Rick,
Any comments on the following IMGN abstract?
PROC. AMER. ASSOC. CANCER RES. 39, March 1998]
Copyright c 1998 by the American Association for Cancer Research
#4382 C242-DM1: A Tumor-Activated Prodrug that shows exceptional activity in human colon tumor xenograft models at non-toxic doses. Chari, R.V.J., Derr, S.M., Steeves, R.M., Bourret, L.A., Cook, S.B., Braman, G.M., and Lambert, J.M. ImmunoGen, Inc., 148 Sidney Street, Cambridge, MA 02139.
C242-DM1 is a Tumor-Activated Prodrug (TAP) version of the highly cytotoxic maytansinoid drug DM1. C242-DM1 gets bio-activated specifically upon binding to tumors and internalization into tumor cells. High concentrations of the prodrug can be maintained in circulation in mice and monkeys for an extended period of time with no toxicity. In vivo studies demonstrate that high circulating levels of C242-DM1 result in good tumor penetration and exceptional anti-tumor activity, as evidenced by the eradication of large human colon tumor xenografts. The C242 antibody component of this TAP confers selectivity for human colon tumors. Thus, in vitro, C242-DM1 is 1000-fold more specific for killing target colon tumor cells (IC50 = 3 x 10-11 M) as compared to non-target cells (IC50 >3 x 10-8 M). In a comparative study, C242-DM1 cured mice bearing human colon tumor xenografts at doses that were well below the maximum tolerated dose (MTD), while 5-FU and CPT-11, when used at their MTDs, only caused a modest delay in tumor growth. C242-DM1 is being rapidly advanced towards clinical evaluation.
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Maybe Lampert's right on this one? Here's the announcment of his investment:
NORWOOD, Mass., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- ImmunoGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: IMGN) today announced a $3.0 million investment in the Company by Biotechnology Value Fund, L.P. and affiliates (BVF) of San Francisco. The investment, to be completed in two installments, involves the sale of preferred stock and warrants. The preferred stock will be convertible into common stock at the end of a two-year holding period at $1.0625 per share, Monday's closing price. The Company has received one-third of the investment yesterday, and subject to the terms of its agreement with BVF, it expects to receive the balance within the next several weeks.
"The Biotechnology Value Fund investment will enable the Company to accelerate preclinical development of the first two applications of ImmunoGen's tumor-activated prodrug technology. In particular, ImmunoGen is focused on advancing huC242-DM1, our anti-colon cancer drug for which we recently announced encouraging primate safety data, and huN901-DM1, our anti- small cell lung cancer drug," said Mitchel Sayare, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ImmunoGen. "This financing, in addition to a discovery and development collaboration between BioChem Pharma and ImmunoGen's subsidiary, Apoptosis Technology, Inc., are significant endorsements of our core technology."
Mark Lampert, President of BVF, Inc. stated, "We believe ImmunoGen's tumor-activated prodrug technology and, specifically, huC242-DM1 are among the most promising opportunities we have seen in the biotechnology industry. It is rare to find a drug like huC242-DM1 which actually cures colon cancer in animal models while appearing remarkably safe. We are proud to be a part of the continued development of this important technology."
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I've never held any IMGN, and it still looks like a pretty high-risk speculation. If I recall, you have never been a fan either.
I wonder if Lampert has looked at MOGN?
Peter |
