BioNTech’s Lung Cancer Drug Shows 30% Tumor Reduction
BioNTech, a biotechnology company founded by Uğur Şahin, announced that it has made significant progress in a drug against lung cancer. The company revealed that the drug shrank cancer tumors in around 30 percent of the participants during the phase ½ trials of OncoC4’s antibody candidate against lung cancer, ONC-392 (gotistobart). In a joint statement by BioNTech and OncoC4, the companies are delighted with the trial results and are pleased to have moved closer to offering a lung cancer treatment that can improve patient outcomes.
Phase 3 trials, which are necessary for approval from the authorities, are planned to start in the third quarter of this year. BioNTech and OncoC4 announced on March 20 that they would collaborate to co-develop and commercialize the lung cancer drug candidate. During the collaboration, BioNTech will make an upfront payment of $200 million to OncoC4 and provide various payments and tiered royalties to the company during the collaboration period.
This announcement comes as a glimmer of hope for lung cancer patients, with lung cancer being the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The collaboration between BioNTech and OncoC4 may pave the way for similar partnerships to advance research and the development of cancer treatments.
