Benzinga | Dec 27, 2021 08:01AM EST

I-Mab Announces IND Approval From China NMPA For Phase 2 Clinical Trial Of Enoblituzumab In Combination With Pembrolizumab In Solid Tumors

I-Mab (the "Company") (NASDAQ:IMAB), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel biologics, announced that the Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) of China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved I-Mab's IND submission for the initiation of a phase 2 trial in China for enoblituzumab (also known as TJ271) in combination with pembrolizumab (Keytruda(r)) in patients with solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), urothelial carcinoma (UC), and other selected cancers. I-Mab has acquired exclusive rights to develop and commercialize enoblituzumab in Greater China from MacroGenics (NASDAQ:MGNX).

Enoblituzumab is a highly differentiated humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the immune regulator B7-H3, which plays a key role in regulating immune response against cancers and is widely expressed in multiple cancers. The presence of B7-H3 in tumors is associated with the poor efficacy of neoadjuvant therapies. Enoblituzumab enhances the antibody-dependent killing of cancer cells and has demonstrated strong anti-tumor activity in preclinical studies. Additional preclinical data generated by I-Mab and preliminary clinical evidence from MacroGenics support increased efficacy for the combination of enoblituzumab and a PD-1 antibody against cancers.

The phase 2 clinical trial in China will evaluate the efficacy of the combination of enoblituzumab and pembrolizumab. The trial is designed as a "basket" clinical trial in patients with NSCLC, UC, and other selected cancer types based on previous studies conducted by MacroGenics. These previous studies have indicated that combination therapy resulted in anti-tumor activity in recurrent or metastatic NSCLC and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN).

"The initiation of the phase 2 clinical trial will accelerate the clinical development of enoblituzumab in China," said Dr. Andrew Zhu, President of I-Mab. "Enoblituzumab has become a key player against various advanced cancers and one of the Company's core clinical assets. We are excited about the initiation of this clinical study and expect to bring this valuable compound to cancer patients with critical unmet medical needs."

Currently, MacroGenics is conducting a phase 2 study of enoblituzumab in combination with retifanlimab (PD-1 antibody) or tebotelimab (PD-1 & LAG-3 bispecific DART(r) molecule) for first-line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic SCCHN.