Harbour BioMed Announces First Patient Dosed in Phase I Study of First-in-Class Anti-B7H7 (HHLA2) Antibody HBM1020

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Jun 04, 2023, 21:01 ET

HBM1020 is a first-in-class therapeutic monoclonal antibody against B7H7/HHLA2 entering clinical development globally.
HBM1020 was generated from Harbour Mice^® H2L2 transgenic mice platform.
HBM1020 has great potential to address huge unmet medical needs in patients with advanced malignancies.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and SUZHOU, China, June 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) announced that the first patient has been dosed in its ongoing phase I trial of the first-in-class anti-B7H7 (HHLA2) antibody HBM1020 (NCT05824663/Study 1020.1) in the United States. This study is evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and anti-tumor activity of HBM1020 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

HBM1020, generated from Harbour Mice^® H2L2 transgenic mice platform, is the first therapeutic monoclonal antibody against B7H7/HHLA2 entering clinical development globally.

"We are delighted to announce the dosing of the first patient with our first-in-class B7H7/HHLA2 antibody HBM1020," said Dr. Jingsong Wang, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Harbour BioMed. "This milestone is a significant accomplishment for our team and represents a major step forward in our mission to transform patient care. We are excited about the potential of the B7H7/HHLA2 antibody to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients suffering from advanced malignancies and we remain dedicated to advancing its clinical development globally."

About HBM1020
HBM1020 is a first-in-class fully human monoclonal antibody generated from Harbour Mice^® H2L2 transgenic mice platform, targeting B7H7/HHLA2.

B7H7, also known as HHLA2, is a novel immune modulatory molecule belonging to the B7 family. The B7 family is of central importance in regulating the T-cell response, making these pathways very attractive in cancer immunotherapy. Most of the validated targets in immune-oncology so far are related to B7 family, including PD-(L)1, and CTLA-4. The therapies against B7 family targets have already shifted the paradigm for cancer therapy with outstanding clinical benefits. As a newly discovered member of the B7 family, B7H7 expression is found non-overlapping with PD-L1 expression in multiple tumor types, which indicates an alternative immune evasion pathway besides PD-(L)1. In PD-L1 negative/ refractory patients, B7H7 potentially plays a critical role for tumor cells to escape immune surveillance. HBM1020 can enhance anti-tumor immunity by blocking the novel immune checkpoint target. Preclinical data demonstrated its immune activation and anti-tumor functional activities.

With its innovative biology mechanisms, HBM1020 presents a novel anti-tumor therapeutics complementary to PD-(L)1 therapeutics to patients, especially for PD-L1 negative/refractory patients.

About Harbour BioMed
Harbour BioMed (HKEX: 02142) is a global biopharmaceutical company committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of novel antibody therapeutics focusing on immunology and oncology. The Company is building its robust portfolio and differentiated pipeline through internal R&D capability, collaborations with co-discovery and co-development partners, and select acquisitions.

The Company's proprietary antibody technology platforms Harbour Mice^® generate fully human monoclonal antibodies in two heavy and two light chain (H2L2) format, as well as heavy chain only (HCAb) format. Building upon the HCAb antibodies, the HCAb-based immune cell engagers (HBICE^®) are capable of delivering tumor-killing effects unachievable by traditional combination therapies. Integrating Harbour Mice^®, HBICE^®with single B cell cloning platform, our antibody discovery engine is highly unique and efficient for the development of next-generation therapeutic antibodies. For more information, please visit: www.harbourbiomed.com

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SOURCE Harbour BioMed