Cure for Cancer?

GROUNDBREAKING … Right?

On 19 May, Pfizer announced that it would license an experimental cancer treatment from a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, paying $1.25 billion and even potentially a further $4.8 billion if certain contractual milestones are met.

What’s even better is that this drug has already received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for its Investigational New Drug application. In fact, Pfizer is already planning to manufacture the drug substance in Sanford, North Carolina, and the drug product itself in McPherson, Kansas!

So, is the world finally on the cusp of ridding itself of cancer?

What’s Really Happening?

First of all, Pfizer is licensing the drug from Shenyang, China-based 3SBio. The drug name is SSGJ-707 (rolls of the tongue eh) and it treats cancer by blocking two proteins. Currently, it’s being evaluated for 

1. Non-small cell lung cancer which is the most common kind of cancer

2. Metastatic colorectal cancer which has spread to other parts of the body beyond the colon and rectum

3. Gynaecological tumors which affect women’s reproductive organs

As of now, it’s undergoing clinical trials in China and the pharma company 3SBio plans to initiate the first Phase III trial in China this year.

SSGJ-707 is a dual-targeting medicine. The first target is PD-1, a protein on T cells that keeps them from recognizing and fighting cancer cells. The other protein is VEGF. Both substances are key in the signaling mechanism that could deleteriously allow tumors to slip past the immune system and grow.

Why Isn’t This Big News?

Well for starters, another drug by Merck, known as Keytruda, is already capable of targeting PD-1: It’s a monoclonal antibody designed to these proteins and in fact, it was Keytruda’s success in treating cancer that turned immunotherapy into a mega-blockbuster.

A number of companies have since been trying to improve the PD-1 inhibition by adding another mechanism of action. Many are based in China, including 3SBio. A wave of investment came after US-based Summit Therapeutics said that its PD-1/VEGF bispecific antibody, licensed from a Chinese company called Akeso, beat Merck’s Keytruda in lung-cancer patients. Since then, Merck announced a deal to license a Chinese PD-1/VEGF in November; BioNTech followed suit. Now Pfizer is working with 3SBio who itself is using bispecific antibodies that block PD-1 and VEGF simultaneously. 

Pfizer itself has been diving further into oncology, spending $43 billion to acquire Seagen two years ago, which specializes in developing antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) for cancer (different mechanisms).

Are They Better?

Results from ivonescimab’s main trial did suggest a modest survival benefit compared to Keytruda, but the difference wasn’t significant enough to prove that it was necessarily better. 

As such, it’s still up in the air as to whether PD-1/VEGF inhibitors truly improves on standard therapies in other tumor types.

Early data for 3SBio’s drug itself was reportedly “similar” to what was observed in testing of PD-1/VEGF drugs by Merck.  Phase 2 results will be presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting at the end of the month.

Verdict?

While Pfizer’s investment in SSGJ-707 is certainly exciting and signals growing industry faith in next-generation cancer treatments, it’s too early to call it a cure. The drug is still in clinical trials and must prove that it’s more effective than existing standards like Keytruda. 

Nonetheless, the push toward dual-targeting approaches—like blocking both PD-1 and VEGF—represents a promising direction in cancer research and if successful, drugs like SSGJ-707 could offer more effective treatment for some of the most challenging cancers. 

For now, it’s a story of cautious optimism rather than a breakthrough headline.

Reference List‌

Fidler, B. (2025). Pfizer buys into PD-1/VEGF competition with 3SBio deal. [online] BioPharma Dive. Available at: https://www.biopharmadive.com/news/pfizer-3sbio-pd1-vegf-cancer-licensing-deal/748559/ [Accessed 27 May 2025].

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Reuters Staff (2025). Pfizer in deal with China’s 3SBio to license cancer drug candidate, take equity stake. Reuters. [online] 20 May. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-signs-up-6-billion-licensing-deal-with-chinas-3sbio-cancer-drug-2025-05-20/.

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Vinluan, F. (2025). Pfizer Pledges $1.25B for Drug Candidate in Promising But Competitive Area of Immunotherapy. [online] MedCity News. Available at: https://medcitynews.com/2025/05/pfizer-bispecific-antibody-pd1-vegf-3sbio-cancer-immunotherapy/ [Accessed 27 May 2025].