- MSD will supply KEYTRUDA to be evaluated in combination
with ABL Bio's ABL103 in a Phase 1b/2
clinical trial
SEONGNAM, South Korea,
Oct. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ABL
Bio (CEO Sang Hoon Lee), a company
specializing in bispecific antibodies, today announced that it has
entered into a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement
with MSD (a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA), to evaluate ABL103 in
combination with MSD's anti-PD-1 therapy, KEYTRUDA®
(pembrolizumab) in patients with advanced or metastatic solid
tumors.
Under the terms of the agreement, ABL Bio will conduct a phase
1b/2 clinical trial to evaluate the
safety and efficacy of ABL103 in combination with KEYTRUDA. In this
combination study, MSD will supply KEYTRUDA.
ABL103 is bispecific antibody that simultaneously targets B7-H4
and 4-1BB. ABL103 is one of the pipeline programs in which ABL
Bio's 4-1BB based bispecific antibody platform 'Grabody-T' has been
applied. Grabody-T is designed to activate T cells only in the
tumor microenvironment, reducing the liver toxicity of conventional
4-1BB monoclonal antibody and enhancing the antitumor activity.
ABL103 also has mechanism to activate the 4-1BB signaling
pathways in the tumor microenvironments where the B7-H4 antigens
exist, allowing T cells to selectively attack tumor cells while
sparing normal cells. Currently, the dose escalation part of the
phase 1 clinical trial for ABL103 is ongoing in South Korea.
Sang Hoon Lee, CEO of ABL Bio
said "we are pleased to enter into this clinical collaboration
agreement with MSD. With this agreement, we are ready to move on to
the next stage of ABL103 clinical development. We hope that the
combination of ABL103 and KEYTRUDA contributes to a better life for
patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors. To date, the
phase 1 study for ABL103 monotherapy is progressing smoothly, and
we will do our best in clinical development to achieve meaningful
results from ABL103."
Meanwhile, ABL Bio is developing various clinical and
non-clinical assets based on its bispecific antibody platform
'Grabody'. More than 15 clinical projects for more than 7 assets,
including ABL001, ABL111, ABL503, ABL105, ABL202, ABL301, and
ABL103, are underway for different indications in various
countries, including the United
States, China, Australia, and Korea. In the case of ABL001,
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted Fast
Track designation to support the rapid development of this new drug
candidate. Meanwhile, ABL Bio is preparing to initiate clinical
trials for ABL104. In addition, ABL Bio is continuously researching
and developing several other product candidates, including
bispecific antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
KEYTRUDA® is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp
& Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc.,
Rahway, NJ, USA.
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