BioInvent Signs Clinical Trials Agreement with UK Cancer Charities
BioInvent International have announced that they have signed a clinical trial partnership with Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research Technology, and with Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.
The clinical trial partnership will assess BioInvent’s experimental antibody, BI-1206, in reducing resistance to rituximab treatment in patients with certain blood cancers.
BioInvent’s fully-human anti-CD32b antagonistic antibody will be taken into a collaborative Phase I/II clinical trial for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
The first-in-man study will be funded and conducted by Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research Technology, and Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research. BioInvent have the option to take up an exclusive license to the clinical study data, subject to payment of milestones and royalties to Cancer Research Technology.
In addition to directly killing tumour cells, the antibody is thought to work by maintaining CD20 antibodies on the cell membrane of cancer cells, preventing them from becoming resistant to rituximab.
BI-1206 has shown potential both in combination with CD20 antibodies and when used as a single agent in CLL and other types of NHL in preclinical studies carried out by Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research funded scientists at the University of Southampton.