Biotech: Rückschlag für Biontech – Krebstherapie fehlgeschlagen
Eine mRNA-Immuntherapie hat bei Kopf-Hals-Krebs das Fortschreiten der Erkrankung nicht aufgehalten. Die Mainzer sehen darin trotzdem kein endgültiges Aus.
Mainz - German biotech company BioNTech has suffered a setback in its cancer research. The experimental vaccine candidate BNT113 failed to extend the survival of patients without disease progression in a specific type of head and neck cancer, BioNTech announced on Tuesday. The study compared BNT113 combined with the antibody Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) to treatment with Pembrolizumab alone.
This result is another setback for the German biotech, which gained recognition through its Covid-19 vaccine. The technology behind the vaccine, mRNA, is a key component of the company's cancer strategy. BioNTech was founded as a cancer company and has invested a large portion of its pandemic profits in oncological research. The experimental drug is called BNT113 and was tested as first-line therapy for patients with HPV-16-positive, PD-L1-expressing squamous cell carcinoma in the head and neck area.
About one-third of cases are related to an HPV infection. BioNTech stated that the first negative result in such therapies is not unusual, as immunological responses can develop and deepen over time. The company pointed to examples of clinical studies that initially failed but later received approval, including Pembrolizumab, which is sold under the name Keytruda.
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