Drug Detail

Information about rhApo2L/TRAIL

Generic Name
IND	rhApo2L/TRAIL
Brand Name (US)
Manufacturer	Genentech/Amgen
Drug Type
Delivery
Approval Status	Phase 2
Indications
Overall Strategy
Strategy	Unblock cell death genes
Drug Category	TRAIL activator

Description Recombinant human Apo2L/TRAIL is the first dual pro-apoptotic receptor agonist designed to activate both pro-apoptotic receptors (PARA) DR4 and DR5, which are involved in the regulation of apoptosis, also known as programmed cell death. Apoptosis is a natural process by which damaged or unwanted cells, including those that are cancerous, die and are cleared from the body. Pro-apoptotic receptors DR4 and DR5 are expressed in a broad range of malignancies.

Development Status Phase II clinical trials are ongoing evaluating rhApo2L/TRAIL in combination with Rituxan for indolent relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and in combination with chemotherapy and Avastin for first-line metastatic non-small cell lung cancer. A Phase Ib clinical trial evaluating rhApo2L/TRAIL in second-line metastatic colorectal cancer is ongoing.

This molecule is being developed in collaboration with Amgen, Inc. and Immunex, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amgen, Inc.