In today’s world, cancer is a real problem. It has caused many deaths, mostly because of the fact that there are no viable cures for it. However, two companies named Genmab and Seattle Genetics were able to create a highly successful antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) called tisotumab vedotin which is an anti-cancer drug. The response rate of the drug they created was 24% in cervical cancer patients, which made some of their partners talk to the FDA about approving the ADC. If this is passed, this could potentially allow people who have cervical cancer to have a cure.
The way the company was able to test for the 24% response rate was when 24% of the 101 people enrolled in a previous experiment for the drug were shown to have a response to it. Compared to previous tests of ADC which had a response rate of around 14%, Genmab obviously had a much higher rate which made people believe that the FDA would clear Genmab to start selling the ADC as soon as next year. Sales predicted for Genmab’s ADC are estimated around $300 million.
In addition, the drug is very safe as well, as only 20% of the patient suffered from alopecia, nosebleeds, nausea, conjunctivitis, fatigue, and dry eye. 80% of the patients did not suffer these symptoms. However, the beneficial effects might be able to be improved too. There are claims that Genmab may be able to improve the efficiency of tisotumab vedotin by combining it with Avastin, Keytruda, or carboplatin.
In 2017, Genmab and Seattle Genetics signed a contract that declared that they would split their profits equally. These companies are expected to have a major increase of profits since it was predicted that the drug would be worth $300, according to analysts. Because of this, tisotumab vedotin could become Genmab’s first commercial launch which could then allow Genmab to create infrastructure in the U.S and Japan.
Clearly, Genmab and Seattle Genetics were able to create a highly successful drug called tisotumab vedotin. This drug has never been seen before and will greatly help cancer patients by providing a viable solution with its much higher response rate. Not only this, but the profits from this would allow Genmab to kickstart its commercial launch and create facilities which would allow it to mass produce the product, leading to even more profits in the future.