23andMe announces FDA clearance of IND application for 23ME-01473

23andMe Holding announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, has cleared the investigational new drug application for 23ME-01473 a natural killer cell activator intended to treat cancer. 23andMe plans to evaluate ‘1473 in participants with advanced solid tumors in a Phase 1 clinical study beginning in the first half of 2024. ‘1473 also has the potential to address a major unmet need in cancer treatment: patients who may have or may develop tumor resistance to checkpoint inhibitors. By combining NK and T cell activation, ‘1473 may initiate a broader and deeper response of the immune system to kill cancer cells, and delay tumor resistance seen in treatment with traditional checkpoint inhibitors. “This program further validates the 23andMe database as a proven resource for identifying novel therapeutic targets,” said Jennifer Low, Head of Therapeutics Development, 23andMe. “The team is excited to initiate our next immuno-oncology program, ‘1473, which is particularly interesting given its two mechanisms of action, which may synergize to enhance NK and T cell immunity against certain tumors.”