ABOUT TheraCIM®

What is TheraCIM® and how can it help your patients? 

Nimotuzumab (TheraCIM® h-R3) is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR). EGFR signalling pathway is known to contribute to tumour proliferation, apoptosis resistance, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. TheraCIM® is designed to target cells with particularly high expression of EGFR, therefore it can selectively bind to cancer cells with limited effect on healthy cells. Once TheraCIM® binds to EGFR on the cancer cell surface, it deactivates the receptor and blocks the downstream signalling cascade. EGFR targeting drugs have been shown to improve response when used with conventional treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Experiments have shown that TheraCIM® requires bivalent binding (attachment with both antibody arms to two Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) receptors) for efficient accumulation on cellular surface. The ability to form bivalent bonds is a function of EGFR density on the cellular surface. The selective accumulation of TheraCIM® on cancer cells over-expressing the EGFR is a mechanistic explanation for the very low incidence of side-effects with this antibody.

The use of TheraCIM® as monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy agent is now being studied as cancer therapy in various other tumours. Combination of TheraCIM® with other treatment modalities does not worsen the toxicities of the other treatments.

As of end of 2017, TheraCIM® has been administered to more than 65,000 patients, appeared in over 130 publications in peer reviewed journals, studied in over 92 clinical trials and approved in 25 countries for various indications.