DARLEUKIN (L19-IL2) is a fully human vascular targeting immunocytokine, which is about to start Phase III clinical trials in patients with metastatic melanoma (in combination with dacarbazine). A registrational Phase II clinical trial for the intralesional administration of L19-IL2 in melamoma skin lesions is also ongoing.
Additionally L19-IL2 in combination with gemcitabine is being investigated in Phase Ib clinical trials in patients with pancreatic cancer.

The rationale for the development of this product relies on the fact that recombinant interleukin-2 is an approved biopharmaceutical (“Proleukin TM”; Novartis) and that the fusion protein, consisting of the human vascular targeting antibody L19 and of human interleukin-2, has demonstrated a striking superiority compared to non-targeted interleukin-2 in animal models of cancer.

SELECTED REFERENCES
Weide et al. (2010) J Clin. Oncol.,  28, 8555;
Garbe et al. (2009) J Clin. Oncol.,  27, 9064;
Johannsen et al. (2008) J Clin. Oncol.,  26, 16032;
Curigliano et al. (2007) J Clin. Oncol.,  25, 3057;
Schliemann et al. (2009) Blood, 113, 2275-2283;
Wagner et al. (2008) Clin. Cancer Res., 4, 4951-60;
Menrad and Menssen (2005) Nat. Rev. Cancer, 5, 436-446;
Carnemolla et al. (2002) Blood, 99, 1659-1665.

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