PD-L1xVEGF Bispecific Antibodies Show Promise in Lung Cancer Treatment

ImmuneOnco Biopharmaceuticals' PD-L1xVEGF bispecific antibody, IMM2510, has demonstrated encouraging results in a phase 2 trial for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in China. The study, which combined IMM2510 with chemotherapy, showed tumor reduction in 62% of patients, including eight of 10 with squamous NSCLC and five of 11 with non-squamous NSCLC.

Dr. Wenzhi Tian, CEO of ImmuneOnco, expressed optimism about the results, stating, "We are delighted to witness the progress of IMM2510 in front-line NSCLC. This data paves the way for its advancement into phase 3 clinical studies and provides valuable insights to support further research across multiple indications."

Safety Profile and U.S. Trial Approval

The trial reported a favorable safety profile, with only one patient discontinuing treatment due to a treatment-related adverse event. Most grade 3 or higher adverse events were blood-related, while immune events and typical VEGF side effects were uncommon and generally mild.

Following these promising results, the FDA has approved Instil Bio's phase 1b/2 trial of IMM2510 in the United States. Instil Bio, which licensed the ex-China rights to IMM2510 in August 2024, views this as a critical milestone in the drug's development. Dr. Jamie Freedman, Chief Medical Officer at Instil, emphasized the importance of studying the cancer candidate in a global population.

Growing Competition in PD-1xVEGF Bispecific Antibodies

The success of IMM2510 adds to the growing interest in PD-1xVEGF bispecific antibodies within the pharmaceutical industry. Akeso and Summit Therapeutics' ivonescimab has already shown impressive results, outperforming Merck's Keytruda in improving progression-free survival in NSCLC patients in a phase 3 trial in China.

This burgeoning field has attracted significant attention from major pharmaceutical companies. Merck licensed a PD-1xVEGF asset from LaNova Medicines for $588 million upfront, while Bristol Myers Squibb invested $1.5 billion for a 50% stake in BioNTech's bispecific antibody. Pfizer also joined the race, paying 3SBio $1.25 billion upfront for ex-China rights to a clinical PD-1xVEGF candidate.

As the competition intensifies, other industry giants like Eli Lilly and Novartis are closely monitoring developments in this promising area of cancer treatment.