Project description
An innovative treatment that breaks immune tolerance in cancer
Cancer has a devastating impact on millions of people around the world, yet no effective anti-cancer treatment has been developed. The EU-funded MAGIF project is working on a novel anti-cancer solution based on the key immunosuppressive molecule Clever-1 found on tumour-associated macrophages. An antibody against Clever-1 overrides the immune tolerance of tumours and activates the patient’s immune defence against cancer. Preliminary results from human clinical trials are very encouraging and demonstrate immune stimulation and tumour shrinkage. The MAGIF project will focus on cancer types without effective treatment options, hoping to pave the way for macrophage-guided immunotherapy.
Objective
Cancer is a leading cause of death in the world despite relentless research to discover new treatments. There were over 18M new cancer cases and 9.6M deaths due to cancer worldwide in 2018. Human suffering due to cancer is devastating. The impact and cost of cancer to society is extensive and complex. Faron aims to provide a new solution that could replace several currently used ineffective cancer treatments.
Faron is a Finnish biotech company committed to high-quality R&D to fulfil the company’s mission of saving lives. Faron’s game-changing immuno-oncology (IO) treatment CLEVEGEN revolves around a key immunosuppressive molecule named Clever-1 on tumour associated macrophages, responsible for cancer growth and spread. CLEVEGEN is an anti-Clever-1 antibody that brakes the immunosuppressive tolerance of tumours and activates the patient’s immune defences against cancer.
The first results from Faron’s first-in-human clinical trial with CLEVEGEN are very positive with early clinical benefits with a switch in patients’ immune profile towards immune stimulation leading to tumour shrinkage in cancer types where nothing has worked before. The early evidence of a clinical response to CLEVEGEN strengthens Faron’s value proposition of it as a break-through cancer treatment.
CLEVEGEN has major advantages compared to other IO treatments. Most importantly, patients who would benefit from the treatment can be screened. This would prevent futile treatment and deliver savings in healthcare resources and cost. The CLEVEGEN program is focused on deadly cancer types without effective treatment options and over 3.5M new cases and 2.3M deaths yearly. The market opportunity is clear. With transition to other cancers and the possibility of becoming the first line of therapy due to an exceptional safety profile, the potential up-scale of CLEVEGEN is enormous.
There is nothing like CLEVEGEN on the market. CLEVEGEN could secure Faron a world-leading position in the new wave of macrophage guided immunotherapy.
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
20520 Turku
Finland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.