Abtis Co. Ltd., Dong-A ST’s newly incorporated subsidiary since December 2023, is making headway with its leading Claudin18.2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) candidate, AT-211, according to Abtis CEO Taedong Han. “About 80% of gastric cancers do not have HER2 overexpression, but 77% overexpressed Claudin18.2,” Han told Bio Korea 2024 audience members on May 9, stressing that AT-211 was found to be highly potent against cancer cells expressing Claudin18.2 in ADC cell viability studies.

Two years after signing a $1.6 billion partnership with Marengo Therapeutics Inc., Paris-based Ipsen SA is back at it again, this time teaming up for two additional assets that target “cold” tumors in a deal that could bring privately held Marengo $1.2 billion. “We do something really novel and innovative and I think it’s very important to continue to validate it,” Marengo CEO Zhen Su told BioWorld, adding that with the newest deal, “we see validation all around this … It’s a success on success.”

Australian radiopharmaceutical company Telix Pharmaceuticals Ltd. announced its IPO on the Nasdaq to raise $200 million to advance its late-stage radiopharma candidates. Headquartered in Melbourne, Telix has operations in the U.S., Europe (Belgium and Switzerland) and Japan with an extensive pipeline of theranostic radiopharmaceutical candidates.

Trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (TROP2) antibody-drug conjugates became a topic of talk during the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

In an indication with few treatment options for patients who are running out of time, Replimune Group Inc. revealed positive top-line results of its lead candidate, RP-1 (vusolimogene oderparepvec), in anti-PD-1-failed melanoma. Data from the phase I/II Ignyte study of RP-1 plus Opdivo (nivolumab, Bristol Myers Squibb Co.) showed the treatment hit the primary endpoint with a 12-month overall response rate of 33.6% and a median duration of response of more than 35 months.

Arrivent Biopharma Inc. and Jiangsu Alphamab Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. have signed a development deal that leverages Alphamab’s antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) research and discovery platform and could bring Alphamab up to $615.5 million.

Miami-headquartered Summit Therapeutics Inc. expanded rights to Akeso Inc.’s non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) drug, ivonescimab (SMT-112; AK-112), June 3 while raising $200 million to advance the therapy.

Astrazeneca plc’s blockbuster Enhertu continued to garner attention as new data released at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting show the antibody-drug conjugate demonstrated strong progression-free survival in metastatic breast cancer patients. Puma Biotechnology Inc. had advances of its own at ASCO with new biomarker findings from a phase II study of alisertib, an aurora protein kinase 2 inhibitor, in endocrine-resistant metastatic breast cancer.

While Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC awaits this summer’s PDUFA date for the IDH-mutant glioma drug vorasidenib, acquired in the buyout of oncology assets from Agios Pharmaceuticals Inc., the latter unveiled positive data from a global phase III study with oral mitapivat in adults with transfusion-dependent alpha- or beta-thalassemia.