Use of inhibitors of ADAM12 as adjuvants in tumor therapies

A method of treating a cancer in a patient, comprising administering to the patient a composition, or combination of compositions, comprising a second anti-tumor compound, and an ADAM12 inhibitor which is an immunoconjugate that depletes ADAM12 expressing cells,

• wherein the patient has undergone a previous treatment of a tumor with a first anti-tumor compound or therapy that was measured as lacking effectiveness,
• wherein the immunoconjugate comprises a monoclonal antibody or antibody fragment thereof that binds ADAM12 on the surface of cells and a toxin, and
• wherein administering the ADAM12 inhibitor to the patient depletes ADAM 12 expressing stromal cells of the tumor stromal capsule, which improves the vasculature, tumor perfusion and CD3+ T cells infiltration in the central region of the tumor, and thereby increases the effectiveness treatment of the tumor with the second anti-tumor compound compared to previous treatment of the tumor with the first anti-tumor compound or therapy that was measured as lacking effectiveness, and
• wherein the cancer is selected from the group consisting of melanoma, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer.