ABL Bio has demonstrated that its dual antibody drug conjugate (ADC) candidate ABL209 (NEOK002) shows excellent anti-cancer effects across various tumor types in preclinical studies, achieving broad safety without skin toxicity.
On Tuesday, ABL Bio announced the publication of a paper detailing ABL209’s (NEOK002) preclinical data in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, a prestigious cancer research journal published by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
ABL209 is a novel dual antibody ADC candidate that combines an EGFR and MUC1-targeting bispecific antibody with a topoisomerase I inhibitor (TOP1i). ABL Bio’s U.S. subsidiary, Neok Bio, is currently spearheading a Phase 1 clinical trial in the United States.
The paper, titled, ABL209: A TOP1i Inhibitor-based EGFR×MUC1 Dual Antibody ADC with Promising Anti-cancer Effects and a Broader Safety Profile, was published online on Monday.
While EGFR is a cancer target expressed in various tumor types, it often leads to skin toxicity as a side effect.
MUC1, another major cancer target, presents challenges due to variable expression levels across cancer types and antigen shedding, which can limit its therapeutic efficacy.
ABL209 has shown improved cancer cell binding and intracellular drug delivery efficiency compared to single antibody ADCs targeting EGFR or MUC1. Notably, in vitro experiments revealed no skin-related toxicity.
Furthermore, animal studies using patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models demonstrated ABL209’s potent anti-cancer effects across a range of tumor types, including lung, esophageal, pancreatic, colorectal, bladder, and head and neck cancers.
In non-human primate models, ABL209 exhibited favorable pharmacokinetics with a half-life of 5.2 days at a 10 mg/kg dose. The compound also showed excellent tolerability at doses up to 40 mg/kg.
Dr. Lee Sang-hoon, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ABL Bio, emphasized the company’s commitment to publishing research findings to bolster technological credibility and enhance corporate recognition. He added that Neok Bio is progressing with the U.S. Phase 1 clinical trial for ABL209, with plans to present early clinical data in the coming year.