Quote:is all that would be required to make this conjugatable is to give leronlimab once/monthly IV?
Nope, two different drugs in one IV bag is just two seperate drugs. Most conjugates consist of one drug that will attach to a specific target (quite often a receptor) and another drug that either kills the target or modifies the cell for benefit. In the case of Keytruda and leronlimab it would be two active drugs that are just bound together by peptides or another linker. The downside is that conjugate would either bind to CCR5 or bind to the PD-1 receptor but not both at the same time. It's a terrible idea and wholly inefficient but it would still establish a new patent.
Quote:why then is merck trialing keytruda by the 100's with drugs it is not compatible with to be conjugated?
A patent can be established for the use of two different drugs in a specific indication. But it's not a great way of doing things since any doctor could just prescribe both drugs separately. But you must prove that both drugs in combination have a much better efficacy than either one alone. With leronlimab doing what Keytruda does that's a lost cause.
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