STAND UP TO CANCER COLLABORATES WITH JOHNSON & JOHNSON TO EXPLORE TARGETED THERAPIES FOR RARE DISEASE LINKED TO BLOOD CANCERS

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) today announced a collaboration with Johnson & Johnson aimed at supporting research testing a combination of two types of targeted therapies, teclistamab and daratumumab, to treat a rare disease called AL amyloidosis. Affecting approximately 4,500 people annually in the U.S., AL amyloidosis can be associated with blood cancers, particularly multiple myeloma as well as lymphomas or chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

"Despite new treatment options available, we have to continue research to help patients with this difficult-to-treat disease," said Jessica Vermeulen, vice president, Oncology Late Development, Innovative Medicine, Johnson & Johnson. "Our team is excited to collaborate with Stand Up To Cancer as we support this new research project, which has significant implications in oncology since there are treatment similarities between AL amyloidosis and certain blood cancers such as multiple myeloma."

The rationale for studying the teclistamab and daratumumab drug combination in AL amyloidosis is based upon the fact that daratumumab is already approved in AL amyloidosis as a part of a different drug combination, and data on the teclistamab and daratumumab combination has already been generated in multiple myeloma.

"We know that clinical trials have recently been investigating the combination of teclistamab and daratumumab for multiple myeloma treatment," said SU2C president and CEO Julian Adams, Ph.D. "With this new research focused on AL amyloidosis, we hope to leverage previous findings to expand the understanding of this treatment option. We're grateful for Johnson & Johnson's support and their focus on pursuing new therapies for this disease." 

Amyloidosis is caused by cancerous plasma cells in the bone marrow leading to an abnormal buildup of a protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body. The body doesn't have an efficient way of getting rid of this amyloid buildup, which can cause disease in vital organs. AL amyloidosis (also called primary amyloidosis) is treated by oncologists; it is the most common type of amyloidosis, specifically affecting the heart, kidneys, liver, and nerves. The condition disproportionately impacts men and most often occurs in people over the age of 50, although some can be diagnosed as young as 20. Like AL amyloidosis, multiple myeloma affects the plasma cells inside the bone marrow, and 15% of patients with multiple myeloma will also be diagnosed with AL amyloidosis.

Teclistamab works by creating a bridge between two types of cells: abnormal plasma cells, and immune cells called T cells. This connection activates the T cells to destroy the abnormal plasma cells. Daratumumab targets a protein found on plasma cells and can have a direct effect on killing abnormal cells while also marking these cells for the immune system to destroy. It is hypothesized that the use of these two drugs together may help target multiple proteins on abnormal cells and may engage different parts of the immune system to fight the disease in a more effective way.

U.S. investigators interested in pursuing this research are invited to submit an application by January 28, 2025 via ProposalCentral under Stand Up To Cancer. Award notification will happen in March 2025 and the project start date will be in July 2025.

This study is being supported through a SU2C Catalyst® grant, which is uniquely designed to rapidly generate early efficacy and safety data to inform further development in collaboration with the leading Amyloidosis investigators across the U.S.

About Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C) raises awareness and funds research to detect and treat cancers with the aspiration to cure all patients. SU2C is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization and was initially launched as a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Established in 2008 by media and entertainment leaders, SU2C utilizes these communities' resources to engage the public in supporting a new, collaborative model of cancer research, to increase awareness about cancer prevention, and to highlight progress being made in the fight against the disease. As of April 2024, more than 3,100 scientists representing more than 210 institutions are involved in SU2C-funded research projects.

As SU2C's scientific partner, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee, led by William G. Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., conduct rigorous competitive review processes to identify the best research proposals to recommend for funding, oversee grants administration, and provide expert review of research progress.

Current members of the SU2C Founders and Advisors Committee (FAC) include Katie Couric, Sherry Lansing, Kathleen Lobb, Lisa Paulsen, Rusty Robertson, Sue Schwartz, Pamela Oas Williams, and Ellen Ziffren. The late Laura Ziskin and the late Noreen Fraser are also co-founders. Julian Adams, Ph.D., serves as SU2C's president and CEO.

For more information visit StandUpToCancer.org, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

About Johnson & Johnson

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. Our strength in healthcare innovation empowers us to build a world where complex diseases are prevented, treated, and cured, where treatments are smarter and less invasive, and solutions are personal. Through our expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we are uniquely positioned to innovate across the full spectrum of healthcare solutions today to deliver the breakthroughs of tomorrow, and profoundly impact health for humanity.

Learn more at https://www.jnj.com/ or at https://www.innovativemedicine.jnj.com. Follow us at @JNJInnovMed.

Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Janssen Biotech, Inc., and Janssen Global Services, LLC are Johnson & Johnson companies.

SOURCE Stand Up To Cancer