BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Therapeutics: Interleukin-6 (IL-6)

February 11, 2016 8:00 AM UTC

Cell culture and mouse studies identified an anti-IL-6 antibody, MEDI5117, that could help treat cancer. In a human prostate cancer cell line, MEDI5117 inhibited proliferation with an IC50 of 0.10 nM, and nearly three times more potently than the anti-IL-6 mAb Sylvant siltuximab (IC50 = 0.28 nM). In the human prostate cancer cell line and a human leukemia cell line, MEDI5117 decreased growth and IL-6-induced spheroid formation compared with control IgG and more potently than Sylvant. In mouse xenograft models of prostate and ovarian cancers, MEDI5117 decreased tumor growth more potently than Sylvant. Next steps by MedImmune LLC could include testing MEDI5117 in mouse models of other cancers.

Johnson & Johnson markets Sylvant to treat Castleman's disease and has the mAb in Phase II testing to treat multiple myeloma (MM). ...