Nov 2, 2026 · 54 min
Duke discovery pushes antibody therapy toward cancer trials
Translating A New Discovery Into A Novel Cancer Therapy With Grid Therapeutics' Ned Patz, M.D.
The episode shows how a promising academic discovery must survive target validation, trial design, financing, and company-building before it can help patients.
- 1GT103 emerged from Duke research into a human-derived antibody targeting complement factor H.
- 2Grid Therapeutics built a virtual biotech after conventional licensees showed little interest in the novel program.
- 3Biomarker uncertainty, synthetic controls, and financing pressures now shape GT103’s path through clinical development.
Don't miss
Patz explains why limited interest from potential licensees led him and his colleagues to form Grid Therapeutics themselves.
The brief
Ned Patz traces a path from physics and radiology to cancer research at Duke, where molecular imaging and biomarker work eventually opened a route toward therapy.
His laboratory identified a human-derived antibody against complement factor H, a target that may remove a tumor-protective shield and engage immune defenses across solid tumors.
When potential licensees showed little interest in the target and its IgG3 antibody format, Patz and colleagues founded Grid Therapeutics to carry the discovery forward.
GT103’s early lung-cancer studies raise familiar translation problems: finding responsive patients, interpreting single-arm results, and deciding which indications deserve scarce resources.
Patz describes a small virtual biotech using external expertise, computational tools, and synthetic controls while searching for capital, partnerships, and the next clinical milestones.
What was said on this episode
14 statements · 7 positive · 5 negative · 2 neutral
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on Running a biotech companyNegative28:40
Running a biotech company was extraordinarily difficult for Patz.
“this was extraordinarily difficult”
Listen at 28:40
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on Grid Therapeutics initial partnerNegative29:28
Grid Therapeutics’ initial partner breached its contracts.
“our initial partner, they breached contracts”
Listen at 29:28
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on Grid Therapeutics capitalNegative29:35
Grid Therapeutics ran out of capital within six weeks.
“we were literally out of... capital within six weeks”
Listen at 29:35
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on GT103Positive30:35
Patz considers GT103 phenomenal.
“GT103, which I think is phenomenal”
Listen at 30:35
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on GT103Positive34:14
GT103 was extremely well tolerated in its phase one trial.
“the drug was extremely well tolerated”
Listen at 34:14
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on Non-metastatic lung cancerPositive34:38
Non-metastatic lung cancer in the trial never progressed.
“it's interesting because we started out looking for patients. We had patients who had lung cancer, but that non-metastatic disease never progressed.”
Listen at 34:38
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on GT103Positive34:54
GT103 completely abrogated metastasis in the phase two trial.
“we completely abrogated metastasis”
Listen at 34:54
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on GT103 metastasis reductionPositive34:57
GT103 appears to reduce metastasis by almost 90% versus historical controls.
“it looks like almost 90% reduction relative to what historic controls”
Listen at 34:57
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on Drugs approved for metastasis inhibitionNeutral35:14
No drugs are currently approved specifically to inhibit metastasis.
“there are no drugs approved for inhibition of metastasis at this point”
Listen at 35:14
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on STK11-mutated lung cancer patientsPositive37:15
STK11-mutated lung cancer patients may be more susceptible to GT103.
“those patients may be more susceptible to our drug”
Listen at 37:15
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on GT103 biomarker and patient selectionNeutral37:43
Grid Therapeutics must determine appropriate biomarkers and patient populations.
“we will have to really study and figure out what the appropriate biomarkers and who the appropriate population is”
Listen at 37:43
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on Company-sponsored clinical trialsNegative38:34
Company-sponsored clinical trials require substantially more capital.
“It's much more capital intensive to do a full sponsored clinical sponsor trial”
Listen at 38:34
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on GT103 objective response rate metricsNegative38:55
Traditional objective response rate metrics were inappropriate and misleading for GT103.
“The metrics were the traditional metrics of ORR were not appropriate. We're actually completely misleading in this drug”
Listen at 38:55
- Edward F. Patz Jr.on Investigator-sponsored trialsPositive39:19
Investigator-sponsored trials enabled Grid Therapeutics to obtain data with limited capital.
“we did could at least get some data doing it that way for the capital that we had”
Listen at 39:19
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
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