Interleukin 12 (IL-12) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine with profound primary (direct action upon immune cells) and secondary (induction of other inflammatory mediators such as IFNγ) pharmacology, and therefore stands out as a potential cancer therapeutic.

Past experiences in the field clearly demonstrate the need to tightly focus the activity IL-12 to the tumour. Leveraging our high dimensional biology platform, we defined the immunological rules that distinguish the tumour from normal tissue.

DAX-044 has been designed to exploit the immunological differences between the tumour and normal tissue. Using a multi-parametric, parallel optimisation, a cis-targeting ‘goldilocks’ molecule emerged that maximised therapeutic index and minimised engineering complexity. As it turns out, it’s all about the biology.