Daiichi Sankyo, AstraZeneca, Summit Partner On Datroway- Ivonescimab Cancer Studies
(RTTNews) - Daiichi Sankyo (4568.TS) and AstraZeneca (AZN) have entered into a clinical trial collaboration agreement with Summit Therapeutics (SMMT) to evaluate Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan) in combination with ivonescimab across multiple solid tumor types, expanding efforts to develop novel cancer treatment combinations.
The collaboration will begin with a Phase 3 study evaluating the combination as a first-line treatment of patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The companies also plan to explore the regimen in additional solid tumors, including lung cancer.
Datroway is a TROP2-directed antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo and jointly developed and commercialized with AstraZeneca. The therapy is part of Daiichi Sankyo's DXd antibody drug conjugate platform, which has produced several oncology candidates and approved medicines.
Ivonescimab is a novel bispecific antibody designed to combine PD-1 checkpoint inhibition with VEGF blockade in a single molecule. The approach seeks to simultaneously activate immune responses against tumors while limiting tumor blood vessel formation.
According to the companies, the collaboration is intended to evaluate whether combining an antibody drug conjugate with a next-generation immunotherapy could improve treatment outcomes in difficult-to-treat cancers.
Under the agreement, each company will contribute its respective medicine for the planned studies. AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo and Summit will share clinical trial costs, while preserving development and commercialization rights to their own products.
The partnership represents the latest effort by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca to expand the clinical utility of Datroway through combination strategies. The drug is currently approved in more than 30 countries/region for certain patients with unresectable or metastatic TNBC and in more than 45 countries and regions for specific hormone receptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer patients.
Datroway has also received approvals in countries including the United States, Brazil, Russia, and Singapore for the treatment of certain patients with locally advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer who have previously received targeted therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy.
A broader development program for Datroway remains underway, with more than 20 clinical trials evaluating the therapy across multiple cancer types. The program includes eight Phase 3 trials in lung cancer, five Phase 3 trials in breast cancer and one Phase 3 and one Phase 2/3 trial in urothelial cancer, both as a standalone treatment and in combination with other anticancer therapies.
For Summit Therapeutics, the collaboration marks an expansion of Ivonescimab's global development program into breast cancer. The company believes the agreement could support the evaluation of the investigational therapy across a wider range of solid tumors beyond its ongoing development efforts.
SMMT closed Thursday's trading at $16.69, down 1.30%. During overnight trading the stock is at $16.76, up 0.42%.
