Biotechnology has achieved significant advances in diagnosis and precision therapies, the production of biotechnological drugs, and the treatment and understanding of infectious, autoimmune, and cancer diseases, among other areas.

CAR-T therapies or monoclonal antibodies, two major advances in recent years in the field of immunology, are examples of the great potential of biotechnological innovation.

Immunology finds its origin in the necessary understanding of the mechanisms through which our body protects us against infectious diseases. Over the past decades, biotechnology has played a crucial role in advancing immunology through the development of diagnostic tests, vaccines, and medications useful in the prophylaxis, diagnosis, and treatment of a growing variety of infectious and autoimmune diseases. These advances have positioned immunology as one of the essential disciplines in healthcare.

CAR-T therapies or monoclonal antibodies, two major advances in the field of immunology in recent years, are the best examples of the significant potential that biotechnological innovation plays in health. Along these lines, the increased understanding of primary immunodeficiencies through the identification of new genes involved in the immune response has allowed for the development of increasingly personalized treatments. We cannot forget other areas where immunology stands as crucial, such as organ transplants, improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases, or vaccine development.

In Spain, we have companies and entities that, through biotechnology, are achieving significant advances in the field of immunology. On the occasion of World Immunology Day, AseBio has delved into the work being done by two of our partners in this area: Sanofi y Merck.

EFrom Science to Treatment: Sanofi is Redefining Immunology

From Sanofi, a global healthcare and pharmaceutical company, they believe that delving into understanding how our immune system works can hold the answers to helping us combat most diseases. Based on this premise, Sanofi has set a very clear goal: to redefine immunology.

"Unlike other industry peers, who view immunology and 'immunoscience' through the lens of specific therapeutic areas, we have extensive experience in specific areas, but also, for example, in vaccines to protect the immune system. Additionally, we have a biological treatment that represented a paradigm shift in immunology in how we address chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, or chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. Now our goal is to go beyond, connecting the dots of most of the diseases we have in development," they begin explaining.

Achieving this goal means expanding scientific boundaries with a focus on improving our current understanding of the immune system and thus developing innovative drugs and vaccines that help prevent or alter the course of chronic and infectious diseases. "The work we have been doing in recent years has allowed us to build a record pipeline of 12 drugs and vaccines that will continue to raise the bar for transforming medical practice for patients," they explain. Within this pipeline, highlights include:

• Two potential drugs that could change the treatment paradigms for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), the third leading cause of death worldwide, potentially addressing 80% of uncontrolled COPD patients and reducing costs for healthcare systems.
• Two potential treatments that could usher in a new era in neuroinflammation with new mechanisms of action to reduce brain lesions and address the debilitating effects of multiple sclerosis (MS).
  A molecule that could become the next best treatment option for atopic dermatitis with disease-modifying impact with fewer doses.
• A pentavalent NANOBODY® molecule in asthma with a synergistic effect of IL-13 and TSLP, two validated pathways.
• A "therapeutic vaccine" based on mRNA against acne, which is considered the eighth most common medical condition worldwide and a significant social stigma.

"Having 12 drugs and vaccines in development like these could have a significant impact on patients, and we are committed to making it a reality. So much so that, throughout 2024 and 2025, we expect to increase by 50% the number of projects in phase 3 of our pipeline. Of course, we do not know if all our 12 molecules will end up being treatments, but what we can assure is that our commitment is total to try to improve the lives of millions of patients," they conclude.

Merck's commitment to developing innovative therapies in areas such as immunology and immuno-oncology is evidente

Dr. Isabel Sánchez Magro, Medical Director of Merck in Spain, emphasizes that "biotechnology has played a crucial role in the progress of immunology by providing cutting-edge tools for researching and understanding the immune system." Thanks to various biotechnological processes developed over the years, "the physiology and function of different agents involved in the immune system have been studied, allowing, for example, the identification of biomarkers for which monoclonal antibody production has been developed for therapeutic purposes."

In this regard, she exemplifies her words by citing CAR-T cell immunotherapy, which "has transformed the paradigm of treating certain types of cancer," the development of immunological biomarkers and checkpoint immunotherapy, as well as therapies with conjugated antibodies (ADCs), "which represent significant advances in the field of oncology. Additionally, gene editing with the CRISPR-Cas9 technique, the development of messenger RNA vaccines (mRNA), which facilitated the creation of COVID-19 vaccines, and in vivo gene editing therapies are also important advances to highlight in the application of biotechnology in the field of immunology."

Merck is firmly committed to developing innovative therapies in areas such as immunology and immuno-oncology through the development of drugs aimed at modulating the immune system's response to tumors, as well as researching tumor biomarkers that are key in targeted therapy.

"One of these drugs is a monoclonal antibody against PD-L1 that has been a therapeutic breakthrough in an orphan disease such as Merkel cell carcinoma as well as locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer," shares the Medical Director of Merck in Spain.

"At present, thanks to biotechnology, the design of a new generation of molecules focused on present and future immuno-oncology research has been accelerated, such as ADCs (antibodies conjugated with drugs) that induce the death of tumor cells, allowing for new therapeutic tools to be offered to cancer patients," she adds.

It is worth noting that Merck has several decades of experience in neurology and immunology focused on seeking answers to multiple sclerosis. "In the field of neurology and after nearly 30 years of research, Merck has played an important role in advancing the approach to multiple sclerosis through the development of innovative therapies and treatments that have improved the prognosis and quality of life of these patients. We are proud to highlight our significant contribution to biotechnology applied to immunology through the development of immunoselective reconstitution therapies. These innovative therapies represent a crucial advance in the treatment of MS, demonstrating our commitment to improving the health and quality of life of patients worldwide."

"In this commitment to continuous innovation, Merck is working on researching new therapeutic targets in other autoimmune diseases that currently have significant therapeutic needs, such as myasthenia gravis and lupus erythematosus," she concludes.