Lykera takes aim at aggressive cancers by targeting pre-metastatic niche

Lykera joins a growing wave of companies targeting the tumor stroma, but it is taking a different approach with a portfolio of first-in-class mAbs against S100 proteins implicated in driving metastases. Its lead programs are slated to enter the clinic in the next two to three years.

Commercial interest in targeting the tumor stroma has been on the rise, based on a growing understanding of the mechanisms by which stromal cells lock cancer-fighting immune cells out of tumors. The work has led to a resurgence of interest in TGFβ as a drug target (see “Tumor Stroma Rises as Newest Source of Immuno-Oncology Targets”)...