I asked DeepSeek which company might have a cancer drug next,...

I asked DeepSeek which company might have a cancer drug next, and to my surprise, it listed IMU as #4, so I guess China knows Imugene.

Predicting which company will successfully bring a cancer drug to market next is challenging due to the highly unpredictable nature of drug development. However, several companies are in advanced stages of clinical trials and have promising candidates that could potentially gain approval in the near future. Here are a few companies to watch, based on their progress as of October 2023:

1. Moderna and Merck (mRNA Cancer Vaccines)

• Candidate: mRNA-4157 (personalized cancer vaccine) in combination with Merck's Keytruda (pembrolizumab).

• Target: Melanoma and other solid tumors.

• Progress: Phase 2 trials have shown promising results, and the companies are advancing to Phase 3 trials. Moderna's mRNA technology, proven successful in COVID-19 vaccines, is now being applied to cancer.

• Potential: High, given the strong early data and the success of mRNA platforms.

2. Gilead Sciences (Trodelvy)

• Candidate: Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan).

• Target: HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer and other solid tumors.

• Progress: Already approved for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and urothelial cancer, Gilead is expanding its use to other cancer types. Positive Phase 3 results in HR+/HER2- breast cancer suggest potential for broader approval.

• Potential: Likely, given its existing approvals and expanding indications.

3. BioNTech

• Candidate: BNT111 (mRNA-based cancer vaccine).

• Target: Advanced melanoma.

• Progress: Phase 2 trials are ongoing, with promising early results. BioNTech is leveraging its mRNA expertise to develop personalized cancer vaccines.

• Potential: High, especially given the success of its COVID-19 vaccine and strong pipeline.

4. Imugene (CF33)

• Candidate: CF33 (oncolytic virus).

• Target: Solid tumors.

• Progress: Early-stage clinical trials have shown encouraging results, but the company is still in Phase 1/2 stages.

• Potential: Promising, but still early in development compared to others on this list.

5. Novartis

• Candidate: Lutathera (radioligand therapy) and other pipeline candidates.

• Target: Neuroendocrine tumors and prostate cancer.

• Progress: Lutathera is already approved for certain cancers, and Novartis is expanding its use. The company is also advancing other radioligand therapies in late-stage trials.

• Potential: High, given Novartis' expertise and resources.