In this edition of The OncoZine Brief, Peter Hofland, Ph.D and Sonia Portillo talk Sean McCarthy, D.Phil, President and Chief Executive Officer of CytomX, a biotechnology company developing a novel 'Probody Platform' which allows them to design therapeutic drugs that selectively activate in the tumor microenvironment while reducing drug activity in healthy tissue and in circulation.

In addition to his work for CytomX, McCarthy is the author on multiple peer-reviewed scientific publications, issued patents and filed patent applications.

CytomX is unlocking the potential of antibody therapeutics in oncology by developing a novel therapeutic antibody class of highly targeted Probody™ therapeutics.

In this interview, Hofland and Portillo ask McCarty about the history of of Cytomx, the development of a new class of highly targeted drugs, basic research and the company’s collaboration with industry partners.

In late 2017, Bristol-Myers Squibb, one of the company's industry partners, received acceptance of the Investigational New Drug application (IND) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a CTLA-4-directed Probody™ therapeutic. CTLA-4, the clinically validated target of the Bristol-Myers Squibb checkpoint inhibitor ipilimumab (Yervoy®), the first target to advance into the clinic under the companies’ strategic collaboration formed in May 2014.

Hofland and Portillo also ask McCarty about the future potential of his company's Probody therapeutics and how this technology may ultimately change cancer treatment. They ask him where this technology fits in with other available cancer treatments, which patient populations can ultimately benefit most from Probody Therapeutics, and how these novel agents address the currently unmet medical needs of patients.