our first line of defence against pathogens or host cells that are stressed and/or cancerous. As Dr Jerry Thornthwaite (Director, Cancer Research Institute of West Tennessee, USA) explains: "All normal cells bear a self recognition protein called major histocompatability complex I (MHCI). NK cells recognize the MHO by their KIRs and this interaction shuts down the ability of the NK cells to kill these cells. If a cell does not contain an MHCI or presents an altered MHCI - as in viral, infected or cancer cells - the NK cell will release proteins that will lyse and kill target cells."