23andMe Begins Clinical Trial for Their First Drug

January 11, 2022

Clinical trials have begun for the now-ubiquitous DNA-testing company 23andMe’s new cancer drug. The immuno-oncology antibody, named 23ME-000610, targets solid tumors and is part of a broader push towards immunotherapies in cancer. The first patient received their first dose of the drug in the treatment’s Phase I clinical trial last week.

According to Kristen V Brown of Bloomberg News, “23ME-00610 is a monoclonal antibody therapy designed to prevent an immune interaction that stops immune cells from doing their job, what’s known as a checkpoint inhibitor. Similar drugs that are already on the market include Merck & Co.’s blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda and Bristol Myers Squibb Co.’s Opdivo. Preclinical data from the company suggested doing so could rev up T-cells and restore their ability to fight off cancer cells. The trial will evaluate the safety and efficacy of the therapy in a small number of patients whose disease has progressed beyond the standard treatment.”