Cantargia has shown that IL1RAP is expressed on tumours from several types of cancer and that CAN04 binds strongly to the target molecule IL1RAP. CAN04 works both by stopping tumour inflammation and by binding to the cancer cells, which the immune system’s killer cells are then stimulated to destroy. Both of these effects are being studied in various cell-based model systems. Effects of CAN04 on tumour development and on the immune system are also being studied in cancer models in which various combination strategies using other drugs are also being tested. Studies are being conducted in order to obtain further documentation of the properties of CAN04 and in order to support the clinical studies. See our latest scientific publications.
CANFOUR, the first clinical study, is a combined phase I/IIa study where the first part included a limited number of patients who were treated with CAN04 in gradually increasing doses in order to study safety profile to identify a suitable dose for the second part. Thanks to positive results that allowed us to demonstrate, among other things, good safety and an effect on biomarkers, we have now proceeded to phase IIa.
CAN04 is being studied both as a single drug (monotherapy) and in combination with the standard treatments for each indication. With non-small cell lung cancer, the combination is with the chemotherapies cisplatin and gemcitabine, while with pancreatic cancer CAN04 is combined with gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel.
During 2020, Cantargia will start a new study with CAN04 in combination with a check-point inhibitor i.e. immunotherapy which has been established as standard of care for several cancer forms, including NSCLC, urinary bladder cancer, head and neck cancer, and malign melanoma.
CAN04 is manufactured in biological production systems. A specific cell line has been licensed from BioWa Inc. that enables the production of antibodies with enhanced ADCC (Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity) activity, which means that the antibodies have a greater ability to stimulate the immune system’s killer cells.