Can Drugs Targeting Tumor Microenvironment Unleash Cancer Vaccine Potential?

Cancer vaccines in the past have failed clinically but may have succeeded biologically, according to Roche R&D exec Hy Levitsky. The immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment must be circumvented if the vaccine response is to be effective – and Roche thinks its immuno-oncology pipeline could do the trick.

Development of new oncologics targeting the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment could rejuvenate the prospects for therapeutic cancer vaccines, a field that has long been heavy on promise but light on actual commercial or clinical success.

“Ultimately, unless you do something about this suppressive tumor microenvironment, you’re going to have a very hard time,” Roche...