Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Merck To Collab- With Portage Biotech -- In Keytruda® Combo- Trials -- In A Wide Array Of Solid Organ Cancers


This is a significant validation of Portage's clinical programs, to date.

Now the question will be: does this combination of immuno-oncology agents extend progression free survival in a meaningful way? It will likely take about two years to gt the answers. But still, very promising. Here's the bit:

. . .Portage Biotech Inc., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company advancing novel multi-targeted therapies for use as monotherapy and in combination, today announced that it has entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement with Merck. . . to evaluate Portage’s next-generation adenosine antagonists in combination with KEYTRUDA® (pembrolizumab), Merck’s anti-PD-1 (programmed death receptor-1) therapy, for patients with solid tumors. The collaboration will explore Portage’s adenosine 2A receptor (A2AR) antagonist, PORT-6, its adenosine 2B receptor (A2BR) antagonist, PORT-7, individually and together in combination with KEYTRUDA in prostate, renal, head and neck, colorectal, endometrial, ovarian and non-small cell lung cancers. . . .

“We are excited to initiate another collaboration with longstanding immunotherapy leader, Merck, to further explore the potential benefits of combining checkpoint blockade with PORT-6 and PORT-7,” said Dr. Ian Walters, Chief Executive Officer of Portage Biotech. “Our suite of potentially best-in-class adenosine antagonists are designed to act on multiple immune cell types for potentially more robust immunological effect and have been demonstrated preclinically to be more selective, more potent and more durable than other adenosine antagonists in development. We look forward to expanding this collaboration, evaluating our adenosine antagonists and continuing our mission to offer transformational therapies for patients in need. . . .”


Onward smiling into a short week, ahead. And the high mountains beckon again, in two weeks (with all my great and grown kids -- and partners).

नमस्ते

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