Tripokin is a fully-human immunostimulatory product consisting of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-2 (IL2) fused into one molecular entity.
TNF induces a rapid hemorrhagic tumor necrosis, while IL2 stimulates cancer-specific immune effector cells, when delivered to the site of disease. The fusion to the L19 antibody, which is specific to the EDB domain of fibronectin, generates a tumor targeted product that selectively localizes at the site of disease, while sparing healthy organs.
Tripokin capitalizes of the synergistic mechanism of action of TNF and IL2 . The products has shown a strong anti-tumor activity as single agent in various preclinical models of cancer. Tripokin exhibits excellent tumor-homing properties and the most potent activity ever reported for IL2-based therapeutics. These best-in-class therapeutic properties can be further potentiated by combination therapies with immune check-point inhibitors.
Tripokin is the next biotherapeutic candidate that Philogen aims to bring to the clinic.
References
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Schwager et al. (2013) J Invest Dermatol, 133, 751-8