Ipsen Unveils Two 'First-in-Class' Drug Candidates for Solid Tumors
Ipsen has announced the presentation of new preclinical data for two early-stage drug candidates at the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) congress. These results demonstrate the company's strategic focus on precision immunomodulation in the treatment of solid tumors.
Presentation of Preclinical Data
Ipsen revealed preclinical data of IPN01203, a 'first-in-class' T cell activator selectively targeting V?6/V?10 T cells, during the 'New Drugs on the Horizon' session at the congress. This oral presentation highlighted the differentiated mode of action of the candidate to improve clinical outcomes in patients with solid tumors. The company also announced ITGA2 as a new target for IPN60300, a 'first-in-class' antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) currently in Phase I. Preclinical data show a marked overexpression of ITGA2 in pancreatic, gastric, and colorectal tumors, with differentiated expression compared to normal tissues. IPN60300 specifically binds to ITGA2 with high affinity, allowing efficient internalization of the conjugated cytotoxic drug, exatecan.
Innovative Drug Development Platforms
IPN01203 is developed using Marengo's STAR (Selective T Cell Activation Repertoire) platform, a library of multi-specific fusion proteins targeting specific TCR variants. A Phase I/II dose escalation and expansion clinical trial is currently underway. IPN60300 combines an antibody targeting ITGA2, exatecan, and an innovative conjugation ligand from Escugen Biotechnology's EZWi-Fit™ technology. The target was identified through Foreseen Biotechnology's integrated platforms of translational proteomics and artificial intelligence. A Phase I/II trial including dose escalation and expansion is also in progress. Both programs are part of the group's precision medicine approach, based on precision immunomodulation for differentiated antitumor activity.
