An AbbVie-Calico cancer therapy; plus Moderna’s monkeypox vaccine and more

AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV),  Calico Life Sciences LLC and collaborators showed in Nature that ABBV-CLS-484, a potentially first-in-class, orally bioavailable PTPN1 and PTPN2 active-site inhibitor, reduced tumor growth and increased survival in four mouse models of cancer, comparable to or greater than anti-PD-1 treatment. Combination treatment further enhanced efficacy and survival in a mouse model of colon cancer. ABBV-CLS-484 generated potent antitumor immunity through a dual mechanism: acting directly on tumor cells and increasing antitumor activity of immune cells.

ABBV-CLS-484 is in a Phase I solid tumor trial as monotherapy and in combination with anti-PD-1 therapy or a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of VEGFRs...