Antibody drug conjugates and radioconjugates

Building on antibody drug conjugate (ADC) technology, our vision is for ADCs and radioconjugates to become the backbone of novel cancer therapies, including combination approaches, by improving and, in some cases, replacing current chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. Radioconjugates have emerged as a promising modality in cancer treatment, aiming to deliver a DNA-damaging radioactive isotope directly to cancer cells, to provide a more precise mechanism of killing cancer cells.

We have also begun to identify complementary mechanisms between modalities to help develop effective, transformative combinations of ADCs, radioconjugates, and next-generation immuno-oncology medicines. We are working to use these regimens to treat earlier stages of cancer, where there is the greatest potential for deeper and durable responses for some patients. As such, we are building our oncology portfolio with a multitude of diverse mechanisms that can effectively combine to deliver these transformative regimens.

Cell therapy and T-cell engagers

We are investing in these therapies to bring them to more patients, across oncology, immune-mediated diseases and rare disease. In Oncology, we are exploring new ways to harness the immune system to fight cancer, including T-cell engagers that can engage and activate a patient’s T-cells against cancer. We are advancing next-generation CAR-T and TCR-T-cell therapies that are genetically engineered to target a patient’s specific tumour, and developing new ways to enhance the cells’ potential effectiveness, for example by resisting the immunosuppressive microenvironment.

In Immunology, we aim to use similar approaches, including CAR-T-cells and CAR-Tregs, to target the root cause of immune-mediated diseases, to ‘reset’ the immune system and correct the immune dysfunction to return people to health. We are also working to overcome the barriers to widespread adoption of cell therapy in terms of access, manufacturing and scale.

Gene therapy and gene editing

Gene therapy and gene editing have the potential to transform patient outcomes by directly addressing the underlying cause of genetic diseases, which represent an estimated 80% of rare diseases. We are focusing on diseases with a well-established genetic basis and indications where we can apply our expertise, including diseases affecting the liver, heart, muscle and brain. We are developing and advancing new technologies to improve the precision and delivery of gene therapies and gene editing, opening new possibilities to meet the needs of patients with few, if any, treatment options.

Next-generation immuno-oncology bispecifics

Bispecific antibodies are engineered to bind to two different epitopes, or antigens, at the same time. Next-generation immuno-oncology (IO) bispecifics will play a crucial part in shaping the future of medicine in many fields. We are working to expand immuno-oncology treatments beyond existing PD-L1 inhibitors and, in particular, are developing IO bispecifics that combine the potential of PD-1 together with additional targets that harness distinct T-cell biology, bringing the power of immuno-oncology into one molecule. By harnessing our broad oncology portfolio, we have the opportunity to combine bispecifics with other targeted therapies, such as ADCs, with the aim of transforming the outcomes of cancer diagnoses for patients.

Weight management and risk factors

The World Health Organization recognises obesity as one of the most important public health challenges facing the world today. Approximately 60% of people diagnosed with obesity or as overweight have at least one comorbidity, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. We are targeting the underlying causes of obesity with our growing pipeline of novel treatments and combinations with complementary (or synergistic) mechanisms. Our portfolio of molecules is designed to go beyond short-term weight loss targets and focus on healthy weight management, quality of weight loss, and cardiometabolic benefit.