Immune-Onc Therapeutics and BeiGene have signed a clinical trial partnership and supply agreement to evaluate IO-108 and IO-202 with tislelizumab.
The move is part of Immune-Onc’s clinical development programmes in China.
IO-108 and IO-202 are Immune-Onc’s first-in-class myeloid checkpoint inhibitors while tislelizumab is BeiGene’s anti-PD-1 antibody.
Immune-Onc CEO Charlene Liao said: “The preclinical and clinical data to date of our first-in-class LILRB antagonists IO-108 and IO-202 have shown that there is great potential in combining our myeloid checkpoint inhibitors with T cell checkpoint inhibitors, such as tislelizumab, to potentially improve clinical outcomes.
“By expanding our reach with BeiGene in China, we have an opportunity to treat a broader array of patients with significant unmet medical needs.”
Under the partnership terms, the IO-108 and IO-202 clinical trials in China will be sponsored and funded by Immune-Onc, which will also retain its worldwide rights.
BeiGene will provide tislelizumab for these clinical trials.
BeiGene R&D global head Lai Wang said: “Based on strong preclinical and emerging clinical data, we believe there is good synergy between PD-1 and LILRB antagonists for the treatment of solid tumours.
“We look forward to working with Immune-Onc to explore the possibility of combination therapy with our products, which may bring more treatment options to cancer patients in China.”
The ongoing Phase I study of the fully human IgG4 monoclonal antibody IO-108 in adult patients with cancer in the US has concluded dose escalation.
In April this year, Immune-Onc Therapeutics announced the dosing of the first subject in its Phase I clinical trial designed to evaluate IO-202 for treating advanced solid tumour patients.
