Emapalumab
Emapalumab switches off interferon gamma, the signal behind the runaway immune activation of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a condition that can also be triggered by lymphoma and by CAR-T therapy.
Overview
Emapalumab is a monoclonal antibody against interferon gamma, approved in the United States in 2018 for primary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) that is refractory, recurrent or progressive, or where conventional HLH therapy is not tolerated; the label was later extended to HLH and macrophage activation syndrome in Still's disease. HLH matters in oncology because lymphomas and CAR-T cell therapy can set it off, and treatment protocols borrow the etoposide and dexamethasone used for the primary form. Use of emapalumab in these secondary, cancer-linked forms is off label and reported in case series rather than trials.
Binds free and receptor-bound interferon gamma and neutralises it, damping the macrophage and T-cell activation loop that drives haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis.
1.Emapalumab binds its target.
- AmivantamabApproved
- CamizestrantApproved
- Comprehensive genomic profilingStandard of care
- Liquid biopsy (ctDNA)Standard of care
- LorlatinibApproved
- MRD / molecular residual disease testingEstablished
- ADC payload neutralisersPhase 1
- BGB-16673Phase 3
- Bispecific ADCPhase 3
- BRUIN CLL-321Positive
- CaDAnCe-304Recruiting
- CIRCULATE-Japan (GALAXY / VEGA / ALTAIR)Active
- A clone report from blood at every treatment cycle
- A fast route to the matched drug when it is licensed for another cancer
- A multi-cancer platform trial of adaptive (dose-holiday) therapy
- A national rapid research autopsy network for end-stage cancer
- A standard evolvability score for every tumour
- A standing platform trial that assigns treatment by how the tumour escaped
Background: ADC sequencing, Antigen escape (antigen loss, lineage switch), BCG-unresponsive, Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), Circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA). Also on OnCo: Resistance atlas · Lines of therapy.
Approvals
| Region | Year | Indication |
|---|---|---|
| US | 2018 | Primary haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, refractory, recurrent or progressive, or intolerant of conventional therapy |
Trials
topTrials recruiting now
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Latest papers
topQuery for this drug: (TITLE:"Emapalumab" OR ABSTRACT:"Emapalumab" OR TITLE:"Gamifant" OR ABSTRACT:"Gamifant" OR TITLE:"Emapalumab-lzsg" OR ABSTRACT:"Emapalumab-lzsg" OR TITLE:"NI-0501" OR ABSTRACT:"NI-0501") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Emapalumab, not a curated reading list.
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