Seattle Genetics Leads Roche in Cancer Combo Race
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Seattle Genetics Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. may beat Roche Holding AG in developing a new type of combination cancer therapy that’s less toxic than standard treatments.
The product, SGN-35, uses an antibody that recognizes and connects to receptors found only on the surface of malignant cells. Once there, the therapy releases a powerful chemical called auristatin that kills cancer cells by stopping them from dividing. By keeping that drug out of the bloodstream and away from healthy tissue, the treatment avoids the side effects of standard chemotherapy.