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Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body1. Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body and is caused by changes to genes that control the way our cells function, especially how they grow and divide. Cancer-causing genetic changes can happen because:
Cancer remains the top cause of death in Singapore, accounting for close to 25% of deaths in the population2. According to the National Cancer Registry3, between 2017 to 2021, the most common cancers in Singapore are prostate (16.8% of all cancers diagnosed in males), colorectal (16.3%) and lung (13.5%) cancers among males, while breast (29.7% of all cancers diagnosed in females), colorectal (12.9%) and lung (7.9%) cancers among females.
Amgen has been serving cancer patients for nearly 30 years, and in that time has become a leader in the development of innovative cancer therapies. Many cancer patients continue to face significant unmet needs, and Amgen is working to deliver new therapies to enhance outcomes for patients with hard-to-treat cancers.
We focus our research on targets with a promising future
Our targeted drugs and immunotherapies focus on more than a dozen different malignancies, ranging from hematologic malignancies (multiple myeloma, acute lymphoblastic leukemia) to solid tumors (colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer).
Cancer treatments have traditionally fit into one of three categories: chemotherapy, surgery or radiation. In recent years, new approaches and innovative modalities — such as immuno-oncology or therapies targeting specific genetic mutations — have started to reshape how oncologists think about treating many cancers. One exciting area of innovation is the potential for Amgen’s Bispecific T-cell Engager (BiTE®) platform to engage the body’s immune system against many different stages and types of cancers.
BiTE molecules can be designed to engage the body’s immune system against specific targets found in some cancers. BiTE technology is a novel approach that can be adapted against a range of targets, and Amgen is currently investigating the platform’s applications in a number of blood cancers and solid tumors.
Amgen’s original BiTE molecules are relatively small proteins designed to clear the body with a typical half-life of a few hours, requiring continuous IV infusion of the medicine and repeat administration. Amgen has also developed half-life extended (HLE) BiTE molecules, which are larger, take longer to clear from the body, and are currently under investigation to assess less-frequent dosing schedules for patients.
A person’s immune system includes T cells that seek and destroy foreign invaders called antigens. Unlike viruses or bacteria that come from the outside world, cancers are mutations of the body’s own cells, and these malignant cells can disguise themselves from the immune system. BiTE molecules are engineered combinations of two different antibody fragments — one side connects to T cells, while the other side can be designed to engage with a tumor-associated antigen.
The BiTE platform could lead to new therapeutic pathways for patients who lack additional treatment options. This potential to adapt BiTE molecules for a range of different types and stages of cancers may have far-reaching applications.
Another key benefit is that BiTE molecules are being designed with the goal of leading to off-the-shelf therapies, without the need to manipulate an individual patient's T cells outside the body, as is currently the case with other cell-based immunotherapies. The development of BiTE therapies therefore has the potential to help expand the availability, and accessibility, of immuno-oncology for cancer patients who currently face significant unmet needs.