Despite the huge commercial success of PD-1 inhibitors and widespread use of checkpoint inhibitors such as anti-PD-1 or anti-CTLA4, 70 to 80% of patients still experience limited or no response to existing therapies.
In response to this critical challenge, Portage Biotech is on a mission to expand the number of patients who derive long-term benefits from immunotherapies.
Portage Biotech is advancing a portfolio of novel precision immuno-oncology therapies, including invariant natural killer T-cell (iNKT) engagers, designed to correct the tumor microenvironment and enable the body to recognize and attack tumors, and next-generation adenosine inhibitors for a variety of cancers, with better potency, selectivity and durability.
Heading this pioneering endeavor is Dr. Ian Walters, Portage's CEO, who brings decades of experience in the immuno-oncology space. With a unique background as a physician with a business degree, Dr. Walters has been deeply involved in academia and large pharmaceutical companies. He played a pivotal role in the development of some of the first checkpoint inhibitors and has supported the approval of five oncology drugs.
In this conversation, Walters tells Labiotech about Portage's unique approach to targeting known checkpoint resistant pathways and the company's strategy to revolutionize immunotherapy research and drug development.