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Dinutuximab: First Global Approval

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An Erratum to this article was published on 13 October 2015

Abstract

United Therapeutics Corporation and the National Cancer Institute are developing dinutuximab (Unituxin™; ch14.18), a monoclonal antibody targeting GD2, for the treatment of neuroblastoma. GD2 is a glycolipid found on the surface of tumour cells, which is overexpressed in neuroblastoma. Dinutuximab, an IgG1 human/mouse chimeric switch variant of murine monoclonal antibody 14G2a, binds to GD2 and induces antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and complement-dependent cytotoxicity. The US FDA has recently approved the use of dinutuximab combination therapy for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma in paediatric patients. The marketing authorization application for dinutuximab is under regulatory review in the EU, and phase I–III development is underway in several other countries. This article summarizes the milestones in the development of dinutuximab leading to this first approval for use (in combination with granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interleukin-2 and 13-cis retinoic acid) in the treatment of paediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma who achieve at least partial response to prior first-line multiagent, multimodality therapy.

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Disclosure

The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding. During the peer review process the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on the article. Changes resulting from any comments received were made by the authors on the basis of scientific completeness and accuracy. S. Dhillon is a salaried employee of Adis, Springer SBM.

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    Sohita Dhillon

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  1. Sohita Dhillon
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Correspondence to Sohita Dhillon.

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This profile has been extracted and modified from the Adis R&D Insight drug pipeline database. Adis R&D Insight tracks drug development worldwide through the entire development process, from discovery, through pre-clinical and clinical studies to market launch.

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Dhillon, S. Dinutuximab: First Global Approval. Drugs 75, 923–927 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-015-0399-5

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