Canariabio Inc.'s MAb-AR20.5 has been awarded orphan drug designation by the FDA for pancreatic cancer. MAb-AR20.5 is an IgG1k type murine monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to the circulating and tumor-associated antigen (MUC1) expressed on pancreatic cancer cells.
Boston Immune Technologies and Therapeutics Inc. (BITT) has received IND clearance from the FDA for a first-in-human trial of BITT-2101, a monoclonal antibody that targets tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2), in patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs).
Novarock Biotherapeutics Ltd., a subsidiary of CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd., has received FDA approval of its IND application for NBL-028, a CLDN6-CD137 bispecific antibody.
Emerging from stealth mode, new immuno-oncology company Dotbio Pte. Ltd. closed an oversubscribed $5.6 million pre-series A round to accelerate development of its multifunctional and intracellular antibody therapies.
Oncusp Therapeutics Inc. has received IND clearance from the FDA to begin clinical trials with CUSP-06, a cadherin-6 (CDH6)-targeting antibody-drug conjugate designed for the treatment of multiple solid tumors. CDH6 is overexpressed in cancers including ovarian, renal, uterine, thyroid, lung, and cholangiocarcinoma. A phase I trial will pave the way for expansion in patients with platinum-refractory/resistant ovarian cancer and other advanced solid tumors.
Cytomed Therapeutics Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hangzhou CNK Therapeutics Co. Ltd. allowing Cytomed to utilize CNK's Piggybac technology to permanently graft the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) gene into its γδ T cells via a non-viral gene editing method.
Ibio Inc. has announced promising in vivo data for three immuno-oncology candidates, anti-EGFRvIII, CCR8 and a bispecific TROP-2 x CD3, advancing these programs to clinical candidate selection stage.