(RTTNews) - Alphamab Oncology said that its subsidiary, Jiangsu Alphamab Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., signed an agreement with Sanofi (China) Investment Co., Ltd to establish strategic collaboration to advance clinical studies to investigate KN026 in combination with Taxotere or Docetaxel in HER2+ breast cancer, and Sanofi is granted an exclusivity period to negotiate the in-licensing of KN026 subject to the achievement of certain clinical milestones.
KN026 is an anti-HER2 bispecific antibody which can simultaneously bind two non-overlapping epitopes of HER2 and lead to a dual HER2 signal blockade, presumedly causing HER2 to aggregate on the cell surface and endocytose.
Alphamab noted that current clinicals trials shown promising preliminary efficacy and excellent safety profile in late-stage breast cancer patients who have failed multiple treatments in China, laying a solid foundation for future development of combination therapies in multiple front line settings.
Alphamab said KN026 has the potential to address the medical needs of around 2 million patients suffering from HER2-positive breast cancer in China, USA and key European markets.
Taxotere is a microtubule inhibitor that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body. It is used to treat breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, gastric cancer. In China, Taxotere is indicated for breast cancer including: single agent for locally advanced or metastatic BC after chemotherapy failure; with trastuzumab for the 1st line treatment of metastatic BC patients with HER2 overexpression; and with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide as adjuvant treatment of operable node-positive breast cancer.
As per terms of the deal, Jiangsu Alphamab and Sanofi will collaborate to evaluate the combination of KN026 and Taxotere (Docetaxel) for HER2+ breast cancer. Patient enrollment has started for the initial multicenter, open-label study.
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