Polaris Group

Polaris Group, based in San Diego with roots in Taiwan, develops ADI-PEG 20 (pegargiminase), a pegylated arginine deiminase that removes arginine from the blood. Tumours that have lost the enzyme argininosuccinate synthetase 1 (ASS1) cannot make their own arginine and are selectively starved; the approach was tested in liver cancer, melanoma and sarcoma before the phase 3 ATOMIC-Meso trial in non-epithelioid pleural mesothelioma reported longer survival with pegargiminase added to chemotherapy. It appears on OnCo as a lead sponsor of phase 3 cancer trials on ClinicalTrials.gov.