The ASCI concept

Antigen-Specific Cancer Immunotherapeutics (ASCI) is a new type of immunotherapy developed by GSK aimed at treating cancer. ASCI, which are investigational compounds, selectively target antigens that are expressed by cancer cells but not expressed (or only at low levels) by normal cells. These are called cancer-specific antigens.

ASCI aims at triggering an immune response or enhancing the initial immune response to the patient’s tumor . Even though the initial immune response may not be strong enough to remove the cancer, it has been shown to provide a basis for further immunization as treatment [Coulie and Connerotte, 2005, #83833; Germeau et al., 2005, #75292; Lurquin et al., 2005, #19726].

There are several advantages to this kind of immunotherapy [Mitchell, 2002, #96750; Brichard & Lejeune 2008]:

• ASCI is highly specific for cancer antigens.
• ASCI is a potential treatment for a wide range of cancer types and stages.
• ASCI may produce fewer side effects because it is envisioned that it should not affect normal healthy cells in the body.
• Thanks to its distinct mechanism of action, ASCI also has the potential for use in combination with other therapies (such as chemotherapy). Clinical studies to clarify this possibility are under way.