ImmunoGen
ImmunoGen, Inc. was a biotechnology company focused on the development of antibody-drug conjugate therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. ImmunoGen was founded in 1981 and was headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
An ImmunoGen ADC contains a manufactured antibody that binds to a target found on cancer cells, with one of the company's potent cell-killing agents attached as a "payload". The antibody serves to deliver the cell-killing agent specifically to cancer cells bearing its target and the payload serves to kill these cells. In some cases, the antibody also has anticancer activity.
In November 2023, AbbVie, an American pharmaceutical company, announced it was buying ImmunoGen for $10.1 billion.
Linkage technology
Currently approved ADCs with ImmunoGen technology employ one of the company's maytansinoid cell-killing agents, either DM1 or DM4, or one of the company's DNA-acting IGN payloads.- DM1 attached to an antibody with ImmunoGen's thioether linker is called "emtansine" in its INN name
- * trastuzumab emtansine, marketed as Kadcyla
- DM1 attached to an antibody with ImmunoGen's SPP linker is called "mertansine".
- DM4 attached with ImmunoGen's SPDB linker is called "ravtansine"
- * indatuximab ravtansine targeting multiple myeloma,
- * anetumab ravtansine targeting mesothelin, starting phase II trial in 2016
- * coltuximab ravtansine targeting CD19 to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
- DM4 attached with ImmunoGen's sSPDB linker is called "soravtansine"
- * mirvetuximab soravtansine
Pipeline
ImmunoGen uses its ADC technology to develop its own product candidates. The mirvetuximab, which has been submitted for FDA approval, is being developed as a monotherapy or a standalone treatment for ovarian cancer. Other products currently in clinical-stage development include:- IMGN853, targeting FRα, and using DM4.
- IMGN529, targeting CD37 for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- IMGN289, targeting EGFR
- IMGN779, a CD33-Targeted Antibody-Drug Conjugate with a new DNA-Alkylating agent acts on AML Cells.
- IMGN632, anti-CD123
- SAR408701 in collaboration with Sanofi
- SAR428926 in collaboration with Sanofi
- SAR566658 in collaboration with Sanofi
- SAR650984 in collaboration with Sanofi
- LY3076226 in collaboration with Eli Lilly
- PCA062 in collaboration with Novartis
- an undisclosed antibody in collaboration with Amgen
Collaborations & licensing