UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Winter 2018 | Page 21

“Right now,
we’ve got 20
trials, and
Andres Forero discusses a UAB clinical trial with a care team member at the Kirklin Clinic.
LoBuglio: “In a group of patients with
Hodgkin’s disease we showed that there were
benefits. Several years later we took part in
pivotal trials of that drug, known as Adcetris,
and it’s used today.”
two-thirds of
a terrific company with a whole lot of antibody-
drug conjugates now being studied.”
Forero: “The first person treated in the first
clinical trial of Adcetris was one of my patients
here at UAB. We went through all the steps of
those studies, and it was approved by the FDA
for Hodgkin’s lymphoma a few years ago. It has
dramatically improved treatment.” Saleh: “A number of the pharmaceutical
connections that we developed as a result of
Dr. LoBuglio’s reputation at that time are the
same ones that we work with today in the
UAB Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program.” [The
program, launched in 2015, is directed by Dr.
Saleh.] Right now, we’ve got 20 trials, and
two-thirds of those include the delivery of
monoclonal antibodies against specific targets.”
LoBuglio: “In fact, we helped start the
company that put that molecule together.
The head of immunology at one of the major
drug companies had decided to shut down its
immunology section. We had been doing a lot
of collaborations with them, so one of their
researchers came and visited us and said he was
going to start his own company and negotiate
ownership of the antibody’s structure. We
helped write the business plan for that company,
which is now called Seattle Genetics. They are Forero: “UAB has been the first in humans
in 20 to 30 therapies over the past five years.
We work with both large firms and small
biotechs that have started to develop exciting
new drugs. That allows our patients to have
access to these treatments earlier. Adcetris,
for example, can cure cases of Hodgkin’s
lymphoma, and for years, the only way for
people in Alabama to get this drug was at
UAB. Our research has brought many benefits
to the citizens of this state.”
# K N O W U A B C C C
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those include
the delivery
of monoclonal
antibodies
against specific
targets.”
Mansoor Saleh, M.D.
U A B . E D U / C A N C E R
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