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Anti-GPC3 Targeted Therapies Market Expands with Novel Treatment Approaches for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

  • The anti-GPC3 targeted therapies market is expected to surge significantly by 2040, driven by increasing cancer incidence and clinical pipeline activity across hepatocellular carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and gastric cancer.
  • AstraZeneca presented promising data from the RHEA-1 first-in-human study of AZD9793, a first-in-class CD8-guided T cell engager targeting GPC3-positive advanced or metastatic HCC at ASCO 2025.
  • Bayer initiated a Phase I clinical trial for 225Ac-GPC3 (BAY 3547926), an investigational targeted alpha radiopharmaceutical designed to treat GPC3-expressing tumors in patients with advanced HCC.
  • Key pipeline therapies include ECT204 from Eureka Therapeutics, currently under evaluation in the ARYA-3 Phase I/II trial for GPC3-positive HCC patients.

Revolution Medicines Partners with Iambic Therapeutics in $25M AI-Driven Drug Discovery Collaboration for RAS-Addicted Cancers

  • Revolution Medicines and Iambic Therapeutics announced a multi-year collaboration in July 2025 to develop novel drug candidates using AI-driven discovery platforms targeting RAS-addicted cancers.
  • The partnership leverages Iambic's NeuralPLexer protein structure prediction model and PropANE neural network, trained on Revolution's proprietary data to accelerate discovery of therapies for challenging oncology targets.
  • Under the agreement, Iambic will receive up to $25 million through upfront payments, performance-based milestones, and R&D reimbursements, while both companies retain rights to exclusive targets.
  • The collaboration aims to address RAS mutations that drive approximately 30% of all cancers but remain among the most challenging drug targets for conventional discovery methods.

Molecular Testing and Circulating Tumor DNA Advances Set to Transform GIST Management

  • Molecular testing for KIT mutations remains critical in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) diagnosis, with imatinib producing dramatic early responses in over 90% of patients.
  • When imatinib fails to work, which occurs in fewer than 10% of cases, urgent reassessment including second biopsy and repeat molecular testing is essential.
  • Circulating tumor DNA technology shows promise for GIST management but currently faces limitations due to poor DNA shedding in sarcomas compared to other cancers.
  • Future advances in circulating tumor DNA could enable minimal residual disease detection and guide adjuvant therapy decisions in high-risk GIST patients.

KRAS G12C Mutations Associated with Shorter Survival in First-Line Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treatment

  • A real-world analysis of 12,318 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer revealed that KRAS G12C mutations, present in 3% of cases, were associated with numerically shorter overall survival and progression-free survival compared to non-G12C mutations.
  • Patients with KRAS G12C-mutant mCRC had a median overall survival of 18.2 months versus 19.1 months for those with KRAS non-G12C mutations when treated with standard first-line chemotherapy regimens.
  • The findings suggest that KRAS G12C mutations may serve as a negative prognostic factor, potentially influencing treatment decisions and supporting earlier consideration of targeted therapies or clinical trial participation.
  • Survival outcomes were comparable across different first-line chemotherapy backbones within the KRAS G12C-mutant cohort, indicating that the mutation's prognostic impact may be independent of specific chemotherapy regimens.

Thailand Achieves Pharmaceutical Independence with First Domestically Produced Targeted Cancer Drugs

  • Thailand has developed its first domestically produced targeted cancer drugs, IMCRANIB 100 and HERDARA, without foreign technology transfer, marking a historic milestone in pharmaceutical independence.
  • IMCRANIB 100 targets multiple cancers including chronic myeloid leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumors by inhibiting tyrosine kinase enzyme, while HERDARA serves as a cost-effective alternative to trastuzumab for breast cancer treatment.
  • The breakthrough addresses the financial burden of imported cancer drugs, with trastuzumab previously costing up to 1 million baht per course, significantly improving treatment accessibility under Thailand's universal healthcare system.
  • Production takes place at Thailand's first internationally certified cancer drug manufacturing facility, established in 2020 at the Royal Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plant in Chonburi Province.

Quebec Expands Public Reimbursement of Pluvicto Radioligand Therapy for Advanced Prostate Cancer

  • Quebec implemented public reimbursement of Pluvicto (lutetium-177 vipivotide tetraxetan) as of July 2, 2025, for eligible patients with PSMA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.
  • The radioligand therapy is now publicly funded in Canada's four most populous provinces, significantly expanding access to this precision cancer treatment for patients who have undergone prior androgen receptor pathway inhibition and taxane-based chemotherapy.
  • Pluvicto represents the first targeted radioligand therapy approved by Health Canada for PSMA-positive mCRPC, combining a targeting compound with a therapeutic radioisotope to deliver targeted radiation to cancer cells.
  • Healthcare leaders emphasize this milestone closes a longstanding treatment gap and provides new hope for patients with advanced prostate cancer who have exhausted multiple treatment lines.

RDP Pharma and Singapore's EDDC Partner to Develop Protein Degrader Therapies for Autoimmune Diseases

  • Swiss biotechnology company RDP Pharma AG has formed a strategic research collaboration with Singapore's Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC) to develop monovalent targeted protein degraders for autoimmune diseases.
  • The partnership combines RDP Pharma's proprietary PromptDegrader™ platform with EDDC's integrated drug discovery capabilities to create oral therapeutics targeting dysfunctional immune responses.
  • Global autoimmune disease incidence is rising with annual increases of 19.1% and 12.5% respectively, highlighting the urgent need for new therapeutic options with improved efficacy and fewer side effects.
  • The collaboration aims to address unmet medical needs for patients with chronic autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Avacta Strengthens Leadership Team with Appointment of Chief Medical Officer and Business Development Advisor

  • Avacta Group plc has appointed David Liebowitz, M.D., Ph.D. as Chief Medical Officer to lead clinical strategy and execution for its targeted cancer therapy pipeline.
  • Liebowitz brings over 30 years of experience in oncology drug development and has contributed to more than 25 Investigational New Drug applications throughout his career.
  • The company also appointed Yulii Bogatyrenko as business development advisor to strengthen corporate growth strategy and pipeline advancement.
  • These appointments come at a pivotal time as Avacta continues to advance its pre|CISION platform for targeted oncology drug delivery.

Revolution Medicines and Summit Therapeutics Launch Clinical Collaboration to Test RAS Inhibitor Combinations with Bispecific Antibody

  • Revolution Medicines and Summit Therapeutics announced a clinical collaboration to evaluate three RAS(ON) inhibitors in combination with ivonescimab, a PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, across multiple solid tumor types.
  • The collaboration will test combinations in RAS mutant non-small cell lung cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and colorectal cancer, with Revolution Medicines serving as study sponsor.
  • Revolution Medicines has previously disclosed promising initial evidence that daraxonrasib and elironrasib can deliver additive antitumor activity safely when combined with PD-1 antibodies in first-line RAS mutant NSCLC treatment.

Amgen's Bemarituzumab Shows Significant Survival Benefit in Phase 3 Gastric Cancer Trial

  • Amgen's Phase 3 FORTITUDE-101 trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that bemarituzumab plus chemotherapy significantly improved overall survival compared to chemotherapy alone in patients with FGFR2b-positive gastric cancer.
  • The study enrolled 547 patients across 300 sites in 37 countries, targeting those with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer who were non-HER2 positive.
  • Bemarituzumab represents the first positive Phase 3 results for an FGFR2b-targeted monoclonal antibody in gastric cancer, addressing a critical unmet need in a disease that causes over 650,000 deaths globally each year.
  • While the treatment showed efficacy, ocular adverse events occurred with greater frequency and severity in the bemarituzumab arm compared to the Phase 2 experience.

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