Clevegen (Bexmarilimab) is a new cancer

immunotherapy Immunotherapy or biological therapy is the treatment of disease by activating or suppressing the immune system. Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as ''activation immunotherapies,'' while immunotherap ...

drug under development in Finland by

Faron Pharmaceuticals Faron Pharmaceuticals is a Finnish drug discovery and development company based in Turku, Finland. The company was founded in 2003 by a group led by Markku Jalkanen, who now acts as the company's Chief Executive Officer. It specialises in the d ...

. The drug is an anti- Clever-1 antibody which can convert immune suppressive type-2 tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) to immune active type-1 microphages and has the potential for wide use in

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

. It is currently (2019) undergoing trials (codename MATINS) as an innovative treatment for

metastatic Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, then, ...

or inoperable solid tumours such as cutaneous

melanoma Melanoma, also redundantly known as malignant melanoma, is a type of skin cancer that develops from the pigment-producing cells known as melanocytes. Melanomas typically occur in the skin, but may rarely occur in the mouth, intestines, or eye ( ...

and

hepatobiliary The biliary tract, (biliary tree or biliary system) refers to the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts, and how they work together to make, store and secrete bile. Bile consists of water, electrolytes, bile acids, cholesterol, phospholipids and co ...

/ hepatocellular,

pancreatic The pancreas is an Organ (anatomy), organ of the digestive system and endocrine system of vertebrates. In humans, it is located in the abdominal cavity, abdomen behind the stomach and functions as a gland. The pancreas is a mixed or heterocrine ...

ovarian The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. T ...

and

colorectal The large intestine, also known as the large bowel, is the last part of the gastrointestinal tract and of the digestive system in tetrapods. Water is absorbed here and the remaining waste material is stored in the rectum as feces before being ...

cancers, all of which host a significant number of Clever-1-positive TAMs and represent some 2 million cases annually worldwide. Following encouraging results of early European trials regarding the drugs tolerability and safety the MATINS programme is being extended to the USA. Later trials will study the drug's efficacy in treating patients with high Clever-1 occurrence, who can be readily identified by liquid biopsy using a blood myeloid cell staining technique.

References

{{reflist Immunotherapy Experimental cancer drugs