CatalYm has discovered a central cancer resistance mechanism against anti-PD-1 treatment. It’s lead antibody visugromab is designed to neutralize Growth Differentiation Factor-15 (GDF-15), an essential player in feto-maternal tolerance, a powerful mechanism that cancer cells hijack to create an immunosuppressive environment to evade destruction. Visugromab has already demonstrated potent and durable anti-tumor efficacy with multiple, long-lasting objective responses in combination with anti-PD-1 treatment in phase 1/2 studies in advanced cancer patients. The humanized monoclonal antibody is currently being investigated in an ongoing Phase 2 program that includes confirmatory studies in multiple solid tumor indications (including NSCLC, bladder, melanoma and HCC) and the analysis of a response predictive biomarker to better identify the patients benefiting from this new class of immunotherapy.
