CD274 Targeted Therapies
5 drugsAbout CD274
CD274, also known as PD-L1, is a transmembrane protein that suppresses the immune system by binding to PD-1 on T cells, inhibiting their activation and effector functions. This mechanism is often exploited by cancer cells to evade immune surveillance.
CD274 is a therapeutic target with strong genetic support (max score 0.74) linking it to hypothyroidism, ulcerative colitis and myxedema. Targeting CD274 to modulate immune responses has shown promise in treating cancer and other diseases.
CD274 is targeted by 5 FDA-approved drugs including BAVENCIO, IMFINZI, TECENTRIQ, TECENTRIQ HYBREZA and UNLOXCYT, with antibody (3 drugs) and biologic (2 drugs) modalities. These drugs are approved for oncology (3 drugs) and other conditions.
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- phase1 represents biological uncertainty with 58% completion.
CD274 Genetic Evidence Strong
CD274 has strong genetic support with a max score of 0.74 linking it to hypothyroidism.
Strong genetic support suggests CD274-targeting therapies may have higher success rates for genetically linked diseases.
Evidence Across Diseases
4 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link CD274 to 4 diseases.
🔗 Colocalization Evidence 20 strong
max H4: 1.00eQTL/pQTL signals for CD274 colocalize with these GWAS traits, providing causal evidence that gene expression changes drive disease risk.
Understanding these scores
Association Score (0-1): Combines all evidence types (genetic, literature, drugs, animal models). Higher = more evidence linking target to disease. This is a ranking heuristic, not a confidence score.
L2G Score: Open Targets uses a machine learning model (Locus-to-Gene) to predict which gene is causal at each GWAS locus. L2G=0.5 means ~50% probability of being the causal gene. Only associations with L2G > 0.05 are included.
Odds Ratio (OR): From gene burden studies (UK Biobank, AstraZeneca PheWAS). Measures how loss-of-function variants affect disease risk. OR<1 = protective (inhibiting target may help), OR>1 = risk (losing function causes disease).
Beta (β): Effect size for continuous traits. β<0 = protective, β>0 = risk.
Clinical Translation (~1.8x): Based on Nelson et al. 2015: drug targets with genetic evidence have ~2x higher success rates in clinical trials. We estimate: Strong support (score ≥0.7) → ~1.8x, Moderate (0.3-0.7) → ~1.3x, Weak → baseline.
Colocalization (H4): Tests whether a GWAS signal and an eQTL/pQTL signal share the same causal variant. H4 is the posterior probability that both traits are associated AND share a causal variant. H4 > 0.8 = strong evidence that gene expression/protein levels drive disease risk. This links genetic variation → gene expression → disease, supporting the target-disease connection.
Top CD274 Drugs
Four companies have approved drugs targeting CD274, including EMD SERONO INC, Roche and AstraZeneca.
The presence of multiple players indicates a competitive market, requiring differentiated strategies for new entrants.
| Drug | Company | Approved | Indications |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAVENCIO | EMD SERONO | 2017 | 5 |
| UNLOXCYT | CHECKPOINT THERAPEUTICS INC | 2024 | 1 |
CD274 Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
CD274 is exclusively targeted by antibodies, suggesting it may be a cell-surface or secreted protein.
The presence of biologic drugs suggests opportunities for novel small molecule inhibitors to enter the market.
📈 Modality Evolution
Antibodies pioneered CD274 targeting (2016), with other biologics entering more recently (2024).
CD274 Clinical Trials 1,495 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 522 | 192 | 141 | 186 | 58% |
| Phase 2 | 756 | 211 | 158 | 385 | 57% |
| Phase 3 | 205 | 62 | 21 | 121 | 75% |
| Phase 4 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 80% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Top Drugs
Phase 3 Readout Calendar Pro
8 Phase 3 trials testing approved CD274 drugs across all sponsors.
Coverage: trials whose intervention is an approved drug targeting CD274. Pre-approval candidates with development codes (e.g. AZD0901, MK-7240) are not yet linked. Anchored on CT.gov primary completion date.
CD274 Drug Approval Timeline (2016 - 2024)
The first CD274-targeting drug was approved in 2016, with the most recent approval in 2024.
Continued approvals suggest ongoing innovation and market potential for CD274-targeted therapies.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 4 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 5 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 5-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Competition: High (15 sponsors)
- • Success rates by condition
Full summary • All drugs • Genetic evidence • Trials • Timeline
How We Calculate These Metrics
Target Attractiveness Score
A 0-100 score based on trial activity, sponsor diversity, and completion rates. Calculated from 1477 clinical trials targeting CD274.
Completion rate: Percentage of trials that reached their planned endpoint. Trials terminated early, withdrawn, or suspended are not counted—these often indicate safety issues, lack of efficacy, or strategic pivots.
- Highly Attractive (80+): High trial activity, many sponsors, strong completion rates
- Attractive (60-79): Good trial activity and validation
- Moderate (40-59): Moderate interest from sponsors
- Low (under 40): Limited trial activity or validation concerns
Strategic Insights
Auto-generated insights based on trial analytics including competition intensity, white space opportunities, modality shifts, and failure patterns. We analyze trial sponsors, phases, indications, and outcomes.
Risk Signals
- High Competition: Many sponsors competing for this target (may reduce market opportunity)
- High Failure Risk: Low trial completion rates suggest development challenges
- Low Validation: Limited trial activity or poor outcomes indicate uncertain viability
- White Space Available: Underexplored indications present opportunities