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Are we entering a new era of cancer treatments?

Cancer patient survival rates are better than ever, but many cancers remain tough to treat. The current wave of innovations in science and technology could provide new answers. 

Close up shot of test tubes

By WP Creative Group

February 27, 2024

During their lifetimes, nearly 40% of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer.1 And while advances in science and technology over the past few decades have substantially improved patient survival rates, each case and its prognosis depends on various individual factors, including the patient’s biology, genetics, and lifestyle, and the complex biology of the cancer itself.2,3 For this reason, some cancers have not experienced treatment progress.2

But as we enter a new wave of innovation in science and technology, we may be entering a new era of medical breakthroughs, too. Many healthcare professionals believe a deepening understanding of each cancer’s biology, and more attention to the complete story and unique biology of each patient, could usher in a new generation of treatment options.4

This biology-first approach defines innovation at Amgen, a pioneer in biotechnology. Today, Amgen’s scientists are focused on discovering and developing high-impact medicines for cancers with the biggest unmet needs. The company’s R&D strategy is built around the development of therapies that are tuned to the unique variables of tough-to-treat cancers, including Amgen’s T-cell engager technology (designed to overcome cancer cells’ evasive mechanisms, essentially to attack and kill them) and advances in biomarker-driven therapies (which take differences in individuals into account).5

Photo of Jean-Charles Soria, Senior Vice President of Oncology, Amgen
Jean-Charles Soria, senior vice president and head of Amgen’s Oncology Development

Jean-Charles Soria, senior vice president and head of Amgen’s Oncology Development, was driven to make this his life’s work by personal experience. “When I was a child in the early 1980s, my sister was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL),” Soria said. “She went through three years of therapy and was lucky to survive and be alive today.”

It was in hematology — specifically ALL — where Amgen was the first to develop a globally approved bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE®) molecule to target cancer cells in the blood.6 Building on that legacy, scientists at Amgen are now expanding their industry-leading BiTE® platform with new technologies and targets, with the goal of bringing targeted immuno-oncology — which uses the power of the body’s immune system against cancer — to more patients.5 In fact, Amgen is researching the possibility of bringing a BiTE® molecule to patients with a type of solid tumor.7

3 scientists in a lab working with test tubes

Addressing serious unmet needs in small cell lung and gastric cancers 

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the most aggressive solid tumor cancers, with a median survival of approximately 12 months or less following initial therapy and a 7% five-year relative survival rate across all stages combined.8-10

In the hope of addressing this gap in care, Amgen is investigating targeting a protein known as delta-like ligand 3, or DLL3, in patients with SCLC. DLL3 represents an exciting potential therapeutic target because it is aberrantly expressed in SCLC in approximately 85-96% of patients, with minimal expression in normal cells.7,11-13

“Amgen is developing therapies that collaborate with the natural power of the immune system to attack tumors.”

– Jean-Charles Soria

“Cancer cells use sophisticated mechanisms to hide from the body’s natural defense against disease,” Soria explained. “Accordingly, Amgen is developing therapies that aim to bypass or outmaneuver these mechanisms, collaborating with the natural power of the immune system to attack tumors.”

This is an exciting moment in research because solid tumors are complex and pose a great treatment challenge.14,15

Another treatment challenge persists in gastric cancer, the fifth most common cancer worldwide with over one million new cases diagnosed globally in 2020.16 Amgen is researching an investigational therapy for people with gastric cancers that overexpress a growth receptor called FGFR2b. ​Amgen’s targeted antibody is designed to block the activation of FGFR2b, inhibiting several signaling pathways with the goal of potentially slowing cancer progression.17

This is pivotal, Soria said, because: “We know that patients who overexpress the FGFR2b protein may have a worse prognosis.18 In gastric cancer, that’s around 30% of patients.”19

close up of two scientists with goggles examining a petri dish

Innovating the next generation of cancer treatments

There is an enormous amount of data and experimentation needed to accomplish and act on scientific discoveries to advance understanding for current and future treatment development. Soria said that, to achieve this, Amgen is combining scientific innovation with cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. These technologies have substantial potential to help scientists understand more about tumors at the molecular level than ever before, improve drug design, and enhance the delivery and safety of medicines.

“Having new medicines is essential, and the speed of our innovation is directly linked to our commitment to the people living with tough-to-treat cancers.”

– Jean-Charles Soria

In addition to the benefits of AI and machine learning, Amgen’s legacy of innovation has given them a head start. “One of the strengths of Amgen is that we have a history of creating antibodies and have been doing so for over 30 years,” Soria pointed out. “And now, thanks to advances in machine learning, we can train AI tools to help us understand and identify new genetic characteristics, allowing us to bring potential new treatments to patients faster than ever before.”

While the advancement of technology brings new opportunities, Amgen is also concerned that headwinds from new laws, like the Inflation Reduction Act, will impede medical progress and in turn reduce patient access to potentially lifesaving and life-enhancing therapies, including innovative cancer medicines. Amgen added that the company has long supported policy proposals that help patients get the medicines they need, while also preserving incentives for innovation.

“Having new medicines is essential, and the speed of our innovation is directly linked to our commitment to the people living with tough-to-treat cancers,” Soria said. “Our goal is to improve the lives of cancer patients, and that kind of clarity is the fuel that makes everyone here at Amgen move and bring these new medicines to the people who need them.”

Microscopic view of a cross section of cells

Ultimately, Amgen’s commitment to innovation is a commitment to discover, develop and deploy a new and improved generation of cancer treatments, offering hope to patients with tough-to-treat cancers, their families, and the providers who care for them.

“With investigational medicines, we hope to open enormous new possibilities in the battle against the world’s most complex and enduring disease,” Soria said.

To learn more about Amgen’s work to propel innovation for people living with the toughest-to-treat cancers, visit www.Amgen.com.

©2024 Amgen Inc. All rights reserved.

References

  1. National Cancer Institute. Cancer Statistics. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics. Accessed December 14, 2023.
  2. Siegel RL, et al. CA Cancer J Clin. 2023;73(1):17-48.
  3. National Cancer Institute. Understanding Cancer Prognosis. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/diagnosis-staging/prognosis#factors. Accessed December 14, 2023.
  4. Hoeben A, et al. Cancers (Basel). 2021;13(2):242.
  5. Amgen Oncology. BiTE Molecule. https://www.amgenoncology.com/modalities/bite.html. Accessed September 13, 2023.
  6. Amgen. Amgen Press Release – December 3, 2014. Accessed December 14, 2023.
  7. Paz-Ares L, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2023;41(16):2893-2903.
  8. American Cancer Society. Lung Cancer Survival Rates. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/types/lung-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html. Accessed December 14, 2023.
  9. Paz-Ares L, et al. ESMO Open. 2022;7:100408.
  10. Liu SV, et al. J Clin Oncol. 2021;39:619-630.
  11. Rojo F, et al. Lung Cancer. 2020;147:237-243.
  12. Saunders LR, et al. Sci Transl Med. 2015;7:302ra136.
  13. Ahn MJ, et al. N Engl J Med. 2023;349:2063-2075.
  14. Montironi C, et al. Cancers. 2021;13(2):284.
  15. Guzman G, et al. Curr Oncol Rep. 2023;25(5): 479–489.
  16. Sung H, et al. CA Cancer J Clin. 2021;71(3):209-249.
  17. Xiang H, et al. MAbs. 2021;13(1):1981202.
  18. Ahn S, et al. Mod Pathol. 2016;29(9):1095-1103.
  19. Wainberg ZA, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2022;23(11):1430-1440.