Promising results for Lead Biologics’ first-in-class checkpoint inhibitor published in Nature Cancer
The team of Lead BiologicsLund, Sweden – Lead Biologics takes a major step towards a new cancer treatment. A new study shows that the company’s drug candidate effectively inhibits a previously unknown immune escape mechanism and eliminates acute myeloid leukemia cells in advanced experimental models.
"This confirms the great interest in our novel approach to treating cancer, and is an important step towards first-in-human studies, says Anki Malmborg Hager," CEO at Lead Biologics.
The discovery that is now published in Nature Cancer is based on research from Lund University led by professor Thoas Fioretos who is also one of the founders of Lead Biologics.
The researchers show that tumor cells from a majority of acute myeloid leukemia patients produce the surface protein SLAMF6, which protects the cancer cells from being recognized by tumor-reactive T cells. Furthermore, they show that treatment with the SLAMF6 blocking antibody developed by Lead Biologics inhibits this mechanism and enables the immune system to eliminate the tumor cells in cellular models in vitro and in vivo.
"The publication in Nature Cancer is a testament to the high scientific quality and clinical relevance of our drug development programs, says Carl Sandén," CSO at Lead Biologics and first author of the study.
Checkpoint inhibitors against PD1/PDL1 have revolutionized cancer treatment and are among the highest selling pharmaceuticals globally. But they only work for a subset of patients. The discovery of the SLAMF6 immune escape mechanism opens up a new way to activate the immune system that could benefit many patients who do not respond to the treatments available today.
Lead Biologics aims to develop a first-in-class treatment against SLAMF6. Based on the promising results now presented, clinical trials are expected to start within two to three years.
The publication is publically available here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43018-025-01054-6
In the photo, from left:
Contact details
Anki Malmborg Hager, CEO
ankimhager@leadbiologics.com
+46 768 28 48 22
Carl Sandén, CSO and co-founder
carl.sanden@leadbiologics.com
+46 737 66 26 63
About Lead Biologics
Lead Biologics is a spinout company from Lund University that develops therapeutic antibodies against novel targets in cancer. The company is located at SmiLe Venture Hub in Lund, Sweden. More information is available at www.leadbiologics.com.
About SmiLe Venture Hub – Pioneering Life Science and Foodtech Innovations
SmiLe is a leading venture hub that specializes in advancing life science and foodtech startups from concept to commercialization. We offer comprehensive support through every stage of entrepreneurship, including tailored incubation and acceleration programs, a variety of educational courses, and access to top-tier lab facilities. To date, our flagship incubator program has supported over 110 startups, facilitating their collective acquisition of more than EUR 1.13 billion in venture capital and contributing to 21 successful IPOs. Recognized as one of Europe’s leading startup hubs in 2024 by the Financial Times and Statista, SmiLe continues to be a catalyst for innovation in the life sciences sector. As a non-profit entity based in Lund, Sweden, SmiLe is supported by Region Skåne, Lund Municipality, Lund University, and Medicon Village. We are also backed by our partners Agilent, Sparbanken Skåne, Høiberg, Setterwalls, Zacco, Key2Compliance, Phase Holographic Imaging, ChemoMetec, Samplix, Qiagen, Merck, Bio-Rad, Zeiss, SmartStone Nordics, Säkra, Servier and AbbVie Scandinavia. For more information: www.smileventurehub.com
Powered by Notified