US-based biopharmaceutical company Summit Therapeutics has entered a clinical trial collaboration with Pfizer to evaluate its investigational bispecific antibody ivonescimab.
The clinical trial will evaluate ivonescimab in combination with multiple antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) from Pfizer across various solid tumour indications.
It aims to advance the development of potentially promising drug combinations, which seek to improve the standards of care for patients facing serious unmet needs.
Each study will evaluate ivonescimab plus one of Pfizer’s vedotin ADCs in separate solid tumour settings to assess the safety and potential anti-tumour activity of the combinations.
Summit co-CEOs Bob Duggan and Maky Zanganeh said: “Rapidly developing novel mechanisms that go beyond what is currently available to patients and physicians is what we believe will make the most significant impact for those facing the greatest challenges from cancer today.
“As we seek to accelerate the development of our potentially transformative ivonescimab across non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumour settings, this collaboration will allow us to quickly advance beyond our promising late-stage development plan to evaluate ivonescimab in combination with some of the most innovative ADCs from Pfizer.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Summit will provide ivonescimab for use in the proposed studies, and Pfizer will be responsible for conducting the operations of the studies.
Both Summit and Pfizer will retain their rights to their products, and oversee the studies, which are expected to begin in the middle of this year.
Ivonescimab is also known as SMT112 in Summit’s license territories, North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Japan, and AK112 in China and Australia.
It is a novel, investigational bispecific antibody that combines the effects of immunotherapy through a blockade of PD-1 with anti-angiogenesis by blocking VEGF into a single molecule.
Ivonescimab shows unique cooperative binding to each of its intended targets with an enhanced affinity when in the presence of both PD-1 and VEGF.
The drug was designed by the Chinese biotech company Akeso and is currently being developed in multiple Phase 3 clinical trials.
Summit has started its clinical development with two Phase 3 clinical trials, HARMONi and HARMONi-3, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Pfizer oncology early-stage development head Megan O’Meara said: “We are excited to partner with Summit Therapeutics to explore the clinical synergy of our therapies.
“Together, we are advancing the exploration of our ADCs in rational, differentiated combinations with a bispecific antibody designed to address the unique complexities of tumour biology.
“This collaboration represents the next wave of investigational targeted combinations with the potential to transform treatment options for people living with cancer.”
Last year, Summit announced a strategic five-year collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) to advance the development of ivonescimab.
