Oncology R&D
SalubrisBio is developing JK08 to synergistically widen the therapeutic window for two high-value immunotherapy targets: CTLA-4 and IL15.
JK08 builds upon a breadth of clinical studies with CTLA-4 antibodies and recombinant IL-15 molecules demonstrating the therapeutic potential of each molecule individually. The CTLA-4-specific antibody ipilimumab validated CTLA-4 as a target for cancer therapy, but response rates are limited. Clinical sample analysis demonstrated that NK cells are important for ipilimumab responses. Recombinant IL-15 has exhibited potent stimulation of NK cell expansion and activation in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Through the incorporation of a CTLA-4 antibody and IL-15 into a single molecule, JK08 can channel the potent immune stimulation of IL-15 through the CTLA-4 antibody domain towards depletion of T-regulatory cells and targeted reversal of immunosuppression which may contribute to cancer progression.
JK08 is being evaluated in a Phase 1b/2 trial in solid tumors and is actively recruiting patients.
JK08 Design and Rationale
Oncology statistics
One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime1
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S., after heart disease2
In 2021, there were an estimated 1,898,160 new cancer cases diagnosed and 608,570 cancer deaths in the U.S.3
Solid tumors represent approximately 90% of adult human cancers4
- https://www.cancer.org/
- https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/leading-causes-of-death.htm
- https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/all.html
- Cooper GM. The Cell: A Molecular Approach. 2nd ed. Sinauer Associates; 2000. Accessed January 31, 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9963