Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc, a clinical-stage oncology company focused on developing next-generation radiopharmaceuticals as precision medicines, announced the presentation of preclinical data for FPI-2068, a clinical stage bispecific IgG-based targeted alpha therapy (TAT) designed to deliver actinium-225 to various solid tumors that co-express EGFR-cMET. Fusion is jointly developing FPI-2068 with AstraZeneca under the companies’ multi-asset collaboration agreement. The data are being presented in a poster presentation at the 2023 AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics, being held October 11-15 in Boston, Massachusetts.
“We are pleased to share preclinical data demonstrating potent anti-tumor activity and evidence of mechanism of action of FPI-2068. EGFR and cMET are each validated targets, widely expressed in multiple solid tumor types. FPI-2068 combines the potency of an alpha-emitting isotope with the dual antigen targeting capability of the bispecific antibody to deliver a differentiated mechanism of action molecule that we believe has the potential to enhance therapeutic index, said Fusion Pharmaceuticals Chief Scientific Officer Christopher Leamon, Ph.D. “Following the IND clearance obtained earlier this year, we look forward to advancing FPI-2068 into clinical trials given the substantial unmet need for patients with non-small cell lung cancer and other cancer types that are known to co-express EGFR-cMET.”
Data from a preclinical study of FPI-2068 are being presented in a poster presentation titled, “FPI-2068: A novel anti-EGFR/cMET, alpha-particle emitting, radioimmunoconjugate for cancer therapy.”
In the preclinical study, FPI-2068 demonstrated anti-tumor efficacy in colorectal and lung tumor xenograft mouse models, and single dose administration of FPI-2068 led to prolonged tumor regression. Further, FPI-2068 caused activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway as well as apoptosis, suggesting an inability of the cellular machinery to repair the DNA damage induced by the alpha radiation, consistent with the proposed primary mechanism of action.
These data provide further evidence supporting the clinical development of FPI-2068, which is expected to enter a Phase 1 study for the treatment of solid tumors co-expressing EGFR-cMET. EGFR and cMET are both validated targets that are co-expressed in multiple tumor types, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
SOURCE : PRNewswire