British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline and prominent genetic testing company 23andMe have launched human clinical trials for a jointly developed cancer drug, according to Bloomberg.
In 2018, GlaxoSmithKline bought a $300 million stake in 23andMe to utilize the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company's DNA database to develop new treatments by better understanding how genetics influence disease.
Early-stage trials for a new cancer drug developed by the two companies are now underway. They developed the antibody drug to block CD96, a protein that causes overactivity of another molecule in malignant tumors.
"This is a new way of thinking about drug development," Hal Barron, MD, GlaxoSmithKline's chief scientific officer and president of research and development, told Bloomberg. "And the concept is coming to bear."
GlaxoSmithKline and 23andMe are currently working on nearly 30 programs aimed at developing new immunology, oncology neurology, metabolic and cardiovascular drugs. Most of these projects are still in their infancy stages.