The Russian cancer drug has been successfully tested on animals, including monkeys, from 2015 to early 2016. At this stage of research, the drug has shown higher efficacy rates than Western drugs, of which there are only two in the world, according to a press release from Biocad, which was received by Lenta.ru.
A future drug is being prepared for clinical trials: the first of many planned trials will involve patients from around the world. Russians will be among the first to gain access to the next generation of therapy, and the drug will be available to patients in 2018-2019
The new drug activates the internal forces of the human body to fight cancer. The monoclonal antibody drug blocks the interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1 proteins, which masks cancer cells as healthy ones. After neutralization of PD-1, the body begins to recognize tumor cells as foreign and destroy them. At the same time, healthy tissues of the body are not damaged as in toxic chemotherapy.
Today there are only two drugs in the world based on monoclonal antibodies against PD-1. One is from MSD, the other is from Bristol-Myers Sqibb. Both are not registered in Russia, therefore they are not available to Russian patients.
According to the results of preclinical studies, the BIOCAD drug showed a higher level of biological activity (effectiveness) than the Bristol-Myers Sqibb drug. Both drugs are similar in safety profile, since they contain only a human monoclonal antibody in the structure. MSD, on the other hand, includes a mouse protein that can induce an immune response and thus reduce the effectiveness and safety of the antibody.