Celldex Differentiated Immuno-Oncology Asset Ripe For Combos

Celldex Therapeutics Inc.’s varlilumab has emerged out of Phase I testing as a potentially differentiated cancer immunotherapy that could be combined with PD-1/L1 inhibitors, other immune checkpoint inhibitors and small molecule drugs. The company is moving aggressively to study the drug in combinations and has targeted four combination studies to begin in 2014.

Varlilumab is an immune-modulating monoclonal antibody targeting CD27, found on some white blood cells. It works by activating the immune system, a complementary mechanism to immune checkpoint inhibitors that lift the foot off the immune system’s breaks