Method of Improving Anti-angiogenic Therapy Efficacy

Background

Current anti-angiogenic therapies for the treatment of cancer are a rapidly growing market led by Genentech’s Avastin® (bevacizumab). Avastin® and other anti-angiogenic therapies work by preventing new blood vessel formation, thus starving tumor cells of glucose and oxygen. However, due to rapid development of resistance, Avastin® has shown only modest increases in overall survival of cancer patients. Therefore, there is a significant need for therapies which can synergize with Avastin® and other anti-angiogenic agents to significantly increase patient survival.

Technology Description

UCSF investigators have identified a major mechanism of antiangiogenic resistance. This target is involved in multiple factors which contribute to therapeutic evasion including invasion, proliferation, survival signaling, and a distinct role in angiogenesis. Inhibition of this target by a monoclonal antibody is shown to reduce the growth of certain cancer cells in vitro including Avastin® resistant tumor cells derived from patient specimens.

Applications

In addition to anti-angiogenic therapy in multiple cancer indications (including breast, colon, lung, liver and kidney) antibodies and small molecules against this target can be used for imaging and diagnostic purposes.

Advantages

-          Inhibition of this target may potentially synergize with current anti-angiogenic therapies by suppressing multiple mechanisms of resistance in cancer cells

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Patent Status