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Oncology Disease Area Strongholds
We are aligned from laboratory bench through post-approval research.
Focused Solutions
To execute our overarching strategy, we have created internal Disease Area Strongholds (DAS) whose function is to:
- Focus on particular tumor types where the need for treatment options is greatest; and
- Bring the most compelling science to bear to develop transformational therapeutic solutions.
Disease Area Strongholds are a highly effective model for drug development, enabling a focused strategy that informs prioritization, optimizes investment, and ensures the best chance of success. It means that across our Oncology Research & Development (R&D) group, employees are deeply aligned within the DAS, and our organization’s goals and priorities reflect this singular dedication. Within each stronghold, our discovery and clinical development areas (including biomarkers and translational medicine) and our commercial capabilities are fully integrated and strategically aligned ensuring that the resources, insight and expertise needed to deliver new advances are fully dedicated and optimized through every stage. Our DAS teams also function as a “magnet” for attracting specialized talent and forming essential partnerships to develop the most promising assets.
Our priority DAS teams focus on hematologic malignancies , prostate cancer, and lung cancer. An additional area of focus is colorectal cancer. We also are keenly interested in identifying new targets for drug development in pre-malignancies, and in technologies that can accelerate target identification, drug screening, predictive biomarkers and drug development.
Disease Area Strongholds
Areas of Highest Focus
- Patients resistant to current treatment options
- Focus on early disease segments: distinguish "aggressive" vs. "indolent disease"
- Adjuvant and Neo Adjuvant treatment
Molecular Pathways of Interest
- Direct targeting of ligand-independent activity Androgen Receptor (AR) (e.g., AR cofactors, AR degraders)
- Growth factor pathways that impact AR function or are downstream of AR
- Immune therapies T cell checkpoint and agonist pathways
Therapeutic Focus
- Targeted therapeutics (large and small molecules) that directly target the AR and AR-dependent pathways
- Targeted therapeutics towards aggressive disease as identified in early stage (e.g., via Circulating Tumor Cell [CTC] blood or urine markers)
- Immunomodulation/vaccines
- Prostate-targeting strategies
Areas of Highest Focus
- Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS)
- ABC-subtype Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)
- Multiple Myeloma (MM)
Molecular and Cellular Pathways of Interest
- Cell surface targets for immune-directed therapy
- Immune checkpoint inhibition
- Leukemia stem cells
- Pathway addiction (genetic alterations, cell-type specific pathways)
- Conditional sensitivity (stress, protein-producing tumors)
- Targeting of T cells and NK cells to tumors
- Identification of novel tumor-specific antigens
- Progression from early Multiple Myeloma to MM and from MDS to AML and cancer interception
Areas of Highest Focus
- New driver segments of squamous cell carcinoma
- Acquired and intrinsic resistance of adenocarcinoma
- Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
Pathways and Mechanisms of Interest
- Emerging driver pathways in squamous carcinoma (FGFR)
- Oncogene pathways in adenocarcinoma (KRAS, Wnt/β-catenin)
- Identification of new tumor antigens (NSCLC and SCLC)
- Resistance pathways
- Immune cell activation and redirection
- Identification of targets of early disease
Therapeutic Approaches
- Targeted therapy with small and large molecules
- Bi-specific large molecule modalities
- Vaccine-based therapy
Additional Areas of Interest
Immunomodulation / Vaccines
- Targeted therapeutics (large and small molecules) with the potential for transformational benefit in the treatment of colon and rectal cancers
- Stem cell signaling pathways
- Safe and effective interventions for the diagnosis and treatment of precursor lesions designed to prevent and arrest the development of malignant neoplasms of the colon and rectum
Learn about our focus on Cancer Interception.
Human lung bronchioalveolar carcinoma cell
