Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-NXKI

Bristol Myers Squibb’s foray into cancer antibody-drug conjugates and bispecifics appears to be bearing fruit. Chinese startup Biokin, which partnered with Bristol Myers through its subsidiary SystImmune in 2023, said that an EGFRxHER3 bispecific ADC called izalontamab brengitecan (iza-bren) hit at least one primary endpoint in an interim Phase 3 readout. Specific data were not disclosed. Wednesday’s announcement represents a boon for Bristol Myers, which has the rights to the drug outside of China. The company is playing catch-up in the bispecific and ADC spaces with companies like AstraZeneca and Merck. AstraZeneca has its own franchise drug Enhertu (HER2-targeting ADC) and the recently approved Datroway (TROP2-targeting ADC). Merck, meanwhile, paid $4 billion upfront to Daiichi Sankyo (which is also partnered with AstraZeneca) for three different ADCs in 2023. Though iza-bren is mechanistically different from those compounds by going after two cancer targets, the drug still commanded a hefty deal. Bristol Myers paid $800 million upfront to Biokin for ex-China rights to the program, and could be on the hook for another $7.6 billion in potential biobucks. In iza-bren’s Phase 3 study, researchers enrolled patients with a form of head and neck cancer known as recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Iza-bren is being tested against physician’s choice of chemo. The trial is measuring overall response rate and overall survival as co-primary endpoints, according to its clinicaltrials.gov page , but Biokin did not specify which endpoint was the one that succeeded. The lead indication for iza-bren is previously untreated triple negative breast cancer for patients who cannot receive anti-PD(L)1 inhibitors. A Phase 2/3 study is expected to start this month.

FDA decision will enable Iksuda to expand its ongoing clinical trial in the US, Australia and Singapore Preliminary data from an ongoing dose-escalation study of IKS014 has shown meaningful clinical activity across multiple tumour types NEWCASTLE, UK I June 30, 2025 I Iksuda Therapeutics (Iksuda), the developer of class-leading antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) with clinically validated tumour-selective payload release formats, today announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for IKS014, a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) ADC targeting patients with advanced HER2+ solid tumours, enabling the expansion of ongoing clinical trials. IKS014 is currently being investigated in an open-label phase 1 dose-escalation study ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05872295 ) designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of increasing dose levels of IKS014 and establish a recommended phase 2 dose. Preliminary data from this study has demonstrated promising clinical activity across multiple tumour types, including breast, ovarian, gallbladder, and oesophageal cancers, and including patients who have relapsed after prior treatment with Enhertu. Gaining access to U.S. centres for the dose expansion stage of this phase 1 trial will enable efficient confirmation of the role of IKS014 in this important patient sub-set. Dr Dave Simpson, Chief Executive Officer, Iksuda Therapeutics, said: “The FDA clearance of our IND application for IKS014 represents a significant milestone in our mission to address the critical unmet needs of patients with HER2-positive cancers, particularly those who have exhausted current standard-of-care options. Early clinical data has been extremely encouraging, and we are excited to expand our program to reach more patients. “The early efficacy signals that have been observed, particularly in patients that have relapsed after receiving prior treatments of Kadcyla and Enhertu, suggest IKS014 could potentially offer a new treatment option for patients who currently have limited alternatives. We look forward to working with our clinical partners to further evaluate the potential of IKS014.” The first stage of this phase 1 trial, to determine the recommended phase 2 dose for dose expansion, is nearing completion. The expansion phase will assess several patient cohorts including those with HER2-positive breast cancer who are refractory to or cannot tolerate Enhertu, patients with HER2-low breast cancer and patients with HER2-positive positive gastric cancer. The IND clearance will allow Iksuda to access patients across sites in the United States, alongside sites in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. The phase 1 trial is expected to complete in 2H 2026. About IKS014 IKS014 is a potential best-in-class antibody drug conjugate, benefiting from tumour selective activation and release of the cytotoxic agent monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF). In preclinical trials, it displayed impressive activity in high- and low-HER2 expressing tumours with a favourable Therapeutic Index vs other HER2-directed drugs. Iksuda gained exclusive world-wide rights (excluding Greater China and South Korea) to IKS014 from LigaChem Biosciences ( https://iksuda.com/2022/01/iksuda-deepens-clinical-pipeline/ ). About Iksuda Therapeutics : www.iksuda.com Iksuda Therapeutics is a clinical stage, UK-based biotechnology company focussed on the development of class leading antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) targeting difficult-to-treat haematological and solid tumours. Iksuda’s pipeline of ADCs is centred on a portfolio of prodrug DNA and protein alkylating payloads in combination with stable conjugation chemistries including its proprietary PermaLink ® platform. The Company’s design concepts for ADCs are now clinically validated to significantly improve the therapeutic index of this important modality and improve the outcomes for patients living with cancer. SOURCE: Iksuda Therapeutics