GlobeNewswire Inc | Jul 6, 2021 04:05PM EDT

July 06, 2021

BELTSVILLE, Md., July 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NextCure, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXTC), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing novel, first-in-class immunomedicines to treat cancer and other immune-related diseases, today announced the initiation of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for NC762, a humanized B7-H4 monoclonal antibody.

We are pleased to have initiated the clinical trial of our third product candidate, said Michael Richman, NextCures president and chief executive officer. This represents an important expansion of our pipeline of novel immunomedicines designed to treat patients who are not adequately addressed by currently available therapies. We look forward to reporting initial data from this trial in mid-2022.

NC762 is an innovative immunomedicine that directly inhibits tumor growth by a unique, T cell independent mechanism, said Han Myint, M.D., NextCures chief medical officer. As B7-H4 is widely expressed on multiple tumor types, including non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer and breast cancer, we believe NC762 has the potential to provide benefit in multiple cancer indications.

The Phase 1 dose-escalation portion of this open-label trial is designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of NC762 in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors and to determine its pharmacologically active and/or maximum tolerated dose. After a recommended dose for the Phase 2 portion of the trial is determined, NC762 will be evaluated in select tumor types. A B7-H4 Immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay has been successfully developed and will be used for patient selection in Phase 2.

About NextCure, Inc.NextCure is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering and developing novel, first-in-class immunomedicines to treat cancer and other immune-related diseases. Through our proprietary FIND-IO platform, we study various immune cells to discover and understand targets and structural components of immune cells and their functional impact in order to develop immunomedicines. Our initial focus is to bring hope and new treatments to patients who do not respond to current cancer therapies, patients whose cancer progresses despite treatment and patients with cancer types not adequately addressed by available therapies. www.nextcure.com

Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on current expectations, forecasts, assumptions and other information available to NextCure as of the date hereof. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding NextCures expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as may, will, potential, expects, believes, intends, hope, towards, forward, later and similar expressions. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements about the development plans for NC762 and expected upcoming milestones, the potential benefits of NC762, and NextCures plans, objectives and intentions with respect to the discovery and development of immunomedicines. Forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statement. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others: the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on NextCures business, including NextCures clinical trials, third parties on which NextCure relies and NextCures operations; positive results in preclinical studies may not be predictive of the results of clinical trials; NextCures limited operating history and no products approved for commercial sale; NextCures history of significant losses; NextCures need to obtain additional financing; risks related to clinical development, marketing approval and commercialization; the unproven approach to the discovery and development of product candidates based on NextCures FIND-IO platform; and dependence on key personnel. More detailed information on these and additional factors that could affect NextCures actual results are described in NextCures filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), including in Item 1A of NextCures most recent Form 10-K and elsewhere in the Companys filings with the SEC. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and NextCure assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, even if expectations change.

Investor InquiriesTimothy Mayer, Ph.D.NextCure, Inc.Chief Operating Officer(240) 762-6486IR@nextcure.com

Media InquiriesEmily WongMacDougall(781) 235-3060NextCure@macbiocom.com