HGS-ETR2

MedImmune Cambridge-derived Clinical Development
Partners	Product	Target	Disease	PreC	PhI	PhII	PhIII	Fld	Mkt
HGSI	HGS-ETR2	TRAIL-R2	advanced solid tumours

Key to table

HGS-ETR2 is a human anti-TRAIL Receptor-2 monoclonal antibody being developed as a potential treatment for cancer. HGS-ETR2 was isolated in collaboration with CAT, with HGSI responsible for its further development and marketing under the terms of an exclusive product licence granted by CAT in 2002.

TRAIL or Tumour Necrosis Factor Related Apoptosis-inducing Ligand receptors are expressed on the surface of a number of solid tumours and other cancer calls. Tumour cells that express TRAIL receptors are sensitive to being killed by apoptosis or programmed cell death, induced by the binding of the TRAIL protein. HGS-ETR2 mimics the activity of native TRAIL and is therefore considered to be an agonistic antibody.

In 2007 HGSI presented data from a Phase Ib trial of HGS-ETR2 in combination with different chemotherapeutic agents in patients with various solid malignancies. In the trial 41 patients with a range of malignancies received HGS-ETR2 (5mg/Kg or 10mg/Kg) plus a full-dose regime of either gemcitabine, pemetrexed, doxorubicin or FOLFIRI.